After a weird day in Chicago, with the temperature dropping 30 degrees and the legendary Turano Bakery exploding into a ball of flames, the Blackhawks hosted the Tampa Bay Lightning for a frosty November tilt. The Bolts came in as one of the hotter teams in the NHL, and the Blackhawks could be best described as tepid.
The Blackhawks first period should have very well been at least 1-0 in their favor, but the Lightning took advantage of another poor Hawks line decision, and held a 1-0 lead after twenty minutes.
The second period was more successful for the Blackhawks. While they only out shot Bolts 12-7, they were able to tie the game and take a 1-1 tie into the third period.
THe Blackhawks came out and took a fast lead in the third period while getting out shot 11-7, but could not hold the lead. A late Lightning goal forced this game into extra time and, eventually, a shootout.
- Despite the goal results, the Blackhawks outshot the Lightning in the first period 19-6, which is what we should be happy with. Shooting percentage is another story altogether
- Halfway through the second period, Quenneville threw the defensive combination of Rozsival and Richards out on the powerplay, which might be the slowest combination ever imagined. Sure enough, Versteeg gets thrown into Bishop and Richards eventually gets a goal, which means Quenneville with beat us to death with his newest asinine Boggle combination. That said, the Blackhawks had tied the game. I suppose we were supposed to be happy about that.
- Just a minute and a half into the third period and Marcus Kruger tipped a long Hjalmarsson shot past Bishop to give the Blackhawks a 2-1 lead. The Blackhawks were due for a bounce and this was it.
- Crawford rebounded from giving up the first shot of the game to save 28 of 29, including the shootout. By the way, this was priceless:
- Even though he got the loss, Ben Bishop is the real deal. In the mold of a Pekka Rinne, I'm glad he is in the eastern conference.
- The second period rolled around and Quenneville pulled out the Lineblender once again. The Defense was Keith/TVR, Oduya/Seabrook, Hjalmarsson/Rozsival. Not only that, but Richards was right back on the fourth line, which means his promotion lasted all of 20 minutes. Shaw was moved back to the second pivot.
- During two consecutive shifts, in the second period, Versteeg had 2-on-1 breaks with Toews and Kane. Both times he saucered the pass, and both should have been goals. Bishop robbed the Hawks on both plays, but I have to give Versteeg credit where it's due.
- Johnny Oduya blocked a Jason Garrison slapshot just previous to the second Bolts goal, and didn't return. Just previous to overtime Oduya was seen heading to the locker room and angerly threw something down the hallway. Not a good sign.
- The Blackhawks had 23 shot attempts blocked. Still an issue that needs to be addressed.
- If there is one thing everyone agrees about, it's that Brad Richards and Brent Seabrook are a terrible second powerplay pairing on defense. The only person that can't see this is, of course, Joel Quenneville. Not 5 minutes into the game, the Blackhawks earned a powerplay, and sure enough Dr. Lineblender throws his horrible nag out there. Sure enough, Richards makes a terrible play at the Bolts blue line and gives up a 2-on-1...WHICH ends up in the back of the Blackhawks net. What a stupid stubborn asshole, Quenneville is. Maybe Crawford should have made the save, but there is no way that he should have been put in that position.
- Late in the second period, after a play in front of Bishop, Jeremy Morin was slammed to the ice by JT Brown, and the only one to stick up for him was...Jeremy Morin. Bickell just stood there like Frankenstein staring at a flaming torch. Morin ended up in the box but drew the extra 2 minutes.
- Ben Smith got one of the worst goaltender interference penalties I have ever seen. He bumped Bishop just outside the crease and Bishop just gave him the Rock Bottom.
- Halfway through the third period the Blackhawks misfortunes started when Johnny Oduya blocked a shot. The Lightning pinned the Hawks deep in their zone, and a Deuce clearing attempt took a bad bounce off the official. All these circumstances totaled one thing, a Lightning goal. Nikita Kucherov took a Drouin pass on the back door and tied the game.
- I'm pretty sure that I've come to the end of my time as Bryan Bickell apologist. I watched him let a smaller teammate get pounded right in front of him, and then later he basically did a fly-by rather than actually doing a quick stop and fighting for the puck. I can't defend that. It's lazy and worthless.
- Fourth line wingers Regin and Morin played under 14 minutes total. I guess rolling 3 lines is part of "the plan". Can't wait for March, when all those well rested forwards will still be stapled to the bench, and Marian Hossa can barely stand up. Lets hear it for blind faith!
- Callahan ran out of room
- Toews stopped by Bishop'spad
- Crawford closed the 5-hole on Kucherov
- Kane backhand top shelfer
- Crawford stops Stamkos
Bickell-Richards-Saad
Smith-Kruger-Hossa
Regin-Shaw-Morin
Keith-Seabrook
Oduya-Hjalmarsson
van Reimsdyk-Roszival