Blackhawks at Kings3-2 OT Loss Recap

"California, I'm Fine"

by Patrick Stankus
Send a McRib to #Fatrick

On late Saturday afternoon, the Blackhawks traveled to Los Angeles to close out the regular season with a date with the Kings. With the Kings being eliminated from playoff contention, and the Blackhawks having locked everything up, this game was nothing more than a schedule filler for an 82 game season. Since there is a layoff before the playoffs begin, it was expected that Joel Quenneville would dress most of his star players, unlike the other night in Anaheim against those ballbags. Alright, enough rambling, onto the game, because we got the playoffs to look forward to.

To start the game, both teams looked a little sluggish. I'll attribute that to the fact it was an afternoon game. The Hawks took the advantage on the scoreboard just over six minutes in, thanks to a Jonathan Toews goal. Throughout the period, both teams had some chances, but neither team added another tally. In the end, there were twenty two shots, eleven by both, in the period. The lone power play of the period came in the final minutes thanks to a Kings penalty. With twenty minutes in the books, the Hawks headed to intermission with a one goal lead.

If you were tired of regular season hockey, that didn't mean a thing, then the second period wasn't for you. Throughout the middle frame, both teams could only muster six shots each. The lack of shots, combined with two power plays for the Hawks, and one for the Kings turned the game into an absolute snoozefest. Frankly there's nothing else to say about it. After forty minutes the Hawks held on to their one goal lead.

Thank God the third period was nothing like the second period. The Kings finally got on the board, while on the power play to tie the game at one. Ten minutes later, The Breadman, fighting dollar signs in his eyes, added his 31st goal of the year to give the Hawks the lead again. The Hawks held that lead until the final minute. On a rush up the ice a broken play allowed a deflected puck to find the stick of Dustin Brown, and he put it in a wide open net to tie the game at two. Of course the Hawks had to cough up a lead late and allow the game to head to overtime, just because I drew the short straw of recapping this hot vomit in a garbage bag.

Luckily for my miserable ass, the Kings made quick work of the overtime, and Drew Doughty ended the game 30 seconds in. Next up for the Hawks is a 1st round match up with the Nashville Predators in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Before I end the recap I have to say, we need to give a couple of stick tap salutes out. First up is to former Blackhawk Bryan Bickell who will retire at the end of the season following his MS diagnosis earlier this season. We were all critical of Bickell during his time here, but his heart and desire to attempt a comeback following his diagnosis, and succeed, cannot be questioned. Stick taps to you Bickell on a good career, and being a champion.

The next stick tap salute I want to give out is to Los Angeles Kings announcer Bob Miller who called his final home game today after forty-four seasons. Bob is one of the good announcers of the game, and his voice will be missed.

The last stick tap salute is to you, The Hostile Tribe. I speak for Gate, Norton, and Bryan when I say, thank you to all of you for reading, listening, and interacting with us knuckleheads on a daily basis. As another regular season comes to a close, we can't thank you enough for all the support. We appreciate it like you wouldn't believe. Here's to another Stanley Cup Playoff run, that will hopefully feature a lot more good memories to come. #ThankYouHostileTribe

The Good

• Jonathan Toews opened the scoring for the Hawks in the first period. It was Toews' 21st goal of the season, and one that hopefully gets him going for the playoffs.
• Artemi Panarin scored his 31st goal of the season, and one that could potentially land him a nice bonus. If don't think Panarin was aware of it, just look at his reaction to the goal in a meaningless game. See money is a universal word no matter what language you speak or don't understand.
• Corey Crawford was alright in net. Basically all he was looking to do was get some reps in, and not shred his groin before the playoffs begin. He looked like all the bells and whistles were fine and he'll be ready for the playoffs. I'm glad he recovered from that "McConcussion" he suffered in Montreal. I just wish he recover as fast as Javy Baez does from McConcussions.
• If you don't think this game was meaningless, just look at the ice time for all the players. It was just about spread out as evenly as possible. For Christ's sake, even Tootoo almost had ten minutes of ice time.
• Hate at me all you want, but those gray Kings' jerseys are a friggin' thing of beauty. Total outside the box design. In this day where it seems every team wears a combo of black, red, and blue, this gray look is much appreciated. That's also why the Predators yellow, and Ducks orange look gets a slight pass from me too. But they're not as bad ass as this Kings one.

The Bad

• Marian Hossa gave us all a scare and left the game briefly in the first period after taking a slash. Luckily, and thankfully, Hossa returned for the second period, and the rest of the game.
• The penalty kill was running around like a bunch of chickens with their goddamn heads cut off on the Kings second power play. Not surprisingly, it resulted in a Kings goal.
• Dustin Brown scored in the final minute of the game to tie it at two. If the Hawks were showing some sort of effort, I bet this type of play doesn't happen. 
• Selfishly I hope this wasn't the last time I get to watch Jarome Iginla play. I respect the hell out of that guy, and will miss him if this is the end. I hate the way the last few years have gone for him.
• The Hawks beaten worse at the dot today, than Rozsival's face on Thursday night. In the end it was 56%-44% in the Kings favor.

The Ugly

• I don't like afternoon hockey, but a 3pm local start in Los Angeles meant a 5pm start for us in Chicago. Alright, 5pm is just an odd time for a game. I have nothing else. I'm stretching for material now.
• THANK GOD, we no longer have to endure 3 on 3 and the shootout until October. Of course this game had to be an asshole and go to overtime, just to piss me off one more time.
• Ending the regular season on a four game losing streak isn't ideal, but whatever.
• My money is on the Kings dismissing head coach Darryl Sutter this off-season. I'll miss this if that indeed happens.
  

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Blackhawks at Kings2-1 OT Loss Recap

"The Night Eternal"

by Patrick Norton

@pdnorton3

Pregame

Lots of things make up a good hockey team; a strong captain, coaching adjustments, a heavy goaltender presence, and a finisher. The list goes on, but it’s late and I’m tired. On Saturday night, the Blackhawks would enter without one of the key components; Jonathan Toews. Toews will miss his second straight game with an upper-body injury. Defeating the Los Angeles Kings has never been an easy task, but it gets much more difficult without your captain on the ice.

