Not only were the Blackhawks back from their All Star break, but I was back from extended business travel in sunny F-L-A, as Morris "Mo" Wanchuk would say. After a big win in Anaheim the night before, the Blackhawks had to try and keep momentum on this Disney Ice trip.
The Blackhawks got caught up in some knuckle dragging shenanigans late in the first but, luckily, the final horn put it to an end. Even though the Blackhawks were down 1-0, they out shot the Sharks 8-7.
The second period, short of a couple of shots, was boring as all hell. This makes it even harder to stay up for, when Pat and Steve's monotone voices have zero emotion. The Blackhawks actually out shot the Sharks 15-9 for the period, but not many were that memorable.
The third period was again, more of the same. No goals by the Blackhawks on 7 shots, and the Sharks had an empty netter to "Finnish" the Hawks off.
- Credit where its due. Antti Niemi, with a 31 save shutout, is noteworthy.
- This Rozsival and Oduya pairing has to end. They are the two worst Blackhawks defenders at this point.
- Teuvo Teravainen played only 6:54 in eight shifts, and I can't remember seeing him on the ice once. If this is the bullshit that he's going to be fed, then send him back to Rockford, for fuck's sakes.
- Speaking of not showing up, the adequate Rundblad was invisible too.
- The Hawks were schooled a the dots too, winning only 42%, with Shaw winning only 2 of 8.
- John Scott, who was actually in the lineup. Big stupid animal. Late in the third period, Bryan Bickell laid a big hit on Scott Hannan, and look who stumbles onto the ice for the next shift, The Big Slow.
- The Sharks opened the scoring about 5 minutes into the game. Melker Karlsson got the goal, but it was a flurry in the crease after Raanta lost his net, that led to Duncan Keith actually putting it into his own net.
- These 9:30 starts are simply fucking brutal. No reason a west coast game should be starting that late. Eat an enormous bag of dicks, San Jose.
- Blackhawks with no goals on 31 shots.
- El Capitan was robbed of a fifth solid shorthanded stop with about 5 minutes remaining in the second period. Niemi stopped a breakaway, and then four follow up rebounds, until the ref lost site and blew the play dead. Bad whistle. Quenneville says it all with 2 words:
- I've already spent more time on this recap than it is worth, especially for a game ending after midnight.
Saad-Toews-Hossa
Sharp-Richard-Kane
Shaw-Teravainen-Bickell
Smith-Kruger-Nordstrom
Keith-Rundblad
Seabrook-Hjalmarsson
Oduya-Roszival
