Corey Crawford, Blackhawks Hang On Against Oilers
Andrew Desjardins made his Blackhawks debut on Friday night, but it was Corey Crawford keeping his team in the game long enough to have another new guy win it in a shootout.
The Blackhawks trailed 1-0 after 20 minutes, but were fortunate to be down only one after getting out-hustled and outworked by the visiting Oilers. Edmonton out-shot the Hawks 18-12 in the first period and had a number of great scoring chances; if not for Crawford, the deficit could have easily been two or three.
An improved second period saw the shot totals closer (12-11 in favor of the Hawks) but neither team was able to score. The Blackhawks did fail on a power play in each of the first two periods, and continued to hang around because Crawford was up to the task.
Finally, Edmonton netminder Ben Scrivens had to deal with traffic in front late in the third period and it paid off. Brent Seabrook unloaded from the blue line and Scrivens didn’t see it coming because of a screen provided by one of his teammates. Seabrook’s eighth of the season tied the game at 13:58 and the game would head to overtime.
In the game’s opening 60 minutes, Edmonton put 43 shots on net but were only able to beat Crawford once. Chicago allowed four more shots in the overtime period, forcing their netminder to make 46 saves to force a shootout.
Only one player on either roster scored in the shootout, and it was Antoine Vermette. In his second game with the Hawks, Vermette picked up the important second point of the night by beating Scrivens in the third round of the skills competition.
Vermette played better in his second game, and we started to see more balance from coach Joel Quenneville’s lines. Jonathan Toews won 11 of 17 faceoffs in 19:30, and Vermette won 11 of 19 at the dot in 18:40 before his shootout winner. As a team, the Hawks won 38 of 62 faceoffs against the cellar-dwelling Oilers.
Toews picked up the primary assist on Seabrook’s goal, once again propping up the offense with Patrick Kane out of the lineup. Chicago’s captain has three goals and two assists in four games sine Kane got hurt.
Seabrook had a big night in the box score, adding three blocked shots, two hits and a team-high three takeaways to his game-tying goal. Joakim Nordstrom led the Hawks with eight hits and Desjardins added seven in regulation; not surprisingly, neither got on the ice in the extra five minutes.
It’s always a good thing to get 2 points when not really deserved. I think 4 days off created some rust combined with the boys penchant for playing down to the competition was a bad mix.
Everyone was slow and strides behind most of the night…44 needs time to find his legs.
Disappointed about 86 not playing; I think they have to let the kid play. He’s got to develop. Sit 91 who’s doing very little.
Goalie win.
GO HAWKS!!!!!!!!
I thought 91 played well tonight. Q liked Teuvo but wanted to see 11 in action
Nice
Crawford last 3games,…. 3-0-0, 87/90 saves, .967 save %, 1.00 GAA, 3\3 shootout saves, 1 shut out.
Crawford stole that game. The Hawks look old and slow. On a team that is offensively challenged 86 needs to play every night. 11 had some nice hits and looked good on the forecheck. As mentioned earlier 91 had a good game with plenty of scoring chances. 44 is so slow that he makes Rozy look like Nathan McKinnon. I hope he finds somebody else’s legs. The Ranger game should give a good indication of how competitive we are minus Kane.
Crawford showed once again why the fools who think he is a luxury on this team and that we can win a Cup wirh Darling the dumpster find and Raanta the diminutive backup are batsh!t goofy in the head.
It’s simply amazing the downfall of Sharp on the ice. I locked in on him intently at rhe UC last night. Still with this selfish garbage and slapping the stick on rhe ice to signal that he wants the puck. Still floating floating forever floating in the middle of the ice as though he is hockey nobility als Gretzky and waiting for rhe minions to do the dirty work to get him the puck on his stick on open ice. Ever since last year when this selfish bastard was able to get his teammates to prop up his own game and stats in pathetic bid to make the Canadian Olympic team roster the equation has changed. I have followed rhe Hawks for decades and other than the couple of drunken lazy Russians Bob Pulford foolishly signed, never have I turned south on a player in wearing rhe Indianhead like I have on Sharp. Cannot wait to this prick is an ex Hawk.
Versteeg was stupid on the ice last night. Hope Q slaps him around on that. Hjalmarason and Keith were superlative all night. Kimmo will need to round into shape. Fine game by Seabrook. Rosival held his own. Runblad is always an adventure and last night was no different. Vermette was ok and the chemistry will come for him. Desjardins didn’t flash good or bad but I like his addition. Richards has two nice shifts and that was all that caught my attention of this very poor fitting piece. Saad and Toews were dandy at times. Bickell was Bickell. Shaw was what Shaw has sadly become, although I will say he worked his ass off on every shift. Nordstrom I liked because he can be a better version of Smith and will definitely be counted upon next season.