With an opportunity for a positive record to finish the final circus trip, the Blackhawks would be sending Scott Darling onto the Staples Center ice with a perfect 4-0-0 record on the season. A 2.94 GAA and .904 saves percentage isn’t necessarily something to brag about, but it’s gotten the job done. Now without their captain and their starting goaltender, would the Blackhawks be able to stack back-to-back wins? *Journalism 101: Don’t ask these types of questions.*

Game Time

It seemed like the Kings jumped out to a 1-0 lead a minute into the game on a Tyler Toffoli goal, but the goal was disallowed after further review due to Tanner Pearson shoving Niklas Hjalmarsson into Scott Darling previous to the goal. In the booth, Steve Konroyd, the former hockey player, was oblivious to the NHL rule book and remained confident the goal would stand. Wrong. What else is new? After killing a Desjardins penalty, the Blackhawks tallied the first goal of the game (that counted) on a Kane redirect. Another kill after that gave the Hawks a lead and confidence heading into the first intermission.

The second period hit me and the Blackhawks fast. It took 57 seconds for the Kings to get on the board and I almost missed it for a nap had I not set an alarm on my phone. I’ve been up since 7 am, so this 9:30 pm start has me struggling to keep my eyes open. F*** the circus and f*** Alec Martinez. A plethora of opportunities for each team were not successful, including a back-and-forth sequence of flurries to close out the second period. Somehow, the score was knotted at one after two.

The third period proved to be a bit different. A puck was not behind Darling in the first minute for the first time tonight, legally or illegally. An early powerplay resulted in nothing, even though the Blackhawks were toying with the Los Angeles defense. Then, it was back-and-forth for the next thirteen minutes. Unttiillll, Brent Seabrook cleared the puck over the glass, resulting in a careless delay of game minor with 1:01 remaining on the clock. Luckily, the Hawks got through the first 1:01. The remaining :59 would come in OT.

It was a 4 on 3 to begin OT with the Kings on the advantage. A great kill, but the inability to clear the zone led to a Jeff Carter *let me hurl* OT GWG. Shucks. I stayed up for that. Luckily, the Hawks leave with a point they hardly earned. Scott Darling was fantastic, but holding LA to two goals just wasn’t enough. Unfortunate the offense went cold, but at least the circus trip is over. Kings 2, Blackhawks 1.

The Good

• The first goal of the game was rocket that Duncan Keith fired three feet wide of the net. Fortunately, Patrick Kane got a stick on it and sent it by the glove side of Peter Budaj.
• The Blackhawks penalty kill. How about that? When was the last time the PK found it’s way into “The Good?” Sure, the OT goal came seconds after a kill ended, but Seabrook had hardly joined the play. Unfortunate, but we’ve seen worse this season.
• The goaltending was spectacular on both ends of the ice. The goal post and crossbar made a few cameos, but Budaj and Darling held their own.
• Scott Darling’s new pads are sick. You can check them out on the Puckin’ Hostile instagram page. Follow @PuckinHostile. (See what I did there? Gate would be proud if he actually read my recaps)
• The Motte - Kruger - Rasmussen produced some of the best chances for the Blackhawks, especially in the second period.
• The forecheck was strong through, creating turnovers in the offensive zone and preventing odd man rushes from the Kings.
• Eddie Olczyk’s analysis. Hearing his voice during an intermission while Steve-O sits in the booth with Pat makes me appreciate all Olczyk has done on the mic for the Blackhawks.

The Bad

• A lazy tripping penalty put the Hawks on the penalty kill halfway through the first period. Never a good sign to see the PK out so early. Or at any point, for that matter.
• The defense for the Hawks had their moments, sure, but they let the Kings get a hell of a lot of up close shot opportunities on future brother-in-law of #Fatrick, Scott Darling.
• The WGN graphics were consistently trash. Glad to see Illinois high school playoff football take precedence over an NHL game on CSN. That’s right. I’m blaming the network they weren’t even on.
• The Blackhawks shot column. Outshot 29-19, including 3-0 in OT.
• The Hawk powerplay. Puck possession was decent, but few quality shots left much to be desired on the Hawks special teams. At least they didn’t give up any shortys, eh?
• The dot has been a struggle point for the Blackhawks in more games than not, but it hurt when a lost draw led to the only second period goal for the Kings.
• Nick Schmaltz needs to shoot the Christ forsaken puck on Tuesday night.

The Ugly

• I eluded to this in my first period recap, but Steve Konroyd is the worst analyst in all of hockey. I’d rather have Jamal Mayers in the booth with Pat Foley. Konroyd seemed to forget every rule pertaining to goalie interference and the coach’s challenge. Not one logical statement came out of his mouth. He made Pat Foley seem like a genius with all of the times Foley had to correct his partner in the booth. You could hear Pat Foley’s sadness in the tone of his voice without having Eddie Olczyk sitting beside him.
• The first Kings powerplay included THREE offsides calls! Where were these refs in 2014? Also, how do you go offsides three times in one powerplay?
• Dustin Brown.
• Darryl Sutter.
• A slow start seems to plague every first period for the Blackhawks. While that ended up not being the case in the opening frame, it was in the second. An early push from the Kings in period number two caught the Blackhawks off guard, which led to the equalizer at one goal apiece.
• Andrew Desjardins found himself in the lineup, but quickly made Quenneville regret that decision. He didn’t give up any goals, but his play was less than mediocre.
• Richard Panik has something haunting him. I don’t know what it is, but he isn’t going after pucks the way he did during his hot stretch. If he wants to find himself on the top line again, he’s got to recover the physical factor he has lost in the past couple weeks.
• The Desjardins - Schmaltz - Panik line did not mesh well together. Schmaltz had a few close opportunities, but I’d be surprised to see much more of that line combo in the future.
• The Kings grayscale uniforms are awful. One team should be required to wear a real color. I can’t tell the difference between the Hawks, the Kings, and the refs. Ridiculous.
• The penalties the Hawks committed were the results of pure laziness. Ends up costing them a second point. Damn.

