Where the Hell has THAT Been - Hawks Pecker Slap Canucks
Well, that is a helluva lot more like it.
The Blackhawks continued their absolute dominance over the Canucks tonight. Although the first looked like more of the same, with blueline turnovers, “unadvised” penalties, and a complete inability to clear the defensive zone, things eventually settled down into a fast paced and physical affair.
The Hawks threw everything they had at Bobby Lu and promptly chased him from the net late in the second after goals from Toews, Brouwer, Seabrook and Sharp. Don’t let the lopsided shot totals (41-28, Hawks) fool you, the Nucks had plenty of really good opportunities, but Corey Crawford stood tall, making several solid stops.
In the third, the Hawks added goals Kane and two from Pisani. Crawford’s shutout bid was unfortunately ruined with just under seven minutes left in the third giving up a power play goal to Mikael Samuelsson.
However, I’m still worried about the Blackhawks. We all know that the Canucks mess their shorts as soon as the Blackhawks get a lead against them. The first period was sadly typical of this season with running around in their own zone, stupid penalties, blueline turnovers and awful clearing attempts. Thankfully, they straightened up and showed what they can really do against a mentally weak and juvenile team in the Canucks. As long as the Canucks still lose like this, they aren’t getting anywhere near the Stanley Cup.
I’m certainly enjoying the positives from this game, but I’m still very concerned over the glaring issues this team faces. They’ll either get fixed or exposed with the upcoming games against Anaheim, San Jose & Los Angeles.
Three Stars:
- Marian Hossa: Hoss was making opportunities and space for everyone, and finished with three assists on the night.
- Corey Crawford: He made the stops that needed to be made and was calm and confident in doing so. Hawks fans, enjoy watching the growth of our 2011-2012 starting goaltender.
- Brent Seabrook: Seabs owned the Blackhawks zone, throwing his weight around, and playing excellent defense, including nullifying a 3-on-1 effort. He threw in a slapper power play goal for good measure as well.
Up Next: The Circus Trip continues Wednesday night against the San Jose Sweeps Sharks.
