Fourteen games and counting, gentlemen. The last time that the Hawks saw the Rangers, Coach John Tortorella threw Quenneville a solid. He started backup Marty Biron on the heels of a 10 game Blackhawks losing streak. The Hawks came out "guns a blazin" and ended their streak on the home ice of, what was at the time, the best team in the NHL. Still one of the top few teams, and plus one 6'8" face tenderizing yeti, named John Scott, the Rangers were on Chicago ice looking for revenge. Not only that, but the Rangers are on a little cold streak of their own. They have gone 2-2-1 in their last 5, and 5-3-2 on their last 10. Quenneville isn't throwing the Rangers the same courtesy as starter for the duration of the warmups, Ray Emery, has been handed the, temporary as it may be, keys to the Blackhawks machine. After beating a shorthanded Wings team, and getting dicks handed to them in St. Louis, fans were curious to see if there is still gas in the tank.
The Hawks played a fairly solid period, by Blackhawks standards. They were only out shot 8-7 overall, but the Rangers were able to get a last minute goal on a bad Hawks turnover. This is not a team you want to yield a lead to. The Hawks came out in the second period and tied up the game on 9 shots, and held the Rangers scoreless on 8 shots. In the third period, the Hawks started by giving up the lead to the Rangers, but they didn't pack it up. They scored 3 of their own to end up winning 4-3. Huge win after coming off a disappointing loss in St. Louis two nights before.
- The Hawks powerplay looked great, which is promising. They held the Rangers to very few chances.
- The Blackhawks tied up the game late in the second period, with the help of the newest Hawk. Oduya got the puck at the blue line and put on a little juke to get the wing to bite, and open up the lane to the net. Andrew Shock&Shaw tipped the puck down and between King Hendrik's legs. Deuce needs to watch and learn from Oduya, on how to open up those lanes.
- Hoss, Sharpie, and Kaner hooked up for game tying goal in the third, on a beautiful forecheck and passing play that woke the crowd up. Kaner picked up a turnover at the Rangers dot, and hit Hoss, who one touched it to a wide open Sharpie, who hit the gaping net. And they weren't done yet...
- Johnny O-Did-It to put the Hawks up 3-2 on a nice cross ice feed from Kruger, just 1:02 after the Sharpie goal. It was a simple play that you would think Lundqvist had a good look and should have saved, but we'll take it!
- As boring as they usually are, Sharpie out hustled the Ranger defenders to the puck and fed Kaner in the crease, who kicked it to his stick and into the net. 4-2 Hawks.
- I know the Rangers had a tough loss in Ottawa the night before, but holding the top Eastern Conference team to 25 shots is pretty damn tasty. They aren't #1 for nothing.
- The Hawks were at 51% for faceoffs. Everyone but Bolland was over, or at, 50%.
- Hammer fits much better on the 3rd pairing where there is less pressure to be the warrior.
- The Hawks had a ton of good chances early on, but they kept forcing that one extra pass. I counted at least 4 forced passes that ended up as turnovers, in the first half of the first period.
- Stalberg and Kane cost the Hawks in the last minute of the first period to give the Rangers a 1-0 lead. Kane put a half assed effort in to get the puck out at the blue line, after Stalberg did the same thing. All Kane had to do was shield the puck with his body, and push it out of the zone, but he chose to reach for it, and his stick was lifted by Mitchell. Mitchell then fed Anisimov, who was late coming back and had lifted Stalberg's stick to start the turnover, and was behind Deuce and Seabrook. He had enough time to draw Emery down, and tuck it around him on a slick move. Kane has to want the puck more than that.
- You have to love the kid's heart, but Bollig is not going to be long for team if he keeps getting his ass handed to him. This time it was Mike Rupp who split Bollig's face open.
- Just when the Hawks were looking solid and in control, Brandon Prust picked up a McDonagh rebound and just beat Emery, to put the Rangers up 2-1. Not Marcus Kruger's best shift, as he failed to get the puck out earlier in the shift and was late picking up Prust for the goal.
- In all the confusion after the empty net goal, Keith couldn't control the puck deep in the Hawks zone and Richards was able to hack it at the net and past Emery to bring the score back within one goal, but that would be it for the Rangers.
- The Hawks were out hit 40-20, but that just shows you how irrelevant that stat can be in the outcome of the game.
- No uglies, other than John Scott acting like a fucking idiot gorilla.