The Lineblender

Left Wing - Center - Right Wing

Panarin - Anisimov - Kane

Hartman - Hinostroza - Hossa

Motte - Kruger - Rasmussen

Desjardins - Schmaltz - Panik

Keith - Campbell

Kempny - Seabrook

Forsling - Hjalmarsson

#Fatrick Stankus Fatsy Stats

• Vinny Hinostroza led the team in Corsi with a +4.
• Duncan Keith and Andrew Desjardins finished with -7 in the Corsi department, tying for the team low.
• The Hawks were a dismal 21/58 from the dot. It cost them a goal in the second period. Lots of room for improvement.

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Blackhawks vs. Kings3-0 Shutout Win Recap

 "Walkin' Tall Machine Gun Man"

 
by Patrick Stankus
Tweet to #Fatrick

After a quick trip to New Jersey on Friday night, the Blackhawks returned home on Sunday night to take on their media made up rivals, the Los Angeles Kings. The Kings have recently found new life with their string goalie Peter Budaj, following the injuries to Jonathan Quick and Jeff Zatkoff. With the Kings playing the second of a back to back, the Hawks should have more energy at the start, and hopefully can use that to their advantage. That seems unlikely though, since this is one of those "great six o'clock starts" and the Cubs don't start until seven, so more meatball eyes will be on the Hawks. Thus bad things tend to happen when the meatballs are watching.

Prior to puck drop, the Hawks held a ceremony for Marian Hossa celebrating his recent milestone of 500 career goals. Stick taps to Hoss on a helluva career thus far. Once the game got underway, it was quite obvious the Hawks were ready to go. They set the tone early by pressuring the Kings in their own end. In the opening frame, the Hawks had the chance to bury the Kings, by receiving four power plays, one of which was a four minute, double minor. With all those opportunities, the Hawks could only muster one goal with the extra man. After being outplayed during the period, the Kings only found themselves trailing by one.

In the second period, the Hawks continued to dictate the pace of the game, by generating a lot of chances and keeping play down in the Kings end. The Kings really couldn't get much going on, and the momentum stayed with the Hawks. The Hawks put the momentum to good use, and added another goal just past the midway point of the game to increase their lead to 2-0. As the period drew to a close, the Kings had a couple of chances, but Crawford was there to answer and preserve the Hawks lead heading into the third.

The final period saw the Kings sloppy and tired play continue, that resulted in three more power plays for the Hawks. The Kings threw 13 at Corey Crawford, but the majority of them were of the one and done fashion. In the meantime, the Hawks weathered that storm, and Hossa added an empty net goal on the power play to give the Hawks a 3-0 win. In the end, Corey Crawford was named the game's first star, after his 32 save, shutout performance. Next up for the Hawks is a home matchup with the Calgary Flames on Tuesday night.

The Good

• Hostile Tribe, do us a solid, and send out a tweet with the hashtag #VoteGatekeeper, so we can win Gate some custom goalie equipment for his "Farewell To The Crease" tour of 2017. - UPDATE: Gate wasn't named a finalist, so there's that. Guess they didn't want to give Satan nice things.
• The ceremony for Hossa was a nice touch. It was great to see them honor the Thrashers legend. In all seriousness, it was well deserved for Hossa.
• Jonathan Toews opened the scoring for the Hawks in the first period, while on the power play. Almost three weeks into the season, its nice to see him get in the goal column.
• Artem Anisimov is simply on fire right now. He extended his points streak to seven games with his goal in the second period.
• The penalty kill finally had a game in which they didn't surrender a power play goal. Praise the Lord.
• Corey Crawford turned in a 32 save shutout tonight. Must have been the black pads.
• Like our Canadian correspondent pointed out, this was by far, the most complete game the Hawks have played this year. Granted it was against a team playing on a back to back, but I'll take it. Its something to build upon.

The Bad

• Four power plays in the first period, and one goal to show for it. Not to mention the four minute power play was a complete joke. Gotta be able to capitalize on the opportunities when they present themselves. In the end, they went 2 for 7, one of which was an empty netter.
• Devin Setoguchi is still playing hockey. Who knew?
• I don't feel like being an asshole tonight, so lets just move on.

The Ugly

• Pat Boyle dropped a "Heeeeerrrreeee's Johnny" when doing the highlight of Toews' goal in the first intermission. Seriously, shut up. You're not a young, hip person. 
• As I pointed out earlier, Gate wasn't named a finalist for the contest for custom goalie gear by Brian's. With that said, I got something for ya, Brian's. Here's to ya....
  

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Blackhawks vs. Kings 5-0Shutout Loss Recap

"The Blob Returns"


by Patrick Stankus

The Blackhawks returned home on Monday night following a brief two game "mom's road trip" to take on the team they alternate Stanley Cups with, the Los Angeles Kings. Tonight's game also marked the return of former Blackhawk heroes #BlobSuckderi and Kris Versteeg. I for one cannot wait for the tribute videos during the first tv timeout. With a national audience watching, one has to wonder if this is a preview of what the national audience will be watching again in late May when its Western Conference Final time.

Once the puck dropped, it looked like the Hawks might have some good fortune on their side. A minute into the game, they were rewarded with a power play, which actually looked good, but couldn't manage to get the game's opening goal. After that it was all downhill in the first period. The Kings managed to score two goals in 18 seconds to take a 2-0 lead, less than four minutes into the game. As the period wound down, the Hawks would get a couple of decent chances, but couldn't beat Jonathan Quick, and found themselves down two after 20 minutes.

The second period saw the Hawks come out with a little more energy to open the middle frame. Much like the first period though, that energy would wane and it was back to the "lacklustre" hockey we've seen all too much of late. With just under five minutes remaining it the period, Vincent Lecavalier put the Kings on top 3-0, capitalizing on a wide open net. The Hawks had a chance late in the period to gain some momentum by way of a power play, but they couldn't do anything with it. After 40 minutes the Hawks trailed the Kings 3-0.

With little motivation, the Hawks came out for the third period and basically played similar to the to third period in Dallas. Hurry up, and get the fucking game over. The Hawks would receive two power plays in the period, but never mounted anything that resembled a threat. The Kings on the other hand took advantage of the pathetic effort put forth by the Hawks, and added two more goals in the third to hand the Hawks an embarrassing 5-0 defeat on home ice.


