The Blackhawks came out rather flat last night, Dallas, but were able to take a 1-0 lead into the first intermission on only three shots. They game up eight shots and had to have their goaltender stand on his head early to keep the game scoreless.
The Blackhawks came out in the second period much like they did in the first. They were out shot 6-0 before they even sniffed the net. The Stars ended up taking advantage of some very sloppy Blackhawks play and stupid penalties to go up 2-1 while out shooting the Blackhawks 16-8.
The third period was a little better for the Blackhawks as they finally woke up and actually out shot the Stars 14-9, and out scored them 1-0. To everyone's surprise, this game was going to be decided in extra time.
For the first time in the 14-15 season, the Blackhawks dominated a period of play and that period of play was overtime. They spent a majority of the 5 minutes in the Stars zone and could have easily won the game. That would have to wait until the shootout.
- The best part of the first period was Brandon Saad on the penalty kill. It's nice to see the SaadFather with an expanded role.
- The Blackhawks surprisingly scored the first goal of the game and the first Blackhawks goal of the season was by Duncan Keith. Kari Lehtonen basically gave the Blackhawks a free chance, and they cashed in. The Blackhawks were trying to muster up some sort of steam when Brent Seabrook seemed to have partially fanned on a touch pass to Keith on the half boards. When the puck finally reached Deuce, he just one timed it towards the net at Lehtonen. Lehtonen, for some reason, remained down on the ice the entire time, and Keith just blew the puck past him, on their 3rd shot of the game.
- The Blackhawks first powerplay of the season had some nice pressure, with Sharp providing most of the action. Small victories, at that point. Later in the game the powerplay came up huge for the Hawks.
- Corey Crawford is the only reason the Blackhawks weren't down 4-0 in the first half of the game. He had two breakaway saves and held the Blackhawks close. He had 4 partial and full breakaway saves. Stellar game.
- Bickell laid a big hit on Kevin Connauton. The ref noticed Connauton laboring pretty noticeably and he was sent into the locker room.
- In the Blackhawks second powerplay Andrew Shaw didn't get to control the puck much but his fight and balls of brass were laid in the collective chins of the Stars PK unit.
- With just under 9 minutes remaining in the third period, Jamie Benn's brother took his second penalty. Patrick Sharp almost immediately blew a long slap shot by Lehtonen to tie the game up. No one knew how the Blackhawks were even in position to be in a tie game at this point.
- The Stars speed gave the Blackhawks fits, especially early on. They were out shot 8-1 early and Crawford had to bail their Hawks sorry asses out 3 or 4 times early on.
- I took the Blackhawks til the halfway point of the first period to show any signs of life at all, when the second line of Saad and Kane were able to work Shaw into open ice, but he ran out of ice. This was following Jamie Benn ragdolling both Oduya and Saad in a matter of seconds.
- Trevor Daley broke the Hawks shutout half way through the second period and 10 seconds into a 4 minute Hjalmarsson double minor. The puck was rattling around the slot and Trevor Daley was able to swat an unstable puck over Crawford
- Duncan Keith is listed as having NINE shot attempts blocked. EEK!
- Ben Smith and Andrew Shaw were eaten up at the dots.
- Many of us Bloggers have been beating the Jeremy Morin drum all summer, and what does he do? Takes a stupid cross checking penalty in his 4th shift of the season. The rest of his night wasn't any better. Excuse me while I chew on this shoe.
- Cody Eakin was left wide fucking open, ten feet from the net, in the slot, and he sniped the hell out of Crawford to give the Stars their first lead of the night. The real kicker was that the initial rush was a 3 on 4 rush. Kane and Shaw both did "fly-bys" on the play, and that pretty much did their goalie in.
- I mentioned this online but David Rundblad and Trevor van Reimsdyk were a roaring tire fire the entire night. Rundblad looks TERRIFIED to shoot the puck. He had a few chances to unload in OT and forced bad passes instead. Van Reimsdyk, by the way, played double the sifts Rundblad did.
- Spezza couldn't go 5-hole
- Toews ran out of real estate
- Seguin missed the net
- Kane beat Kari with a backhand top shelfer
- Hemsky mishandled the puck
