by Patrick Stankus
Tweet to #Fatrick
On Sunday night, the Dallas Stars visited the United Center as the Blackhawks wrapped up their four game homestand. The Hawks were looking to avenge their 1-0 overtime defeat on Friday night at the hands of the New York Rangers. Scott Darling made his fifth straight start for the Hawks while Corey Crawford continues to recover from his emergency appendectomy. With goals getting harder and harder to come by when they play an NHL caliber team, a visit from the embarrassing Stars goaltending could be just what the doctor ordered for the Hawks confidence.
The opening frame was less than exciting to say the least. The Hawks looked like a team that was out there for an open skate than a hockey game. Most of their chances came from the one and done variety. Just over five minutes in, the Hawks did have a power play opportunity, but couldn't convert. The best chance for both teams came from Artemi Panarin who hit the inside of the post with a shot. Thankfully the period didn't last too long, and we'd head into the first intermission scoreless.
In the second period, the pace of the game picked up dramatically from the first period. Both teams found the back of the net in the first two and a half minutes, and before you knew it the game was tied at one. As the period went on, both teams had a power play chance, but neither team could add a goal to take the lead. A few minutes after the Hawks killed off a Ryan Hartman penalty, Artem Anisimov crashed the net and hammered home a loose puck to put the Hawks up 2-1. For the most part, the Hawks controlled play for the period and peppered the Stars net with 13 shots as they took the lead into the second intermission.
The Hawks took to the ice for the third period looking to protect and add to their one goal lead. The Hawks were forced to kill off an early Stars power play, thanks to a hooking penalty called against Niklas Hjalmarsson. Once the Hawks were able to that off, it looked as if the Stars packed it in for the night. Midway through the period, Artemi Panarin added a power play goal to give the Hawks a 3-1 lead. When the final horn sounded, Scott Darling made 23 saves en route to the Hawks 3-1 win over the Stars.
- Scott Darling was excellent in net again for the Hawks. He made a key save early in the third period to preserve the Hawks one goal.
- #SteadilyDecliningMarianHossa added his 15th goal of the season.
- While its good Artemi Panarin scored again, its not good for the Hawks cap situation as that dollar sign keeps getting bigger and bigger.
- The special teams came through for the Hawks as the power play had a goal, and penaly kill, killed off both of the Stars power plays.
- TVR had another solid game. Tonight he was a +2 on the night. Anything that builds this guy's confidence we should be all for. And it doesn't hurt that trade value either.
- Ryan Hartman and Dennis Rasmussen both had respectable, noticeable games.
- 2-1-1 homestand without Crawford and Toews, not to mention part without Seabrook, I'll take it.
- Michal Rozsival was in the lineup instead of Michal Kempny. I don't mind this as much as the other half of #TeamMiserable , Gatekeeper does. In my opinion Rozsival's been better than Kempny.
- The Hawks were only 44% at the dot tonight, but that's nothing new.
- Four shots in twenty minutes is kind of embarrassing. That was the Hawks total in the third period tonight.
- If there is a defenseman thar's struggling on the Hawks, its that of Gustav Forsling.
- Apparently Andrew Desjardins played tonight. Eight minutes of ice time will do that too you.
- In case you need to be reminded, be thankful we don't have to call the Stars goaltending tandem ours. Christ almighty.
- Seabrook, Toews, and Crawford all missed the game.
- The schedule this week of a trip to both New York teams and St. Louis should be fun.
