Monday, January 2, 2012

Hawks Fall at Home 4-3 to Edmonton



The National Hockey League leading Chicago Blackhawks took on the Edmonton Oilers at United Center on Monday night in the first game of 2012.  The Hawks came in looking to avenge their worst loss of the season, a 9-2 beat down in Edmonton in November.  Corey Crawford got the start for the Hawks his fifth in a row.  Devan Dubnyk got the nod for the Oil. 

Both teams got a power play in the opening twenty minutes of play and failed to convert.  The Hawks got the lead on a Captain Serious goal after Dan Carcillo stole the puck at the blue line and fed Jonathan Toews who beat Dubnyk on a shot that the Oilers net minder would like to have back.  It was the 22nd goal of the year for the Hawks goal scoring leader.  Shots were even at 10 apiece in the first period.  Hawks D Man Duncan Keith played over 10 minutes in the first period of play.

Early in the second Dan Carcillo drilled Dan Gilbert and got a 5 minute major and a game misconduct.  Ryan Smyth opened up the major with a goal 15 seconds in to tie the game at 1-1.  Jonathan Toews just missed shorthanded on a pretty spin-o-rama move.  Edmonton got another power play goal when Niklas Hjalmarsson got rocked in the face with a high stick 4 feet in front of the zebra who of course failed to make the call. With Hjalms down on the ice the Oilers scored.  Goal credited to Taylor Hall.  Niklas Hjalmarsson got redemption against the ref a short time later and tied the game at 2-2 with a rocket from the point.  The goal was changed to Andrew Brunette who tipped it in front.  Edmonton made it 3-2 when Andy Sutton was left wide open in the slot and he buried it.  The Hawks were short again at the end of the second on a cross checking minor to Patrick Sharp.  The Hawks killed the second period time but carryover time remained.  Shots were 13-9 for the Oilers in the second period.

The Hawks had 46 seconds of carryover penalty time to start the third period.  Chicago killed the penalty to keep it a 3-2 game.  Former Hawk Ben Eager got a really soft goal backhand by Crawford’s blocker 9 minutes into the third.  The Hawks got a must score power play when Eric Belanger clipped Jonathan Toews with a vicious high stick and went for 4 minutes.  The Hawks were awful on the power play and did not convert.  But Jimmy Hayes following his own shot cut the Edmonton lead to 4-3 for his first career NHL goal in just his 2nd career game.  The Hawks got a late power play seconds later and a golden chance to tie the game.  The Hawks got a couple chances but couldn’t score.  It was too little too late as the Hawks fell in regulation 4-3.  Chicago outshot Edmonton 23-6 in the third period but could only beat Dubnyk once.

The story of the game was the Hawks inability to put the puck in the net on the power play going  a despicable 0-5.  The Hawks also allowed 2 power play goals against on Carcillo’s stupid boarding penalty.  Expect Brendan Shanahan to punish Carcillo severely in the repeat offender category.  The Hawks will skate in Philadelphia on Thursday night in a battle with one of the East’s best teams.  The Hawks will be making their first trip to the site of Patrick Kane’s overtime Stanley Cup winning goal since that great night.  


   



No comments:

Post a Comment