The Good

• Tonight's game was a local blackout on NBCSN, which meant we were spared having to hear Pierre McGuire twice in three days. Praise the Lord!!!
• Sadly the highlight of the second period for the Hawks was a Michal Rozsival hit on Kyle Clifford. Seriously, that's how bad it was.

The Bad

• Kris Versteeg had a goal and an assist in his return to Chicago. Of course he would.
• The Hawks weren't manhandled at the faceoff dot, but the Kings did have the advantage 38-30. Unfortunately lost faceoffs would prove to be costly.
• Corey Crawford had an off night. Not all the goals were on him, but his positioning was off all night, and was a factor in at least two of the Kings goals.
• I'm all ears to hear why Q believes Mashinter should be playing ahead of Rasmussen. Or even #DickPanik for that matter.
• Andrew Ladd lead the Hawks in the +/- department tonight with a glaring -3. WOOF.

The Ugly

• We beat home the importance of winning defensive zone draws, and that was on full display on the Kings first goal. Teravainen lost the draw the Kings held possession, then a clusterfuck in front the net ensued, and of course it would be Kris Versteeg who would hammer home the loose puck.
• I'm still trying to figure out what the hell Brent Seabrook was doing on Lucic's goal. Seabrook got caught wandering into the middle of the ice and allowed Lucic all the time and space he wanted to fire a shot past Crawford. Crawford didn't help matters by being deep in his crease, but I'll give Lucic credit for a perfectly placed shot.
• Enough with these goalie interference challenges. Tonight the Hawks challenged the Kings third goal, after Tanner Pearson, or TVR's stick barely, if at all made contact with Corey Crawford. Rightfully so, it took the officials 15 seconds to determine this was one of the worst challenges in the history of hockey, and the Kings goal stood.
• The Hawks had 32 shots on net. If you can find one where you actually thought they had a legit chance at scoring, I'd love to hear it. This had to be Jonathan Quick's easiest 30+ save shutout.
• Anytime you have nine, (in Edzo voice) "count'em nine" turnovers, its pretty clear you have no control of the puck whatsoever.
• Do yourself a favor and watch Duncan Keith's not so fancy footwork on Dustin Brown's goal. Sorry Duncan, but you're not line dancing.
• TVR and struggle. That's a gross combo of late.
• I've saved the best for last (about the Hawks.) That once mighty power play was 0 for 6 tonight. That is not a typo. Much like the shots, name one power play that had sustained pressure. Exactly. None of them did.
• The only logical reason for this Hawks slump is @atomicfroster and I being at the helm of recent recaps. Raise your hands if you want Gate to return.

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Blackhawks at Kings 3-2 OT Loss Recap

"Trip To The Drug Store"

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.

The Good

• 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.

The Bad

• 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.

The Ugly

• 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?

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Blackhawks vs. Kings4-2 Win Recap

"Marko. Dano. Marko. Dano."
by Patrick Stankus

The Blackhawks returned home on Monday night from their brief and unsuccessful two game road trip to the north last week. Standing in line tonight was the visiting Los Angeles Kings, who have gotten their early season issues snorted out and come to town riding a 7 game winning streak. The Blackhawks on the other hand are struggling to say the least. To try and spark the team, the Hawks sent overpriced forward Bryan Bickell to Rockford and recalled forward Marko Dano for tonight's game. In addition to that roster shuffle, the Hawks would also be without Marian Hossa for tonight's game.

As is always the case when the Kings and Hawks battle, tonight's game got off to a fantastic pace. The opening minutes featured end to end action with several scoring chances. The Hawks however would get on the board first courtesy of a one timer from Garbutt to The Captain just over the 6 minute mark. With 5 and a half minutes remaining in the period, Alec Martinez tied the game up for the Kings on a point shot with a little help from a Marko Dano screen, but still was one Crawford should have had. The Kings wouldn't be done with scoring. With 1:20 remaining, Anze Kopitar scored on a rebound attempt to give the Kings a 2-1 after the first period.

The fast pace of the the game would continue as the second period got underway. Both teams would have a few quality chances during the period. Both teams came within inches of scoring as both Jake Muzzin and Teuvo Teravainen found the post. The highlight of the period came from a goal mouth scrum that featured Marcus Kruger and Anze Kopitar earning roughing penalties. After 40 minutes, the Kings would still lead 2-1.

The third period would get started on the right foot for the Hawks. Patrick Kane tied the game just 1:22 into the period on a lazy wrist shot, that similar to the Martinez goal, is one that should have been stopped. That wasn't the only time we'd hear from Kane in the third period. Midway through the period, Kane fed a no look pass from behind the net to a wide open Teuvo Teravainen who put the Hawks up 3-2. Throughout the period the Hawks and Corey Crawford were able to hold off a flurry of chances from the Kings, along with two Kings' power plays. Artem Anisimov put the game out of reach in the final two minutes with a breakaway goal, and sealed a 4-2 win for the Blackhawks.



The Good

• The all around play by Panarin, Garbutt, and Toews on the Hawks opening goal was superb. Panarin kept it simple, got the puck out, while Garbutt fed Toews a perfect pass to one time the puck past Quick. It doesn't get much better than that.
• This just in. Patrick Kane is good at hockey. That no look pass to Teuvo was, well, it was friggin' awesome. And who didn't enjoy him destroying Trevor Lewis along the boards?
• Anyone want to call out Jonathan Toews?? The guy has been lights out of late. The Captain added another goal to his hot streak.
• Corey Crawford shook off a soft goal early and bounced back nicely. He fought off a 19 shot third period from the Kings en route to the win. In the end he made 33 saves tonight.
• Artem Anisimov continues to make me look like an idiot for saying why the rush to extend him over the summer. I think Jonathan Quick is looking for his jock after that breakaway goal in the third period.
• I very much approve of the snarl that Kruger displayed against Kopitar in the second period.
• Another guy who deserves a shout out is Ryan Garbutt. Again, I don't approve of the role he's playing on the first line at times, but he's doing all the little things right.
• The Hawks for a change had a solid night at the face off dot 37-27.

