The Blackhawks "welcomed" the Blues in the United Center Monday night after a very Saturday night tilt in St. Luiz which saw Brent Seabrook get kicked out and eventually suspended for three games. AS fast s the festivities began, the Blackhawks took an early 1-0 lead on a gift goal, and held that lead for the rest of the game. A late empty net goal iced the victory and gave the Blackhawks the momentum they needed to possibly tie the series up Wednesday.
As bad as the Blackhawks have looked, the games they lost were in overtime away from home. It could have very easily been 3-0 Hawks after this game, so the Blues can chirp and cheer all they want, but they have NOT dominated at all. On to the highlights:
- El Capitan put the Hawks up early in the first and they never lost the lead again. Toews just easily threw the puck at the net and it ended up beating Miller through the 5-hole. WEAK WEAK goal.
- It's been said that Corey Crawford needed to steal some games for the Blackhawks, well here was that game. The Hawks were out shot 34-25 and Crawford allowed none of them by, including 7 powerplay shots.
- For the third game in a row, the Hawks centers were over 50% at the dots, basically, because Toews was at an insane 79%.
- Sheldon Brookbank dressed for Seabrook and played about 14 and a half minutes. He played the "just don't screw up" position, and didn't screw up.
- For all the bad things I have said about Handzus, the guy has been a warrior so fan in this series. It should also be pointed out that Hjalmarsson, and Kruger have been huge as well, especially on the penalty kill
- Quenneville has apparently decided that Marcus Kruger will only take faceoffs in the neutral zone with Ben Smith taking any offensive or defensive zone faceoffs. Smith has done pretty well with it too.
- A late Kruger empty netter on a feed from Saad iced the game for the Blackhawks.
- The great Chicago hero, Brandon Bollig, played a grand total of 8 shifts for 5:05, while noted slid mark Ryan Reaves played 8 shifts as well.
- Blues phenom Alexander Steen was a minus 2 with a penalty and lost 9 of the 10 faceoffs he took. WOOF!!
- The Hawks powerplay has gone back to Clown Shoe-ish proportions. They are now 1 for 14. They have to do better than that. Conversely, they are 15 of 16 on the penalty kill.
- Watching Roman Polak run around in his first shift kidney punching Bollig and hitting people from behind makes you wonder just what all this talk about throwing down the gauntlet was all about, because he was allowed free reign to act like a cheap shot artist.
- Speaking of Blues noted shit stains, Max Lucky Pierre railed Brookbank from behind really nicely in the second period.