– 2
– 3
(SO)
Even though today’s game in San Jose ended in a shootout loss, I’m really not as frustrated as I normally would be because, really, the Hawks came up with a good effort on the road against one of the top teams in the West after getting off to a putrid start in this one. They had a good 3rd period and were able to get a point, and hopefully they can build on it for this road trip.
The game was kind of a snoozefest for a while because at one point the Blackhawks were being out-shot 21-5 and most of the play was in the Hawks’ zone. Nikolai Khabibulin deserves a lot of credit, I’ve been a strong critic of him lately but he’s a big reason the Hawks even came out with a point today. He made a lot of key stops, so kudos to him.
There was some chippy play in this one, as there was a fight just 17 seconds in between Adam Burish and Jody Shelley, in which Burish got man-handled as usual, but there were several other scrums throughout after the whistle. I don’t think the Blackhawks like Steve Bernier too much.
Patrick Sharp finally broke his goal scoring slump late in the 1st period, with about a minute remaining, when he tipped in Cam Barker’s shot from the point, a great deflection past Evengi Nabokov to make it 1-0 Hawks.
The 2nd period saw Jonathan Cheechoo pick up a goal on a 5-on-3 advantage, when the Blackhawks’ penalty killers were just dead tired and couldn’t prevent a goal-mouth one timer from ending up in the back of the net, making it 2-1 Sharks.
Early in the 3rd, Marc-Edouard Vlasic’s goal after Cheechoo provided a screen in front of the net gave San Jose a 2-1 lead, and it looked like the Hawks were headed for another regulation loss.
However, it’s at least a good sign to see they were able to pick up the game-tying goal, because less than 2 minutes later Duncan Keith put home a shot from the point after a great shift from Tuomo Ruutu, who also set up Keith for the shot, making it 2-2.
The game would go to overtime where Khabibulin came up with more big stops to keep it alive until it went to a shootout.
The Hawks were up 1-0 in the SO after Patrick Kane’s goal as the first shooter, until Joe Pavelski kept it alive with a goal for San Jose to make it 1-1. Eventualy, ex-Hawk Jeremy Roenick would score to put up the Sharks up 2-1, and then in a stunning move, the next shooter for the Hawks was Cam Barker. Not Tuomo Ruutu, not Martin St. Pierre. Cam Barker. He would be stopped by Nabokov and the Sharks came away winners. Thank you Denis Savard.
SCH Hawks Player Of The Game: Duncan Keith, had a goal and also played 30 minutes against the top San Jose offensive players.