The Bad

• Alec Martinez's goal was one Crawford should have had. Yes, there was a partial screen from Dano, but still a point shot like that is one that should be stopped.
• Marko Dano got the dreaded "he was alright" from Quenneville tonight. I thought he was better than that, but again, Q likes to piss on everyone's parade.
• Viktor Svedberg had an up and down game. If he can work on not being hell bent of reaching for the puck, and skating towards it instead, he may turn into a reliable defenseman.
• Yielding 19 shots in a period is never a good thing. Let alone the third period. The Hawks defense needs to tighten up, but tonight they can thank their goalie for bailing them out.

The Ugly

• Ryan Hartman got the "Q treatment" and was benched following a bad turnover. In the end he played a team low 9:19.
• Trevor Daley.......WOOF. We're starting to drain some of the patience out of the patience pool I have for a veteran defenseman.

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Blackhawks vs LA Kings4-1 Win Recap

"We All Bleed Red"
by Gatekeeper

The Blackhawks had the second game of a back-to-back Monday night against the LA kings back at the United Center. This was a pretty important game for both teams, with the Blackhawks trying to hold onto their third place spot, and the Kings just trying to make the playoffs. The Hawks could help keep the Kings out with a regulation win, as well as help their own situation.

The Blackhawks and Kings went into the first intermission tied at 1, with the Hawks scoring in the first five minutes and the Kings in the final minute. The action went back and forth pretty evenly all period, but the Blackhawks led the shot count 16-10.

The Blackhawks came out of the first intermission on fire. They scored 2 quick goals, and could have easily had 2 more, all in the first 5 minutes. Eventually, the Blackhawks cooled off, and the Kings were about to tie the Blackhawks in shots 13-13.

The third period, had both teams letting off the gas some, with the Blackhawks pretty much icing the game with about 7 minutes remaining and out shooting the Kings 13-9. When the final horn blew, it was a convincing 4-1 Blackhawks win.

The Good

• Five minutes into the first period, following a delayed penalty call on Mike Richards for running Andrew Shaw from behind, new WWE Heavyweight Champion Brandon Saad carried the puck from behind he net, and circled into the slot. He had enough reach to throw the puck at the net, and it deflected off Bickell's skate past Quick. 1-0 Blackhawks.
• Just a minute and a half into the second period, the Blackhawks took the lead back. Duncan Keith was able to actually get a long point shot through and just miss Andrew Shaw, who was screening Quick. The puck had eyes and made it past Quick. 2-1 Blackhawks
• Sixty four seconds after the Keith goal, and seconds after Patrick Sharp hit the crossbar, Nik Hjalmarsson kept a Kings clearing attempt in the zone and walking to the top of the circle and beat Quick for another Blackhawks goal.
• Less than a minute after the Hjalmarsson goal, Teravainen just missed making it 4-1 with a break-a-way chance.
• With about 7 minutes remaining, Hossa put on a show. He stole the puck at the Kings blue line, came in 1-on-5 and sniped Quick for a 4-1 Blackhawks lead.
• One soft goal aside, Scott Darling was really solid as hell in net. He saved 31 of 32, which is exactly what the Hawks needed.
• Hjalmarsson and Oduya were each plus 3. More of this, please.
• This might be the best game we've seen out of Johnny Oduya all year.
• The way Brandon Saad has been laying must make Stan Bowman's tighten up more each day. He's going to have to pay out the wazoo for this kid, and he would be worth it.
• I know I might be in the minority, but I was pretty stoked to see Former WWE Champ CM Punk shoot the puck between periods. Sue me.
  

The Bad

• Late in the first period, Brandon Saad was sandwiched by Drew Doughty and Kyle Clifford. He went down hard and got up slow, eventually going to the locker room.
• I still can't say I've noticed Timonen out there.

The Ugly

• Teravainen starting on the 4th line is NEVER good; so that's exactly what Quenneville did. To make matters worse, Andrew Shaw was back at fucking center. It doesn't matter what the score ends up being. It's a stupid lineup.
• The Kings tied the game with under a minute remaining in the first period. Jake Muzzin threw the puck at the net from the half boards, and it just snuck through Darling and into the net.

The Lineblender
Versteeg-Toews-Hossa
Sharp-Richards-Vermette
Bickell-Shaw-Saad
Desjardins-Kruger-Tervainen

Keith-Rozsival
Oduya-Hjalmarsson
Seabrook-Timonen

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Blackhawks at Kings 4-3 Loss Recap

Kings Ransom



With the All Star break now behind, the Blackhawks continued their road trip in Los Angeles on Wednesday night with the start of their 6 game "Ice Show Trip." Much of the build up leading to the game was about how both teams have been disappointing to an extent. Calm down Blackhawks fans, I didn't say they suck, I said they're not up to most of your expectations. They're at mine. Anyways, since its late, lets get to the recap.

The Blackhawks came out with a lot of energy, and early on it payed off. No longer serviceable, but now Adequate Rundblad teed up a slap shot that was blocked, and the loose puck went right to a wide open Patrick Kane, who in turned fired the puck into a wide open net to give the Hawks the early lead. Just before the midway point of the period, Hawks killer Jeff Carter tied the game at one. Following a lazy Drew Doughty penalty, Patrick Kane threaded the needle with a cross ice pass to Patrick Sharp who buried it to give the Hawks a 2-1 lead, and that's where we stood after one.

Unlike the first period, the Hawks were not firing on all cylinders in the second period. Some sloppy play came back to bite them early. A soft, but correct holding call on Joakim Nordstrom gave the Kings an early power play and they didn't waste any time. Jeff Carter netted his second goal of the night to tie the game at two. The early Carter goal would prove to be the only goal of the period, as at the end of two, the game was tied at two. Oh shit, I'm starting to sound like Pat Foley.

The theme of the night seemed to be early goals, and the third period  was no different. Andrew Shaw continued his improved play of late, scoring the early goal, to put the Hawks up 3-2. Unfortunately for the Hawks, they unraveled as the period went on, and yielded two goals in just about three minutes, to give the Kings the 4-3 to start the six game road trip. Next up for the Hawks is the short drive to Anaheim on Friday night.


