by Patrick Stankus
Tweet to #Fatrick
After starting out the new year on a sour note (pun intended), the Blackhawks have hit the rest button of late on their current, four game homestand. With wins in their first two games, the Hawks welcomed the Nashville Predators for game three on Sunday night looking to extend that streak. Corey Crawford got the start in net, much to the dismay of some of the meatball party in Chicago. This is the kind of talk we'll have to deal with daily until Spring Training, which cannot get here soon enough. Not because of the cold and Cubs, but for the people who are bored and have no clue what they're talking about will focus solely on the Cubs. This is why I support making the Bears great again. I don't miss these clowns that show up this time of the year.
When the Blackhawks took to the ice, they kept the recent trend going of having a sense of urgency at the start. Unfortunately they bit themselves in the ass, and took a too many men on the ice penalty to kill any momentum they had. Thankfully they killed it off, and shortly thereafter, Panarin smoked a one-timer past Rinne to give the Hawks the lead. The lead didn't last long, as on the next shift Mr. Underwood scored to tie the game at one. Late in the period, the fat Ryan Johansen did his best Statue of Liberty impression, and screened Pekka Rinne on a Hjalmarsson point shot to put the Hawks ahead 2-1 after twenty minutes.
In the second period, both teams looked as if the wind was out of their sails following the first period. It took some time, but both teams eventually found their legs, and the pace of the game picked up. Both goalies made some key saves down the stretch to keep it a one goal game. No save was better than the one Pekka Rinne made on Artemi Panarin late in the period. In the end, both teams were kept off the board, and after forty minutes, the Hawks continued to lead by one.
The final twenty minutes didn't exactly go as planned for the Hawks as they would have liked. Nashville tied the game just past the two minute mark, but from then on, it was all Hawks, and the post. While Corey Crawford made some big saves in the period, it was the iron behind him that made the difference. The Predators had a sequence in which they hit the post three times in under a minute. Once the Hawks offense got going, it was all Ryan Hartman. Hartman tallied three goals in the final nine minutes to complete his first career (natural) hat trick, to give the Hawks a 5-2 win. The Hawks will look to close out the homestand with a win on Tuesday night against their former division rivals, the Detroit Red Wings.
- What are things that never get old? How about the Kane to Panarin one-timer? Its absolutely lethal.
- If you bet on Hjalmarsson scoring five or more goals this season, you can go ahead and collect your money. And I'd also like betting tips from you in the future as well.
- Adam Burish made an appearance on WGN during the second intermission. Safe to say this sent the meatballs stuck in 2010 to heaven.
- While Corey Crawford was alright, the real star of the crease was the post. I lost track, but it was at least five times the Predators hit the post.
- Credit where credit is due, Pekka Rinne's stop on Artemi Panarin late in the second period was absolute larceny.
- Patrick Kane had a night that Patrick Kane of 2015-16 would be proud of. Tonight Kane racked up three assists.
- Quietly once again, Tanner Kero had another solid night, and notched an assist in the process.
- Ryan Hartman tallied his first career hat trick, of the natural kind, with three goals in the third period. It was an odd hat trick to say the least as it featured two empty netters. Nevertheless, we kiss the Sedins' asses for all their points they tally year after year, ignoring how many come via the empty net.
- Just to piss people off, TVR was good tonight too. Sorry a certain portion of the fanbase can't admit that.
- This is strictly for @UncleRozsival. I hope everyone else enjoyed Edzo throwing out the Earl Scheib reference as much as Uncle Rozsival and I did after the Preds had a handful of posts in the third.
- The Blackhawks enjoyed their lead following their first goal for a whole forty-five seconds before Nashville tied it up. Lovely response wasn't it?
- Panarin's feast or famine night continued late in the second when he was guilty of a charging penalty. It wasn't even close either on whether or not he left his feet.
- #DickFuckingPanik took a page out of Jordin Tootoo's book and did the old puck between the legs move on Hartman's goal. I'm going to agree with Gate here. Stop being so damn cute. You guys are third and fourth liners. You're lucky it worked in your favor tonight.
- Artemi Panarin had a lazy, slow line change in the first period, that only Ilya Kovalchuk would be proud of. Of course it resulted in the Blackhawks getting nailed for Too Many Men On The Ice.
- I'm only putting this in the ugly category because it pisses me off as a former goalie. Ryan Johansen did his best impression of a statue on Hjalmarsson's goal. No seriously, Johansen just stood there, fat and all, and screened Rinne on Hammer's fifty-five foot slap shot. EITHER BLOCK THE SHOT, OR GET THE FUCK OUT OF THE WAY. Jesus Christ. He's a bigger disappointment to fat people than Jenny Craig.
- Speaking of Johansen, he finished a -3 on the night. Your thoughts Torts?
