Hawks leave the Sharks with one answer: Leave
They’ve skated at the pace the Blackhawks wanted, and they’ve taken it to the Hawks. And they still lost.
They went with their top lines against the Hawks’ top lines, and they produced a lot of scoring chances. And they still lost.
They changed lines, drew power plays, and outshot the Hawks in the United Center in a gotta-have-it Game 3 after dropping the first two games at home. And they still lost.
They forced the Hawks’ dangerous scorers to the perimeter and cut down on the bodies in front of their goaltender. And they still lost.
They came back from a potentially killer breakaway goal late in the third period and tied the game even later. And they still lost.
I don’t know what else the Sharks can do. And it doesn’t look like they know, either.
Dustin Byfuglien alone in the slot. Again. When will the Sharks learn? One more game-winning goal ought to do it, eh?
Running out of words for Antti Niemi, and we haven’t even gotten to the Stanley Cup Finals.
The Blackhawks said they would play a simple road game at home. They played a simple road game at home. They won at home. Connect the dots, people.
Dave Bolland took three penalties, one leading to a power-play goal, but he scored the go-ahead goal in the third period and set up the Game 3 overtime winner. Bolland owed the Hawks that much.
Raise your hand if you’re sick of Patrick Marleau.
I know the home-run pass is a big part of the Hawks’ offense, but Patrick Kane has to be smarter late in the game. Byfuglien couldn’t handle Kane’s hard, questionable pass short of the red line, and the Hawks were called for icing late in the third period shortly after taking a 2-1 lead in the third game of a series they led two games to none.
Not only did the icing give the Sharks an offensive-zone faceoff, but it prevented the Hawks from changing lines. San Jose could reunite Joe Thornton, Dany Heatley and Marleau. The Hawks couldn’t replace Jonathan Toews with a fresher and nastier Bolland, nor could they get Brent Seabrook and Duncan Keith out on defense.
Thornton won the faceoff. The Sharks got the puck and bodies to the net, and Marleau banged in the third try to tie it with 4:23 remaining in regulation.
Icing might seem like a nothing play. But it was a killer mistake for the Hawks.
And great killer instinct, not to mention terrific character, to overcome the mistake and win it in overtime.
The Hawks looked like they had tripped over their sticks again at the start of a playoff game at home, taking a penalty and giving up a power-play goal less than two minutes after the opening faceoff. But video review wiped out Joe Pavelski’s apparent goal. The Hawks got a break. And they got better, standing up the Sharks at the blue line thanks to some terrific defensive play as five-man units. In the first period, at least. The Sharks moved the puck quicker and smarter in the second and third periods, outshooting the Hawks 31-15.
The Hawks’ lack of net presence in front of Nabokov allowed the Sharks goalie to play at the top of his crease, see the shots and cut down shooting angles. In the first two games, the Hawks crowded the crease and pushed Nabokov back to the goal line, which gave the Hawks more net to shoot at.
Nabokov stopped Kane after he walked out of the corner in overtime, and Versus play-by-play man John Forslund stole Pat Foley’s line, saying, “Nabokov says no.’’ He can’t say that, can he? And for the other goalie, no less?
I don’t want to say the Western Conference Finals are over, but I’m hoping the Flyers and Canadiens need triple-overtime in a bloody Game 7.
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