The Blackhawks returned to the ice on Sunday morning, yes morning, with some new faces as they took on the Washington Capitals. Andrew Ladd and Tomas Fleischmann both found their selves in the line up on Sunday, while Christian Ehrhoff enjoyed his first game with the Blackhawks in the press box, and Dale Weise, well we're still looking for Dale Weise. Sunday's game was also being billed as a potential "Stanley Cup Final preview" for the national audience. I would not be disappointed if that proved to be true.
Once the puck dropped, it didn't take long for the Blackhawks to dig themselves a hole. Andrew Desjardins put the Blackhawks shorthanded five minutes into the game by taking a high sticking. The Capitals wasted little in making the Hawks pay as Marcus Johansson opened the scoring. The Hawks though were able to answer right back. Patrick Kane responded just 31 seconds later to tie the game at 1. As the period wound down, both teams would have abbreviated power play chances, that neither could score on, and after one the game was tied at 1.
The second period saw the Blackhawks simply dominate the Capitals. The Hawks peppered Holtby with 14 shots, while benefiting from two power play chances in the middle frame. On the defensive, the Hawks held the Caps to just four shots in the period, but Crawford make a great save on one of the chances. As the period drew to a close, Jonathan Toews, while on the power play, would give the Hawks a 2-1 lead off a play set up by the skill of Teravainen. When the horn sounded ending the period, that's how score would remain with the Hawks on top 2-1.
The final 20 minutes got underway with both teams having quality chances. The Hawks however would find the iron twice that could have put the game away early on. As the period went on, the play turned a bit chippy and sloppy by both teams, with six penalties being called in the 3rd period. Just past the midway point of the period, Dennis Rasmussen would find himself all alone in the slot, and hammer home a loose puck kicked to him by #DickPanik from the corner to increase the Hawks lead to 3-1. After the Hawks took two penalties in the span of just over a minute, the Caps responded with a goal of their own to cut the Hawks lead to 3-2. The Hawks would kill off the remaining time of the last penalty, and withstand a flurry of an attack as the seconds wound down. The Hawks would go onto defeat the Capitals 3-2 in what was just a good old hockey game. If you didn't enjoy that, I apologize.
- Can we all sit back and enjoy that pass play from Teuvo on Toews' goal again. See this is what happens when Teuvo plays with NHL caliber players. It will be interesting to see what happens when Fleischmann and Weise join him on the 3rd line.
- Speaking of great plays. I will gladly take plays like the one by #DickPanik any day of the week that led to Rasmussen's goal. #DickPanik hustled to negate an icing calls, and then had the heads up play to kick the puck from the corner to a wide open Rasmussen who buried it. Goes to show how hard work pays off.
- Andrew Ladd had an assist in his return to Chicago, but I thought Tomas Fleischmann was very solid his debut as well. Neither looked out of place, which could be a good sign of things to come.
- For a change the Hawks dominated the Caps at the dot. This afternoon they won the faceoff battle 31-20.
- The #AK72Line opened the scoring with a goal by Kane, but it was nice to see balanced scoring. Toews added a power play goal, and the hustle of the #DickPanik led to a goal by the fourth line.
- While he was shaky at the start, Rozsival rebounded nicely to have a good game by Rozsival standards. In the end he was a +2, and was credited with a shot, four shot blocks, and five hits.
- The first period saw the Blackhawks yield 17 shots to the Capitals. Not exactly the finest way to start a game.
- Andrew Desjardins had a glorious toe drag that led to a great backhand chance, but he nailed the post. The announcers would lead you to believe it was a spectacular save by Holtby, but we all know it was more of good old stone hands Desjardins not being able to finish.
- Evgeny Kuznetsov is a hell of a player, and that was a heads up play to bank the puck off of Crawford, but that is a terrible goal for Crawford to give up. Its a lazy play by a goalie when he can't cover the post like that.
- Sloppy, careless play nearly did in the Hawks in the final five minutes of the game. The Hawks took two penalties, which saw the Caps score and cut the Hawks lead to 3-2.
- These 11:30 am starts can go to hell. I guess it could be worse. We could be America's Hat and have this be a 9:30 am start.
- The Hawks took a total of five penalties today, two of which the Caps scored on. To say the penalty kill is struggling right now is an understatement. Dear Marcus Kruger, hurry up in your recovery.
- The Hawks yielded 30 shots to the Caps, 17 alone came in the first period. While the Hawks had 23 shots, and nine of those were from the first and third periods combined.
- It looks like someone built a wall around Dale Weise and he won't be here for about a week due to visa issues. That's just swell.