With the season not quite half finished, Jeremy Roenick already is halfway to beating his own team record for most power-play goals in a season.
He had 11 power-play goals before playing Dallas Tuesday night. In each of the last two years, he has scored 22 times while the Hawks had the advantage in skaters.
That equals the record set in 1965-66 by Bobby Hull. The 11 power-play goals also put Roenick in a four-way tie for fourth in the league before Tuesday’s games. One of the players with whom he was deadlocked was St. Louis’ Brett Hull.
Low five: Stephane Matteau missed Tuesday’s game with a sore shoulder, the fifth time in the last 10 games the winger had been sidelined by injury. Jeff Shantz was sidelined for the fifth straight game, bringing the Hawks ever closer to a decision on whether to get the rookie center playing time in the minors or return him soon to the NHL lineup.
The other three forward scratches against the Stars were Kevin Todd, Dave Christian and Troy Murray.
Looser defense: The Hawks had given up 126 more shots this season than last year through the first 37 games. But Ed Belfour and Jeff Hackett have been able to withstand the increased pressure, allowing only one more goal than the 100 the club permitted at this stage in 1992-93.
Only one other was stingier: Mike Keenan’s New York Rangers.
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The Hawks’ offense, on the other hand, hasn’t taken as many shots. They were 47 shots below their totals of a year ago.