The Good

- Patrick Kane had a stellar night again, as he had a goal and an assist. The pass on Sharp's goal was one of the patented Kane passes.
-Corey Crawford had two HUGE saves in the 2nd period. One was on Dustin Brown following a failed clearing attempt by Brent Seabrook, and the other was a shorthanded, breakaway bid on Jeff Carter. Two big saves that kept the Hawks in the game.
- I'll give credit where credit is due. Yes, Teuvo had a nice zone entry that lead to Shaw's goal. Are you happy now? See I'm not always negative. Wait, spoke too soon I think.
- #AdequateRundblad, I had too.

The Bad

- Since it didn't cost the Hawks, I'll put it in the bad category, but the Delay of Game penalty on Seabrook was awful. We're supposed to be all about player safety now, but when the puck is under someone, lets just continue to let opposing players spear at the puck, instead of blowing the whistle. Secondly, from the position referee Gord Dwyer was in, he couldn't see if Seabrook had actually closed his hand on the puck. Whatever. Either way, I still don't think we should have instant replay of calls like this.

The Ugly

- Sounds like a broken record, but the pairing of Rozsival and Oduya has to end. Its playing with fire.
- Dustin Brown destroyed Rozsival with a hit in the first period, but unfortunately Rozsival got up and continued to play.
- Overall the entire defense was terrible. (I'll save this rant for the next shoutcast)
- Johnny Oduya, (-2) nothing more.
- Lost draw by Toews in the defensive zone, wound up costing the Hawks, as Muzzin scored after gathering the loose puck.
- On Toffoli's goal, Jeff Carter made some contact with Crawford, which immediately triggered the "goalie interference" bitching. As former goalie, I don't have  a problem with the no call, as Crawford was outside the crease. If Crawford was in the crease when the contact occurred, then its a different story.
- Three times the Hawks had the lead in this game, and you manage to blow it all three times. Nicely done.
- Can we lay off the hatred of Dustin Brown? Does everyone just hate him because he plays on the edge and with physicality? I know in Chicago those are something newer fans aren't used to seeing.

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Blackhawks at LA Kings - 4-1 Win Recap

"Figure It Out"


The Blackhawks finished up their Western Coast swing in LA, Saturday night, against the defending champs. They came in 4-1 in another very successful circus trip, which is becoming commonplace. What better way to finish the Thanksgiving weekend than two of the top teams in the entire league.

The Blackhawks came out quick and took a lead in the first 2 minutes of the game, and then followed that up with another goal in the final 2 minutes of the first period, to take a 2-0 lead into the middle frame. They only out shot the Kings 9-8 but will certainly take it.

The Hawks and Kings were dead even for the second period, each scoring a goal, and each getting 8 shots. The Hawks had to be excited, going into their final period of the road trip.

The Hawks just clamped down in the third period, giving up only 4 shots. When the Kings pulled their goalie, the Hawks put the Kings to bed with an empty net goal, to end the Circus trip 5-1.

The Good

• Gorilla salad grabbed a Blackhawks lead just two minutes into the game, when a shot hit Quick and popped up into the air. Carcillo located the puck in mid air and bunted it into the net for a quick 1-0 Blackhawks lead.
• Right after the Blackhawks killed off a second first period powerplay, Versteeg chased down a loose put and spit it out to Richards, who caught a lucky carom off Quick and into the net. 2-0 Blackhawks
• Just a couple of minutes after the Kings cut the Blackhawks lead, the Blackhawks regained the 2 goal lead. Patrick Kane led the rush and fed Versteeg, who gathered the puck and fed Roszival. Roszival deked around the defender and hit Richards' tape for an easy back door goal. Love that Richards is beginning to come around.
• Sutter pulled his goalie with an inordinate amount of time left and, surprisingly, gave up a Saad empty netter.

The Bad

• The Blackhawks took two pretty iffy penalties in the first period, but were able to hold off the potent Kings powerplay.
• A Bryan Bickell failed clearing attempt turned into a Kings goal, as Jordan Nolan tipped a Jake Muzzin shot between Crawford's legs.
• We have to look for something bad, so the Blackhawks were only 45% at the dots.

The Ugly

• Quick falling down while playing the puck behind the net in the third period was pretty hilarious.
  
• With a minute and a half left, the Kings started a shitfest of stupid human tricks ending with a Gorilla Salad/Brayden McNabb fight.

The LineblenderSaad-Toews-Hossa
Kane-Richards-Versteeg
Carcillo-Shaw-Bickell
Nordstrom-Kruger-Smith

Keith-Seabrook
Oduya-Hjalmarsson
Rundblad-Roszival

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Playoffs: Blackhawks vs KingsSeason Ending Round 3 Game 7 OT Loss

"Die with Your Boots On"

The Blackhawks were back at home, Sunday night, for game 7 of the Western Conference Final. This it exactly the position that they wanted to be in, if they had to go to a game 7. Could they keep Mr Game Seven, Justin Williams, from winning yet another one?

In the first period, the Blackhawks jumped out to a 2-0 lead, but the Kings came back and tied the game. Just seconds after the Kings tied the game, the Blackhawks took the lead back, and took that lead into the second period. The Kings tied the game in the second period, but the Blackhawks took the lead back once again. This lead to a one goal lead in the third period, which the Blackhawks couldn't keep. Based on the entire series, if I told you this game would end in overtime, no one would argue. That's exactly what we got. Unfortunately for the Blackhawks, the Kings won on a fluky goal. Great, Great season by the Blackhawks.

I didn't say this last night on the twitters but congrats to the Kings and their fans. The Kings are a great team, and there is nothing that tells me that they don't deserve to be where they are. I don't have to like the outcome, but I thoroughly respect it.

