The Blackhawks and travelled to the city of big shoulders Wednesday night to face the disappointing Flyers, which turned out to be less than disappointing for the Hawks.
The Hawks came out in the first period and let the Flyers control a majority of the play getting out shot 13-10, and getting out scored 1-0. The Blackhawks had their chances
but could not tie up the game...before the video feed went out, and we were left guessing what was going on.
The Second period picked right up where the first left off. The Flyers took a 2 goal lead in the first 1/3rd of the period ,and then took a 3-0 lead later in the second. Some how, Some way, the Blackhawks were credited with 14 shots to the Flyers 9. I don't think anyone rooting for the team in white would have guessed that, based on the way the Blackhawks were being throttled.
The third period was SLIGHTLY better but, in the end, the Blackhawks still only tied 1-1 for the final 20 minutes. The Hawks mustered up some pressure and even broke the shutout early in the period, but late penalties killed them and the finally succumbed 4-1.
- Early in the third period, during a quick power play, Duncan Keith walked the blue line and got a rare shot through to the net and somewhere along the line Andrew Shaw redirected the shot and it beat Mason. Of all people.
- Classy move by the Flyers, honoring Kimmo Timonen.
- Believe it or not, Vermette and Kruger were pretty good at the dots, but the rest of the Hawks were not. All in all, they wont 54% of their draws.
- I'll put it under good, because there is no "meh" category. Crawford wasn't great, nor was he terrible. The Flyers goals were all decent plays, but he was not all star Crawford this game. If the Blackhawks are going to tempt that fate for the rest of the season, it's going to be ugly.
- When I'm actually not sad to see the mess that is Gorilla Salad over Bryan Bickell, shit is getting serious. That said, Quenneville sat Teravainen for Desjardins. Stupid as hell. Let your opponent dictate your lineup, and they already have the advantage. The stupid line combinations got even more stupid in the second period. So much so that Carcillo/Vermette/Desjardins was actually a thing.
- The Flyers took a 1-0 lead about 7 minutes into the game. The Blackhawks were running around in their own zone and not on the same channel. First Crawford turned the puck over behind the net, then the ever reliable Marian Hossa also turned the puck over. Once the puck came back Duncan Keith was caught trying to help Michal Rozsival and let Wayne Simmonds sneak in on the back door. Read to Simmonds, to a wide open back door.
- About 8 minutes into the second period, Andrew Shaw lost a defensive zone faceoff and the puck ended up in the Blackhawks net. Discarded ex-Blues defenseman Carlo Colaiacovo took a long one timer that was deflected half way to the net by Ryan White, and past Crawford.
- With about 5 minutes to go in the game, Jonathan Toews took a hooking penalty and you can imagine where this is going. Michael Raffl worked a pretty nice 2-on-2, looking off Seabrook and snapping a shot past Crawford.
- The Blackhawks actually managed to out shoot the Flyers 35-33. Still far too many shots to be giving up, though.
- Nordstrom played a team low 7:32 but that has to do with an injury, that we sgould find more about later.
- The fucking NBCSN feed was still screen and radio audio for the last 5 minutes or so, of the first period. Thanks for that, assholes.
- Late in the second, Jakub Voracek and Claude Giroux hooked up to take a 3-0 Flyers lead. Voracek looked off Keith and his eyes must have lit up, when he saw Claude Giroux bearing down on the Blackhawks very own pylon, Michal Rozsival. Voracek saucered a pass to Giroux, who redirected the puck over Crawford. Initiate infuriation.
- In the matter of 30 minutes, Andrew Shaw went from 1st line, to 4th line, to benched. Keep chomping on that acne faced pacifier, though, Q.
- I must have missed it, but I read that Gorilla Salad got in a fight. I was probably taking a dump at the time. I regret nothing, and probably accomplished more.
- When Brad Richards is credited with 5 hits, you know you have a flawed stat.
Saad-Toews-Shaw
Sharp-Richards-Hossa
Versteeg-Richards-Carcillo
Nordstrom-Kruger-Desjardins
Keith-Rozsival
Timonen-Seabrook
Oduya-Hjalmarsson