by Patrick Stankus
Saturday night marked the end of the long 6 game "Circus Trip" for the Blackhawks as they visited the Kings at the Betty Ford Center, I mean, Staples Center in Los Angeles. The Hawks were coming off an improbable comeback as the scored 3 unanswered goals in a combined time of about 4 minutes on Friday against the Ducks. As much as the Hawks want to end the road trip and return home, they can't get caught looking ahead. All that does is most likely end up with an embarrassing loss.
The Blackhawks wasted little time when it came to getting on the scoreboard. Patrick Kane extended his points streak to 19 games just 11 minutes into the game with a power play goal after a horrendous turnover by the Kings. Unfortunately that would prove to be the highlight for the Hawks in the 1st period. Towards the end of the period the Kings found their legs, but they couldn't sneak one past Darling and the Hawks would take a 1-0 lead into the 1st intermission.
The second period got underway with the Kings on the power play following a late 1st period penalty by Andrew Desjardins. The Kings had a bundle of chances, but Scott Darling stood his ground and kept the Hawks in the lead. Just past the midway mark of the period, Niklas Hjalmarsson fired a cannon from just inside the blueline and beat Quick top shelf to increase the Hawks lead to 2-0. As the period wound down, the Kings dominated the Hawks, but still couldn't solve Darling, and after 40 minutes it was 2-0 in favor of the Hawks.
In the third period the Kings picked up right where they left off in the second period. They dominated play and 52 seconds in, Jeff Carter hammered home a rebound and cut the Hawks lead in half. Rather than play to win, the Hawks sat back and played not to lose and it bit them in the ass. With just over 5 minutes remaining Brent Seabrook coughed up a puck in the Hawks zone, and Marian Gaborik was there to cash in and tie the game. Scott Darling came up huge down the stretch and kept the Kings off the scoreboard and we would head to overtime tied at two.
As is always the case with a terrible rendition of pond hockey, the overtime didn't last long. After high quality chances for both teams, it was Marian Gaborik, while on a breakaway, who would end things and send the Kings fans home happy with a 3-2 Los Angeles win. The Blackhawks finished the Circus Trip with a 3-1-2 record, taking 8 out of a possible 12 points.
- As was the case in Calgary, Scott Darling was awesome in net. At times he didn't look comfortable, but in the end he made the big saves when needed to keep the Hawks in the game. Anyone who blames this loss on Darling is bat shit crazy. In the end Darling made 33 saves.
- Patrick Kane didn't waste long in extending his points streak to 19 games. Kane now holds the record for the longest points streak by a U.S. born player. Who wants to bet there will t-shirts commemorating this for sale at The UC on Tuesday night?
- Wasn't it nice to be treated to a Niklas Hjalmarsson goal? That was an absolute bomb from the blueline.
- The Hawks only took one penalty, which occurred late in the 1st period by Andrew Desjardins. It earned him an extended stay on the bench.
- Back to Kane's goal, wasn't it nice to see the Hawks be 100% on the power play tonight? That's what happens when you convert your only chance.
- It took the Hawks just about 10 minutes for them to register their 1st shot on goal in the second period. Seriously, at that point just throw a puck towards the net.
- WOOF, Andrew Desjardins. One bad penalty, and he was also by far the Hawk who saw the ice the least tonight with 7:03 TOI.
- Yesterday it was Teravainen, tonight it was Kero who got stuck playing with The Manshitter and Desjardins. Nothing like developing young players by setting them up for failure. How's that development of Marko Dano coming along when he sits in the press box?
- Kane and Keith both had multi point nights, and both ended up at -1. And as solid as TVR has been playing, tonight he took it on the chin with a -2, the only Hawk with that mark.
- Sorry, but I'm not one who can find it acceptable to say "hey, the Hawks salvaged a point tonight." I can't accept that when you BLOW a 2 goal lead in the 3rd period. That's unacceptable in my book. Call me a meatball all you want. It'd be different if the Hawks were down in the 3rd and tied the game, and then lost in OT. Sorry tonight the glass is half empty.
- Seriously someone get Brent Seabrook some Robitussin with the way he's been coughing up pucks of late.
- The Hawks were out shot tonight 36-22. That's what happens when you sit back on a lead instead of keeping your foot on the gas.
- If someone other than Jonathan Toews wants to win a faceoff, that would be swell.
- It doesn't surprise me that the Kings fans love 3 on 3 OT. After all they called this "hockey" for two summers.
- And I'll leave you with this. The Hawks were outhit 33-17 and lost. Stop saying hits are a meaningless stat. After all don't we love stats, stats, and more stats along with graphs 90% of the population don't understand?
