by Patrick Stankus
Tweet to #Fatrick
The Blackhawks returned home on Sunday night to complete a home and home series with the Dallas Stars. Prior to the game the Hawks held a brief ceremony to honor the World Series Champions Chicago Cubs, to inject some extra energy into The UC crowd. There, you happy? I said it. Now lets move on with hockey, because everyone loves hockey. Well, I guess we'll really see how many now. Yes, that was a shot fired. Alright enough, time to drop the puck on one of those (insert Eddie O voice) "six o'clock starts."
The first period could be summarized like this, it was a complete tire fire. Both teams displayed sloppy, careless play that resulted in chances both ways. The Hawks started the game very sluggish and couldn't capitalize on two power plays they received. Dallas on the other hand was able to open the scoring on their loan power play chance in the period to give them a 1-0 lead heading into the first intermission.
The Stars carried the momentum into the second period, which they began on the power play. Luckily for the Hawks they were able to weather the storm. The power play continued to struggle in the second period. This time they yielded a shorthanded goal to find themselves in a 2-0 hole. As flat as the Hawks had been in this game, they did manage to fight their way back and cut the lead to one, after a nifty goal by Patrick Kane. As the period wound down, the Hawks peppered the Stars net, ending the period with 14, but couldn't tie the game, and after 40 minutes would trail 2-1.
The final 20 minutes saw a different Blackhawks team take the ice. Unlike the first two periods, there was a lot of jump their step, and they dictated the pace of the game. That paid off as the Hawks rattled off two goals in a minute to put themselves on top 3-2. Throughout the period, Scott Darling made some big saves to preserve that lead, but that luck would eventually run out. With just over a minute remaining, Dallas tied the game at three and would send the game to overtime.
In the first minute of overtime, Patrick Kane put the Hawks shorthanded by taking an awful penalty in the Dallas zone. While on the penalty kill, Scott Darling made an unbelievable skate save on Patrick Eaves to keep the game tied. After the Hawks killed off the penalty, they took charge and Artemi Panarin had a great chance to end it, but Kari Lehtonen was able to stop it. With under a minute remaining in overtime, Marian Hossa unleashed a bomb from the point, and beat Lehtonen to send the crowd home happy with a 4-3 Blackhawks win.
- Patrick Kane's mini breakaway goal was a thing of beauty. Those are some sick mitts that 88 has.
- Just after the Hawks tied the game at two, Jamie Benn had a chance on a breakaway, and Scott Darling was able to come up with the save. Seconds later as the Hawks went the other way, Anisimov scored to put the Hawks up 3-2. Its amazing how momentum shifts, isn't it?
- I've been hard on Nick Schmaltz, but I really liked the Schmaltz-Toews-Kane line that emerged from the line blender. Occasionally that things spits out some productivity.
- Midway through the third period, Pat Foley made the telecast all perhaps one of the greatest telecasts in history by dropping a Yanic Perreault reference.
- Marian Hossa's production decline continued tonight with a slick pass through the legs of a Dallas defender, in which Toews buried it to tie the game.
- What a stop by Scott Darling on Patrick Eaves in overtime. My goodness that was a glorious old school skate save.
- Speaking of Scott Darling, he was outstanding tonight. He made 32 saves in the win tonight, but none was better than the one mentioned in the previous bulletin.
- The Hawks dominated at the dot tonight, winning 57% of the draws. Who says faceoffs aren't important? Well I know who.
- Jonathan Toews had himself a night with a goal and two assists. If the Captain gets going, watch out.
- Is there another player in the league hotter than Artem Anisimov right now? I think not. He extended his points streak tonight with a goal and an assist.
- I'm not trying to be a Debbie Downer here, but lets keep the "W" flags at home. That's a Cubs thing. Let them have it. As Blackhawks fans, lets come up with our own ideas.
- Pissing away the lead with 1:20 to go in the third period is not ideal. Luckily the Hawks came back to get the win, in overtime, and not a shootout. Remember that come tiebreaker time.
- Patrick Kane has to be smarter than that to take a penalty in your own zone, while in overtime. Thankfully the penalty kill bailed him out.
- Antoine Roussel is a complete ballbag. In the first period he decided to try and pick a fight with known Blackhawks enforcer Marian Hossa.
- Good Lord, the Hawks first power play of the game was god awful. Maybe one of the worst I've seen.
- Tyler Motte left the game with just over six minutes remaining after an ugly fall, leg first into the boards.
- The power play was just flat out awful tonight. In the end they were 0 for 4, but a couple of the opportunities were atrocious.
