The Blackhawks travelled to Denver Monday night with a little revenge on their mind. The Avs, if you remember, put an end to the Hawks point streak last week, and did so in pretty convincing fashion. This time the pressure was off, and the Hawks only had to focus on one thing, two more points. This might be even easier, after the thrashing they laid out on Saturday night, in Dallas. Live from the thin air of Denver Colorado, it's the Blackhawks and the Avalanche.
The Hawks came out with a vengeance in the first period, and put two goals in the net in a matter of a minute about halfway through, but the Avs closed the gap with a very late shorthanded goal. The Blackhawks shot total was 11 to the Avalanches 6 in the opening 20 minutes of the game.
The second was right in line with the first period. The Hawks again out shot the Avs, 11-9 and again out scored them 2-1. A 4-2 lead against this team ended up being plenty to walk away with a win, but there were still 20 minutes to play.
The third period was just the icing on the cake with the Blackhawks holding the Avs to only 4 shots, while scoring a late goal on 10 shots of their own. This one wasn't much of a fight from the get go. It doesn't make up for the streak ending, but it does make the sting a little less annoying.
- Jimmy Hayes scored his first goal this season on a feed from Crazy 8s, with just under 4 minutes gone in the first period. Kane intercepted a pass along the boards and fed it to a wide open Hazer at the top of the crease. Hayes turned and backhanded the puck over Varlamov for a 1-0 Blackhawks lead.
- Stalberg and Shaw hooked up about a minute after Hayes' goal on a 2-on-1. They took advantage of a stupid Erik Johnson play, and turned it into the Hawks second goal of the night. Not even 5 minutes into the game, and the Hawks were up 2-0.
- Crazy 8s continued his hot play, but El Capitan did all the heavy lifting for the Hawks 3rd goal of the night. Toews lugged the puck back and forth behind the net, and eventually to the crease. Varlamov made the stop on his shot, but ended up in the prone position when Toews continued to bull through the front of the net. Kane picked up the rebound on the goal line extended and put it off the far post and in. 3-1 Good guys!
- After missing most of the second period, in what some are speculating was a disciplinary measure, Brent Seabrook put the Hawks up 4-1 with about 5 minutes remaining in the period. Crazy 8s found Seabrook in a soft spot in the high slot and put it right in the wheelhouse for a lazer of a one timer.
- El Capitan put the dot on the "i" of the win, on a 2-on-1 with the Saadfather. They just sped up the ice and Toews fisted Varlamov with a wicked top shelfer.
- El Capitan and Kane each had 3 points. Sounds good to me.
- Hjalmarsson saved what was a sure open net goal, in the first period, which was huge for momentum.
- 32 shots to 19 is pretty convincing on the road. You can't ask for much more than that.
- A late second period powerplay by the Avs led to their second goal of the game. Oduya got turned up side down, and inside out, leaving Hejduk 1-on-1 with Emery, who had prematurely gone down (Hey now!). That's never a good combo, and the Hawks lead was cut to two goals.
- Hossa went out in the first period with an upper body injury. Looked a little bit like a shoulder, but we'll probably never really know.
- The Hawks were whooped at the dots all night. Even El Capitain was under 50%.
- Due to the Hawks convincing lead and the injury to Hossa, Brandon Dullig played over twelve minutes. He might need oxygen after that.
- On the flip side of Toews and Kane were Shane O'Brien and P.A. Parenteau, who were minus 3 each.
- Ball bag Gabriel Landeskog blew around Brent Seabrook on a great shorthanded chance, and put the puck past Emery to bring the Avs back within one goal, in the final seconds of the first period. Seabrook ended up sitting a good portion of the second period in what Boden and Konroyd seemed to think was a slap on the wrist from Quenneville. His effort WAS pretty terrible. I actually thought he had a skate issue, or was injured on the play, because he NEVER gets walked around like that. The guy is probably my favorite Hawk, but watching that play made me cringe.