The Good

• The Blackhawks took a 1-0 lead with about 5 minutes gone in the first period. The line of Kane, Shaw, and Saad once again dominated the Kings in their own zone. All 3 Hawks forwards were caught below the goal line but kept possession of the puck. Kane ended up wit the puck to Quick's right, and needled a pass to Saad, who was right on the left goal line. Saad one timed the puck past Quick, who had zero chance. I say it a lot, but a clutch play by red hot players.
• The Hawks took a 2-0 lead off a fortunate bounce as Kane led the rush on the Powerplay. Kane broke the blue line and dumped the puck to Seabrook. Seabrook then tried to throw the puck back to Kane, but it went off Willie Mitchell and to Jon Toews, who was minding his own business in front of a gaping net.
• Just 12 seconds after the Kings tied the game, Jonathan Quick let up a terrible softy. Muzzin turned the puck over in the neutral zone and the Hawks transitioned. Kruger grabbed the puck out of the air, threw it down and chipped it up to Sharp. Sharp just skated up the half boards and casually threw a puck at the net that bounced and went over Quick's right leg. While the bounce did affect the play, all he had to do was butterfly slide over to get his body in front like an infielder. Instead he "half-assed" it and it went in the net. The announcers fell all over themselves making excuses, though.
• Late in the second period the Blackhawks took the lead back, on their powerless play. Jake Muzzin knocked the stick out of Quick's hand, and Quick was never able to get it back. The puck worked out to Sharp, who unleashed a rocket that went off Muzzin and over Quick's shoulder.
• Once again, Corey Crawford won't get the credit he deserves, but he played a solid game. He played no worse than a world class goalie on the other end of the ice. Fuck the haters, I love me some Crawford.
  

The Bad

• Late in the first period, the Kings cut the Blackhawks lead in half on a questionable goal. Tyler Toffoli threw a shot at the net that Crawford saved. The puck jumped up in the air and Jeff Carter whacked it into the net, but it looked like the puck was hit with a high stick. The war room in Toronto didn't think so, and the goal upheld.
• The Kings tied the game 51 seconds after the Carter goal. Voynov took a long shot that went off a Rozsival and right to "Mr Game 7" Justin Williams. Williams got all of his shot and Crawford was able to get a piece of it. The shot still squeaked through and into the net. Neither goal was on Crawford at this point.
• The Kings tied the game once again, about half way through the second period. A long point shot from Matt Greene went off Seabrook and over to Toffoli, similar to the Toews first period goal. Silly bounces everywhere.
• With just over 7 minutes left in the third period, the Kings tied the game. The Hawks got caught deep and allowed the Kings to get an odd man break. Brown put a shot towards the net that Crawford stopped but the rebound landed right on the stick of Gaborik who just beat Crawford. Hammer and Keith just let Gaborik waltz through the slot with no opposition whatsoever.

The Ugly

• Right after the Toews goal, Jarrett Stoll tried to stir up the atmosphere by crashing the Hawks net and then ripping Crawford's mask off, after the whistle. Cheap shithead move.
• The Hawks had a steal deep in the Kings zone ad the puck landed on the stick of all people, Kris Versteeg. ANYONE but him, ANYONE. Of course he didn't even get a shot off.
• The Kings won it in overtime off a long shot that went off Nick Leddy and over Crawford. Again, Unfortunate bounces. Sorry to see the season end like that, but that's sports.

Here are the video highlights: Enjoy this Puckin Hostile 2013-14 Playoff Highlight video:

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Playoffs: Blackhawks at Los AngelesRound 3 Game 6 Win

"Ride the Lightning"

It's Friday night, the Blackhawks were in LA and they forced a game 7. On to the highlights:

The Good

• Early in the second period, the Blackhawks tied the game on the powerplay. I know, that wasn't a typo. They were actually able to get shots and eventually Toews fed Kane with a one timer that Quick had zero chance on. Signs of life.
• A minute and 37 seconds after the Blackhawks tied the game, Ben Smith mishandled a bouncing puck and ended up far past the net. He used some quick thinking and banked a shot into the net off Quick from behind the net. Finally, the Hawks were the recipient of a fortunate bounce.
• Seabrook got throw in the box for interference in the second period the Hawks were killing the penalty well. Crawford got caught on the far post while the Alec Martinez tried to wrap it around and the net was left gaping. Everybody thought it was a sure goal, but Oduya jumped in and tied up the shooter, saving a sure goal.
• The Blackhawks tied the game back up with about 8 minutes remaining in the third period. Brandon Saad was shot out of a cannon for every shift he was on the ice after the Kings took the lead, and he eventually got the puck to Kane. Kane hit a streaking Keith with a backhand pass, and Keith beat Quick.
• With just under four minutes remaining in the third period Patrick Kane had finally had enough, and whipped out his infinitely huge brass balls. He controlled the puck in the Kings zone and skated around virtually the entire team. Once he got a clean look, he snapped a shot past Quick to take a 4-3 Blackhawks lead.
• While it's not the time for a fight, Corey Crawford going to down yap at Quick following the end of the second period was pretty inspiring. You can't doubt this guy's fire and love for his team.
• Faceoff wins favored the Blackhawks slightly. El Capitan, Agent Smith and Shaw were pretty good, but the rest were dogshit.
• Patrick Kane was on fire. Three points on the 4 Hawks goals is clutch.
  

The Bad

• Kyle Clifford absolutely murdered Michael Handzus with a huge first period hit. Luckily for him, unluckily for us, Handzus got right up.
• The Kings took a 1-0 lead late in the first period when the Hawks over pursued everyone but Dwight King right in the slot. Seabrook, Oduya and Handzus got caught staring at the puck BEHIND THE NET and King just coasted in behind them.
• About a minute and a half after the Hawks took the lead, they had a 2-on-0 with Kruger and Sharp bearing in on Quick. Money, right? Kruger waited long enough, and fed Sharp, who was beaten by Quick with a gorgeous save. If Sharp was able to get any height on the shot it would have been a sure goal.
• Five minutes into the third period the Hawks couldn't get the puck out of their end and Drew Doughty used a Mike Richards screen to eventually beat Crawford and tie the game. If the Blackhawks win this series, it's no because Doughty didn't show up.
• Hey did anyone see Sheldon Brookbank out there for Versteeg? Me either. He played a team low 5:09, with Bollig and Handzus right behind him.

The Ugly

• The Hawks defense was all over the place early, so much so that gorilla Dwight King ended up with a breakaway. Luckily Saad caught up to him and annoyed him enough to keep him from even getting a decent shot off. Terrible defense, just fucking TERRIBLE.
• Two minutes after the tying goal, with Toews in the penalty box, the Kings powerplay came though once again. Doughty drew two defenders to Crawford's left and dumped the puck off to Martinez who shot the puck through two screens and into the net.
• A person I trust mentioned that Patrick Sharp has been dealing with personal issues, not an injury. That would completely explain why he is been invisible.

