After a pretty lackluster loss to the Capitals on Friday night, the Blackhawks welcomed the San Jose Sharks into the House of Ill Repute Sunday night. The Sharks came in on a bit of a down slide, after starting the season off red hot, but also have a 6-2-2 road record. The Blackhawks weren't much better, with a 4-5-1 record coming into the game. The Sharks PP came in at 26% but their PK was a pretty paltry 80%. This could be the key to the game, as the Sharks also take almost 13 minutes in penalties a game. This was the ass end of a back to back for the Sharks, which means they should be ripe for the picking.
The first period was like the wild west. There was wide open play, mistakes and plenty of goals. When all was sad and done, the Blackhawks had 3 goals on 20 shots, while the Sharks had a goal of their own on 9 shots.
As happens often, the second period was quite the different story. The Blackhawks were out shot 13-6 and thanks to a four minutes Sharks powerplay, outscored 1-0. This mean that the Blackhawks, who seemed to be in control early, had to nurse a third period one goal lead.
Even though the Blackhawks won the third period, on the score sheet, the Sharks had a majority of the chances. The Blackhawks were able to score a fourth goal, and a fifth empty netter to sent the Sharks away losers. Next up, the Lightning on Tuesday.
- With eight minutes left in the first period Trevor van Riemsdyk wound up on a Toews faceoff win and blew it past Niemi for a 1-0 Blackhawks lead. The play looked innocent and Niemi should have made the stop. The Hawks and TVR will take it.
- Roughly two minutes after the TVR goal, the Blackhawks were swarming the net and the puck worked it's way around to Seabrook, who blew a one timer past an awkwardly sliding Niemi.
- Twenty four seconds after the Seabrook goal, Nik Hjalmarsson snuck right up the gut, taking a feed from Marian Hossa, and used a screen to surgically dissected Niemi. At this point I was sure that Niemi was getting pulled, but it was not so.
- With under 5 minutes remaining in the third period, Bryan Bickell dragged Mirco Müller around the Sharks zone for a bit like a pesky knat. Once Bickell cleared the net, Bickell spun around and snapped a shot over Niemi
- With the Sharks pulling the goalie Patrick Roy style, Jonathan Toews said "Thank you very much", and deposited it into the open cage. Sharks defenseman Marc-Édouard Vlasic had been taking shots at Versteeg previous to the goal and Versteeg decided to throw some hooks at Vlasic following the horn.
- The Blackhawks won the battle of the draws, winning 52%, even though Ben Smith was worked over. Joe Pavelski won only 1 of 7.
- Early in the first period, Versteeg had to primo chances and thought one actually went in, but after the play, the replay showed that the puck hit the post.
- Shortly after the Hjalmarsson goal, Joe Pavelski slickly redirected a Braun shot past Crawford, to break the Blackhawks momentum. It was briefly reviewed, but it was pretty clear to everyone that the goal was a good one. Nothing Crawford could really do to stop it.
- While these lines worked for a game, this is a short term solution. These combinations cannot say together long term.
- Niemi looked really uncomfortable for the entire first period. He was tracking the puck awkwardly, and just reacting very strangly overall.
- Great googly moogly, Adam Burish is still apparently skulking around the league. Worthless.
- Not even 2 minutes into a Blackhawks four minutes PK, thanks to a careless Adrew Shaw high stick, the Sharks found Joe Pavelski on the back door and he beat a moving Corey Crawford to cut the Blackhawks lead in half.
- In a RARE Jonathan Toews blue line turnover, the Sharks Goodrow ended up with a breakaway about halfway through the second period, and Crawford made the stop.
- The end of the game turned into a sloppy meatball festival, with penalties left and right. Thirty minutes in penalties in the final two minutes of the game, including 2 fights.
Bickell-Shaw-Saad
Smith-Kruger-Hossa
Morin-Richards-Regin
Keith-van Reimsdyk
Oduya-Hjalmarsson
Seabrook-Rundblad
