Since Pat was IN Columbus and I was otherwise tied up, lets get right to the abbreviated highlights...
- Ben Smith is HOT. Not only he has been on the score sheet, but he's been getting serious quality chances.
- Almost half way through the game, the Blackhawks finally got on the board. Sharpie picked up a free puck in the Hawks zone, and led a 2-on-1, with Shaw, up the ice. Sharp picked his spot and snapped a shot past Bobrovsky with some serious precision. 1-1.
- While Crawford didn't stand out, he did enough in the shootout to win this game. One goal for in 9 attempts is pretty fucking bad.
- I love Hossa's shootout attempts. I don't care how boring they are.
- I have a similar play in the bad section late in the third a puck squirted through a pinching Hossa and ended up a 2-on-1. Seabrook ended up blocking the shot with a sliding play but, again, watching Hossa dig to get back is something all players should watch. He doesn't have to at his age, but he does.
- Marcus Kruger had a little emotion in him last night. He took exception to a couple of after the whistle plays. Good for him.
- On the bright side, the Hawks were good at the dots, winning 57%.
- Just over four minutes into the game Marian Hossa knocked the puck out of Bobrovsky's glove and chipped the puck into the net. It was immediately waved off.
- Jack Skille scored the first legal goal of the game with about 2:30 left in the first period. Skille nd Erixon went down in the corner chasing a loose puck and Skille was able to get up, beating Erixon back to the front of the net. This was just in time to deflect a long Tyutin shot right past Crawford. The only thing worse would have been Skille tipping a long Wisniewski in.
- Saad had an early second period break-a-way, and Bobo was better.
- Out shooting a team 41-19 and losing in a shootout is a stolen win. Bobrovsky was amazing.
- With one second remaining on the Richards penalty that carried over from the second period, Kevin Connauton used a Matt Calvert screen and
- This could be in hte good and bad, but it started out bad. the early third period break-a-way that Seabrook gave up with a bad pass but then Hossa and Seabrook made nice defensive plays to stop the dangerous Ryan Johansen.
- Ben Smith tied the game in the third period. I'm not really sure what Kruger was tryinf to accomplish with no stick, but kicking the puck toward the net like a slide into third base but, luckily, Ben Smith got a stick on it. The goal eventually went to Smith after a LONG delay.
- Carcillo only played 5 minutes. Here we go with this shit again.
- Jeremy Morin and Jack Johnson were the only two Jackets to score in the 9 round shootout. Just peachy.
- The Blackhawks out shot the Jackets 15-3 in the first period, which should be in the "good" section, but one of those 3 shots ended up giving the Jackets a 1-0 lead.
- When you cant manage a shot on a 4-on-1, you have an issue.
- Check out Jonathan Toews going for a little snap-n-tickle with Brandon Dubinsky.
- I'm getting tired of bitching about Michal Rozsival. Can we be done with this clown already?
- The Blackhawks powerplay had a chance to take advantage of a very late Jeremy Morin penalty and failed.
Kane-Richards-Versteeg
Carcillo-Shaw-Bickell
Nordstrom-Kruger-Smith
Keith-Seabrook
Oduya-Hjalmarsson
Erixon-Roszival
