After the previous night's shootout loss at home to Pittsburgh, the Hawks wasted no time heading to DC to face the Caps. Nothing like the hair of the dog, to lick their wounds. Not much need for a preview, other than this being the first extended look at Antti Raanta. On with the hockey goodness....
It didn't take long for the Hawks to surrender a lead, but came back later and tied the game up. The Hawks also out shot the Caps 12-7, which made for a pretty good start.
The second period opened up offensively, with the Hawk potting 3 goals on 8 shots and the Caps netting 2 of their own, on 11 shots. A one goal lead going into the third, would be interesting, and short lived.
The only goal in the third was from the Caps. That was enough to send the game to overtime and, eventually, a shootout. This time the Hawks were able to come up with a different result and win the game 5-4.
- Dylan Olsen tied the game up at 1 with about 6 minutes remaining in the first period. Olsen trailed the play and had about 6 days to pick his spot. The result was Olsen nicely beating Neuvirth. That's the kind of play the Hawks have been looking for.
- Jeremy Morin put the Hawks up 2-1 about 4 minutes into the second period with a pretty rush right through the middle of the neutral zone that was almost a full end to end rush. He fought through 2 defenders and snapped a long wrist shot past Neuvirth.
- Veteran camp invitee Brad Winchester blew a shot past Neuvirth just past the halfway point of the second period to put the Hawks back up by one, 3-2. The goal was pretty brutal and from a really tight angle but, hey, we'll take it. That ended Neuvirth's night.
- Brandon Bollig scored his second goal in as many nights, late in the second period, to put the Hawks up 4-2. Hartman and Clendening worked a nice passing play, and Bollig snapped one past an out of position Leggio. Welcome to the show, kid!
- Raanta didn't have a bad game. Three of the four goals left him hung out to dry. I'd like to see more of him with something actually resembling defense in front of him.
- Olsen had a goal and an assist, which is promising. He really needed to turn his play around.
- After seeing two games of Ryan Hartman, I have to say he doesn't look terribly out of place. I would have expected some more young mistakes, and I didn't see that.
- The Stanton/Brookbank shitshow continued in the second, shortly after the Morin goal. Toews won a faceoff deep in the Hawks zone, and the wonder twins got caught in below the goal line. The puck worked it's way over to Burakovsky, who just one touched it to Tom Wilson. Wilson somehow pounded it past Raanta, tying up the game
- Just over minute after the Bollig goal, Eric Fehr, Jason Chimera, and Joel Ward just worked through the Stanton/ Brookbank shitshow. 4-3 Hawks late in the second.
- Captain Tramp Stamp tied the game back up at 4-4 about half way through the third period, on the powerplay. Leaving number 8 on the backdoor for a one timer is a bad idea. Write that one down, Baby Blackhawks.
- El Capitan was the only Hawks center over 50%, which is pretty much the "same ol, same ol".
- The Hawks gave up a 1-0 lead not even 1:30 into the game, as Backstrom, Ovechkin, Carlson and Johansson put on a clinic around Stanton and Brookbank. Stanton was caught high in the Hawks zone, chasing the puck around like a puppy, and Raanta had no chance whatsoever to stop the backdoor play. Slick start, there, boys. Stanton gave another prime chance to Johansson later in the first. Not a good period for Stanton
- Dylan Olsen gave Nick Leddy a suicide pass behind the Hawks net 6 minutes into the game, and Leddy was absolutely ragdolled by Chimera. Olsen needs to pony up a few dinners after that one, because Leddy's eggs was damn near scrambled.
- Stanton and Brookbank got fucking CLOWNED all night. They were a combined minus 6. I'm not a Brookbank fan, so I couldn't care less if he was around. There are plenty of other kids that could fill that spot.
- Kyle Beach's only contribution to the game, was a late him check on Wilson that incurred a kerfuffle, and got Beach a bloody nose.
- Chimera met Raanta's glove.
- El Capitan schooled the hell out of Leggio
- Ovechkin was beaten by Raanta's 5-hole.
- Hartman had Leggio beat, but couldn't stuff it in.
- Raanta stopped Backstrom to win the game.
11 MORIN - 19 TOEWS - 25 WINCHESTER
12 BEACH - 14 LeBLANC - 15 McNEILL
24 DANAULT - 42 NORDSTROM - 22 HAYES
52 BOLLIG - 16 KRUGER - 38 HARTMAN
17 BROOKBANK - 55 STANTON
8 LEDDY - 34 OLSEN
44 DAHLBECK - 49 CLENDENING