Here are the video highlights:


2014 Playoff song via HockeeNight:

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Playoffs: Blackhawks vs KingsRound 3 Game 5 2OT Win

"The Saad Rules"

The Blackhawks headed home Wednesday night with their backs against the wall, and the Kings had a chance to knock the Hawks out of the playoffs altogether. In the first period, the Hawks jumped out to a fast 2-0 lead and it looked like they may run away with the game, but the Kings weren't so sure of that. The Kings fought back to make the score 2-1 and then eventually 3-2 before the first twenty minutes were over. Once again, the Blackhawks had a chance to finish the Kings and didn't. In the second period the Kings actually took a 4-3 lead while the Blackhawks played just awful. The good news was that the Hawks had twenty final minutes to tie the game, and they did early on in the third period. This game was going to be decided in overtime and not just one overtime, but two. Spoiler alert: There will be a game 6 in LA Friday night.

The Good

• Thirty seconds into the game and Drew Doughboy took a tripping penalty which, of course, was cause for shaming. The Blackhawks answered with a long Brent Seabrook powerless play goal just 1:13 into the game, and this game was hitting the ground running.
• Two minutes and twenty seven seconds after the Seabrook goal, the Blackhawks went end to end in 3 passes, and Johnny Oduya finished to put the Hawks up 2-0. This was Kane's second apple of the game, and second goal by a Hawks defenseman.
• Q mixed up the defensive pairs right off the bat. Keith played with Hjalmarsson, Seabrook played with Leddy and the third pair was Roszival and Oduya.
• Just over a minute after the Stoll goal, Brandon Saad picked up a huge rebound in front of Quick and shuffled it into the net. This is the Blackhawks team that has been non existent for the entire series, but it wouldn't last.
• Just over a minute into the third period, Brandon Saad pulled his big boy diaper up and led a Blackhawks rush. He threw a shot on net that Quick coughed up to a streaking Ben Smith, who tied the game up. Brandon Saad was thoroughly earning his Manchild nickname right in front of our eyes.
• The first overtime was insanity, going end to end virtually the entire duration of play. Not for the weak of heart.
• Shortly into the second overtime, the guy that carried the team all night, Brandon Saad, led a rush with Handzus and Kane, and was left with only Handzus to feed. Zus snuck in behind his man and had Quick all alone to rook a backhand over Quick's glove. Game over.
• Patrick Kane had one of the most quiet four point nights I've ever seen from him. All 4 were assists, but he was engaged and they weren't all secondary.
• Corey Crawford started off shaky, to say the least. The first three goals were a combination of bad defense and marginal goaltending, but the 4th Kings goal was ALL on Crawford. This being said, I know you're all saying, "Why is listed under the 'good' category?". After the second period, Crawford was a brick wall, and especially in the overtime periods. I was texting with a friend between the second and third periods and he asked if they should pull Crawford. After thinking about it, I came up with a resounding "no". I told him that if the Blackhawks were going to win this game, it was going to be because they stood behind their guy and propped him back up on his feet. A "win this for Crow" feel to the game, and that's exactly what happened. He ended up stopping 40 of 44 shots and one more than All World Jonathan Quick, the day after the All World Henrik Lundqvist was pulled for giving up 4 goals on 19 shots.

The Bad

• Half way through the first period, the all 5 Blackhawks had a circle jerk in front of the net long enough for it to squirt to pain in the ass Jarret Stoll, who beat Crawford through a maze of cock-n-balls.
• Milbury and Jones spent two minutes too many contemplating why Crawford whacked his stick on the boards after the first period. He was mad, you fucking clowns! His defense didn't PLAY defense and they let the Kings back in the game. Is it really that hard to figure this out? He had a right to be angry.
• Marcus Kruger was rag dolled by Jake Muzzin with a clean hit late in the third period and didn't miss a beat. Balls of iron.
• Shaw looked to have injured the same right leg that had him out 7 games, late in the third period, while the Hawks were on the powerless play. He looked like Rob McClanahan in the overtime, clearly nursing the injury, but I give the kid credit.

The Ugly

• Just over 2 minutes after the Saad goal, Marian Gaborik was left wide open on Crawford's back door after Quick made a huge backdoor save in the King's end. The goals were coming so fast, at that point, that I couldn't recap them fast enough.
• Not only did a Versteeg turnover lead to a 2-on-1 that Seabrook ended up bailing out, but then later in the second period Versteeg pulled a "Noonan" and failed to get the puck out of the zone. Fast forward about 4 seconds, and the Blackhawks were fishing the puck out of their own net. I have to point out that Crawford made 2 big saves before Brown finally poked it into the net.
• Two minutes after Brown tied the game, the Blackhawks defended a Kings rush pretty well but Tanner Pearson snapped a long wrist shot over Crawford's blocker to take their first lead of the game. Terrible goal at a terrible time.
• Trevor Lewis and Kyle Clifford were each minus 3 for the Kings and Marcus Kruger was for the Blackhawks. WOOF!
• What more can be said about the complete non factor of Patrick Sharp? He has been a total non factor, and has been getting pinched on the boards more than I've ever seen from him. My theory, and it's only a theory, is that he has a left leg or foot injury. If you watch him, he always tries to push off his right leg and squeeze by the boards. The defense now knows this and pinches him off when he tries to chip the puck in. An easy solution would be to fake that usual play and slide to the inside. He doesn't even attempt that. Again, just a theory, but it would make sense.
• Kris Versteeg was a turnover machine all game, directly leading to the Kings tying goal. As a result, he played only 6:48. I've beat this into the ground and I said it on twitter but he is really a $2 million waste of space. In typical Jeopardy format:
  
  
  What is #DammitVersteeg?
• Following Versteeg was Bollig with 8:20. I'm exhausted bitching about the waste of space that is Bollig, while more talented players sit and watch from the press box. Whatever, Joel, pin yourself down rolling only 10 forwards. That won't blow up in your face.
• Nick Leddy played the least of all Hawks defensemen, TEN minutes less than Roszival, who was next. It brings to light once again, What do they do with Leddy? If Q doesn't trust him, then why is he here?

Here are the video highlights:


2014 Playoff song via HockeeNight:

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