I think Timonen looked SLOW, but no doubt he is smart enough to compensate for that once he returns to game shape.
Also, I think there was very little effort during the periods one and two – the Hawks were lucky (that Crawford was good). More effort & better pace Sunday!
Agree with H61 – “86 needs to play every night”
Lazy passing all night long, even the short safe passes where off ALL Night! Vermette is a player Hawks gotta keep next year. He will continue to play better and better and is consistently in great scoring position and is a great threat on shoot outs and plays solid and is good at the dot. Desjardins played well in the limited time, did a great job closing off the checks and staying on his skates and in the play, no reckless i love that and it’s critical in the NHL not just hitting and losing your balance but taking a player out, and being able to make a play on the puck he did that all night and he is in this to win. He can skate too and made a few very “smart” defensive plays where he just rubbed out the winger closing in on Crawford. We need that size and girth with IQ on the ice. I really LOVE the way this team is now “configured” they can win the cup with this line up. The defense once a strength is really average, as said here already ROZY looks slower a Mr. T is also slow but seems to be able to have much better positioned so he seldom looks slow but FAST teams in the playoffs like Blues will make it evident. Like have an average short stop in the world series, sooner or later in a big game, they blow it. Crow did great last night and it’s sort of his win. Toews is playing like a captain much more aggressive. Sharp looks good it’s just that damn d getting the puck up and out they ALL looked tired even with a rest. This is why we do need a BIG defensemen to carry some of this weight. go hawks . . .
Rangers vs. Hawks will the perfect test to see what a team like Rangers built on speed does to our defense on the fore check? So watch it close, seems the Rangers have the advantage on speed but Hawks have better stick skills and are not slow but don’t play at the PACE Rangers do. Rangers block a lot of shoots! This is a game for real Hawks fans to watch as it will expose any “inherent weakness” or “strengths” the Hawks have. Unlike a Oilers game or even Wings game . . . GO HAWKS.
In defense of Sharp, I think he played well, I see him putting an effort into the corners, I don’t see him floating to avoid contact and most good players “tap the stick” as a way to draw defensemen too, I used to do it and it works, defensemen turn their head so it works a a decoy and as a way to say give me the damn puck.. Since Q has the lines messed up every night no one has built in chemistry, hence the stick slap and hey i’m open! Sharp has good chemistry with Vermette it’s obvious and once they begin to understand who goes to the corners and grinds and who doesn’t with Saad out there too look out, this could be a top line in the NHL . . . if Q keeps them together.
Those couple of Sharp chances had me full on screaming at the TV – When is this guy going to score a goal? Keep playing him with Vermette and it will happen soon enough, that guy is very crafty, like what he brings to the team – that awful first powerplay aside…
I know it’s only one game, but did we really need to get rid of Smith for 11? Time will tell…
Crow trending up at the right time of the year…good to see.
Rozy plays better with splitting games. 86 needs more experience then 42/44 but 42 being one of the guys on the 4th he sort of does too. Probably a rotation of some kind. Same with 32. Moar depth is better. We need everybody.
It usually takes a wk to get into game shape and your timing after being hurt/etc. 44 will be much better after a wk/and of games not 4 days off.
That’s what this wk felt like. One of those nights you a little too much sleep and when you wake up, youre really not awake/nor feel good/a little off.
Sharp is my hero, if only for irritating Rufus.
Tell us more about your inside sources Uncle Rufus.
1 more year for Sharpie!!
Agree w/ most here… Vmette- they should try to keep him,,, makes lots of great subtle plays…
Rbad- Guy looks so god in the O zone– and so Terrible in the D zone- 5 GVA’s!!!
Perhaps the Hawks can convert 5 to a forward next year!!!
TT needs to play too!!! 10/80/86 might look good
well i guess we can put that outhit streak to bed after 131 games…we tied them at 32!! Thankfully 29 pitched in with a total of ONE …
I hate to rain on anyones parade but Vermette has only played 2 games! Ease up on the “should keep him” comments……. 1 shoot out goal, albeit a GWG, while nice proves nothing…… I like him, but prefer to see how he does the rest of the way….
I do agree on TT, he has been given a “golden” opportunity here and he needs to seize it !!!!