St. Patricks Day and my birthday, makes for eventful weekend. A great way to end it, is the Blackhawks on national TV. Last year, was actually at this game and, if you remember, it was the game in which Brian Campbell was injured by Ovechtrick. The Hawks were up 3-0 and lost in overtime. It was the beginning of the "just how important is Soupie" experiment, and we all know how that went. Unfortunately, we got another taste of that today, as Campbell played his last shift in the second, with an apparent leg injury. Also, The Hawks were going to have to go at this one without Dave Bolland because of his foggy head from the elbow in the back of the head earlier in the week.
The Hawks came out with energy and even took a 1-0 lead, in the first, but a bad shorthanded goal took all momentum and swung it in the Caps direction. As a result, the Hawks went into the first intermission down 2-1. The only goal in the second period was from the Hawks, on a horrible goal, but it was about time the Hawks were on the good end of a break. They got another break when they scored within the last minute, to go to overtime. All that went for naught when the Hawks had a major defensive gaffe in their own zone and let the Caps win the game. They got a point, but that is not going to be good enough.
- Yeah, Pierre, the rookie goalie that has played a handful of games is so "unflappable". There is a reason 2 other goalies were playing ahead of him. Nick Leddy grabbed the Hawks a 1-0 lead on and pretty basic shot from the point. If I hear "unflappable" again, I'm going to have to find McGuire and beat his ass.
- TomoKop scored an impossible angle off the "unflappable" goalie, who made a men's league mistake, leaving his post early. It was 2-2 that easily.
- FINALLY, it's the Hawks that get a break at the end of the game. With the Crow on the bench for the extra attacker, Deuce took what looked like a bad shot wide, but was actually a pass off the back boards, that came out to El Capitan. J-T did what he does, and banked it off the Washington D-man Wiseman and the goalie Holtby. When the going gets tough, Jonny flexes his nuts Cobra Kai style.
- Leave it up to the Hawks to completely destroy momentum by giving up a deplorable shorthanded goal. Sharpie half assed the play at the point, and it squirted past him, which sent Gordon in on a break. Seabrook was almost able to catch up to him, and Crawford had all the room in the world to cut that angle down. He HAS to make that save, on the road, up by one, with momentum, and ON A POWERPLAY.
- A soft penalty call in the offensive end, results in a powerplay goal, for Washington, in the final minutes of the first. Boss 81 had a chance the clear the zone and rushed it, off balance. Wideman was able to keep it in the zone and few moments later, the Hawks are down 2-1.
- Seabrook almost cost the Hawks, and provided a shorthanded chance to the Caps, when he decided to pinch in on a 50/50 puck that ended up a 20/80 puck. The Caps brought it in on a 2on1/3on2. Luckily the only shot ended up a bad angle one, that Crow was able to snuff.
- The play where Chimera ended up in a fight with Seabrook, it was incorrectly stated that his elbow hit Crow in the head. That is what we would commonly call a KNEE, gentlemen. Nonetheless, our most consistent d-man was off the ice for 5 minutes, because there is no one else that can use their size.
- Just as I'm screaming at my TV to get a whistle, so that Seabrook can get out of the box, Nick Leddy fails to see a forward that is wide open in the slot, and Brooks Laich took his glorious opportunity, and made the Hawks pay.
- Somewhere, somehow, Brian Campbell disappeared. Lets hope it's nothing serious.
- WHERE? Just WHERE in the hell were Keith and Campoli on the winning goal? It's four on four, in overtime, and you leave an opposing forward WIDE open in front of you net, with enough time to turn around to his forehand and stuff it in. That's just awesome. Clutch, guys, CLUTCH!
- There is a reason the Hawks preferred Frodo at wing. He was an anemic 2-9 at the dot, and Dowell wasn't AS bad at 5-12. Johnson and Toews were both over 50% which is fine. Brooks Laich was 7-8 against the Hawks.
- Holy balls. Those green Caps warm-up jerseys are hideous. Not even quirky, just plain UGLY. They might as well worn plaid kilts.
- God DAMN, I hate Pierre McGuire!!!
- Doc Emerick is getting senile in his old age. He called Braden Holtby, Crawford, and later stated that Nick Leddy scored the only Capitals goal. Stupidity is contagious.