With all the hoopla of the trade deadline, it was almost forgotten that the cup is not simply awarded for acquiring players, but for winning the games. The roster has been set, and the Hawks are strapped in. New/Old Blackhawk Michal Handzus was making his first appearance back since being reacquired by Bowman, on Monday, and Marian Hossa was back from injury. The Blues made a few moves of their own, the biggest of which was acquiring Jay Bouwmeester from the Calgary Fire Sale. It was time for the Hawks to put their foot to the floor and get hot again. Live from the United Center in slightly warmer Chicago Illinois, it's the Blackhawks and Blues...
The Hawks and Blues played a pretty even first period with the Hawks having a slight edge in the shots 8-7. The Blues put a late goal on the board to open up a 1-0 lead after the opening 20 minutes.
The second period was all Blackhawks. They out shot the Blues 15-5 and took a 2-1 lead. All signs seemed to point to a big Hawks night, but things came to a screeching halt in the 3rd period.
The third period was another late game shitshow for the Blackhawks, who actually out shot the Blues 10-7. They not only let the Blues tie the game, but eventually let the Blues hang in long enough to surrender them the lead. The Blackhawks were able to eventually comeback and tie the game back up, but neither team was able to win the game in regulation.
The overtime was a scoreless and worthless 5 minutes, so the teams needed to take this one into a shootout. Even the Shootout went into extra time, and after 12 shooters, the Blues won it.
- After the Hawks gave up the lead in the first, El Capitan opened up the second causing all sorts of chaos in the Blues crease. He picked up a Seabrook rebound and poked it past Elliott to tie the game up. As with quite a few goals this year, the play was set up by Kane's puck carrying ability. He waited for the troops to catch up and fed Seabrook. The rest was history.
- Just over two minutes after the Toews goal, General Saad took a Toews feed and pumped a back door goal past Elliott, to give the Blackhawks a 2-1 lead. That lead would stick until early in the third, and the Hawks would never see a lead again. I can't say enough just how much I like this Saad kid. He's a star in the making, and he's found his niche.
- Stalberg gave the Hawks some life with under 5 minutes remaining in regulation. He intercepted a weak Roszival shot and surprise Elliott by snapping it through a Bickell screen and Elliott's 5-hole. Big goal, at the time.
- Even though his shootout expertise didn't work out, his faceoff expertise did. Handzus was 10 for 14 at the dots. If he can keep that up, this move will be a steal. His numbers made up for Bolland and Shaw's terrible matching 33%s. Kane and Sharp need possession, and it's going to come a time when Handzus needs to center them, to get them the puck. Bolland has been brutal.
- Boss 81 was a plus 2 in his return to the lineup.
- If you're going to allow a shitshow, you might was well go all in, and the Blackhawks did. They allowed previously scoreless Adam Cracknell to score not one, but TWO goals. The first was as a result of Deuces sloppy feet. He blew a tire at the Blues blue line (say that three times) and it left Cracknell in on a 2-on-1 with Seabrook and Crawford. Crawford's angle was way off, and Cracknell blew it by him easily. The second goal was a breakaway as a result of Roszival's cement skates. He pinched on a play that he probably shouldn't have, and Cracknell got in behind him. Keith wasn't able to catch him either, and Cracknell waited Crawford out long enough to just tuck it by him. Made the kid look like a fucking Allstar for a night.
- Bolland truly did nothing last night. He lost 2/3rds of his faceoffs, took a penalty, and was a minus 2. I've given up all hope that he can be a #2 center. Time for plan "F", put him back where he wants to be and put either Kruger or Handzus on the second line. Shaw can slide to wing or down to the 4th line.
- Between Roman Polak jumping Stalberg for an innocent collision with Barrett Jackoff and then Jackoff yapping at Ray Emery on the bench, I don't know which was the bigger clown move. First of all, Roman Polak is a doucheface for just blatantly maiming Stalberg after a clean play. Jackoff put himself in a bad position and Stalberg simply lifted his stick. I'm glad the refs got that call right, giving Polak 2/5/10 and Stalberg nothing. Then Jackoff had the brilliant idea of yapping not at one of the 19 players on the ice, but backup Sugar Ray Emery. I really don't think that he realized what he was getting himself into, because Sugar Ray would have knocked his teeth out.
- WHY is Brandon Bollig back? WHY? Fuck, this is mentally draining.
- Midway through the third period, the Blackhawks, more specifically Hammer and Deuce, left David Backes alone in front of Crawford long enough to shovel a Bouwmeester rebound past Crawford, giving the Blues a 4-3 lead.
- Toews scored on Elliott
- Stewart scored on Crawford
- Kane scored on Elliott
- McDonald scored on Crawford
- Shaw was stopped by Elliott
- Perron was stopped by Crawford
- Hossa scored on Elliott
- Steen scored on Crawford
- Saad was stopped by Elliott
- Tarasenko was stopped by Crawford
- Handzus was stopped by Crawford
- Shattenkirk scored on Crawford
