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Two of the fiercest rivals met for a high-paced match that saw the Vancouver Canucks claim victory. The pace picked up quickly and rolled with intensity as the game wore on.
Jonathan Toews and Patrick Sharp both returned to the line-up along with the addition of Brendan Morrison in his Blackhawk debut.
A slow start for Toews led to an increase of ice-time as the game wore on, ending at 19:10 TOI for the night. Despite creating numerous chances, Toews was only able to help the Hawks with 1 assist along with a minus-1 rating. His ability at the dot was much less-than-stellar, only winning 6 out of 17 face-offs, an rare anomaly for Jonathan.
Sharp saw similar ice with 19:09 TOI for the night, flinging 6 shots towards the net with no result.
Ryan Kesler kicked off the scoring for the Canucks in the 1st period, but Jamal Mayers had the answer minutes later, whiffing his 1st attempt at a loose puck but made no mistake on his 2nd attempt.
The 2nd period was dominated by the Blackhawks, however neither team was able to slip ahead. Although the Blackhawks dominated the Canucks offensively, Cory Schneider had the answer for every attempt, including an unbelievable save on ex-Canuck Brendan Morrison.
Viktor Stalberg opened the 3rd period with a goal to put the Blackhawks ahead and put another crack in Schneiders wall impression, but Cody Hodgson converted minutes later on a breakaway to keep the game at a dead lock tie.
Overtime was not forgiving for the Blackhawks, the Sedins took advantage of 4-on-4 hockey and connected for the game-winner.
The Blackhawks didn't take a single penalty in the match, while the Canucks were caught for clipping as well as boarding. Despite the fact, don't let the boxscore fool you, many more calls could have been made for both sides but the officiating was mostly lax.
Even though Cory Schneider stole the spotlight away from the Blackhawks on several occasions, Corey Crawford dealt with his own answers throughout the game as well. Crawford faced his own hurdles in the game and certainly held his ground fairly well against the Canucks net presence.
THE NEW GUY
It was clear Brendan Morrison was not exactly comfortable in his Blackhawk debut from the get-go, but as the game grew on things started to click a bit better for him.
Early in the game, Morrison was in the midst of a several giveaways, but none that cost the Blackhawks a direct goal. Missing multiple passes (including an icing call while the Blackhawks were on the power-play), bad turnovers, and face-off woes didn't exactly match the definition of what Blackhawk fans were hoping for in a center.
However, he did have some positives as the game went on and started clicking with Patrick Sharp and Marian Hossa on a few chances--perhaps showing a glimmer of hope that is to come for the veteran center.
It's still early, so it's unclear where Morrison fits. What is clear is that Morrison can contribute if he is used correctly. Using him as a power-play quarterback and 2nd line center may not be proper slot allocation by coach Quenneville, but it is an experiment that will ensure Dave Bolland remains on the 3rd line and perhaps a message to management.
Right or wrong, get ready to see if Quenneville can play the role of chemist.
BLACKHAWKS THREE STARS OF THE GAME
1. Corey Crawford
2. Viktor Stalberg
3. Brent Seabrook
Click here to view the article
Jonathan Toews and Patrick Sharp both returned to the line-up along with the addition of Brendan Morrison in his Blackhawk debut.
A slow start for Toews led to an increase of ice-time as the game wore on, ending at 19:10 TOI for the night. Despite creating numerous chances, Toews was only able to help the Hawks with 1 assist along with a minus-1 rating. His ability at the dot was much less-than-stellar, only winning 6 out of 17 face-offs, an rare anomaly for Jonathan.
Sharp saw similar ice with 19:09 TOI for the night, flinging 6 shots towards the net with no result.
Ryan Kesler kicked off the scoring for the Canucks in the 1st period, but Jamal Mayers had the answer minutes later, whiffing his 1st attempt at a loose puck but made no mistake on his 2nd attempt.
The 2nd period was dominated by the Blackhawks, however neither team was able to slip ahead. Although the Blackhawks dominated the Canucks offensively, Cory Schneider had the answer for every attempt, including an unbelievable save on ex-Canuck Brendan Morrison.
Viktor Stalberg opened the 3rd period with a goal to put the Blackhawks ahead and put another crack in Schneiders wall impression, but Cody Hodgson converted minutes later on a breakaway to keep the game at a dead lock tie.
Overtime was not forgiving for the Blackhawks, the Sedins took advantage of 4-on-4 hockey and connected for the game-winner.
The Blackhawks didn't take a single penalty in the match, while the Canucks were caught for clipping as well as boarding. Despite the fact, don't let the boxscore fool you, many more calls could have been made for both sides but the officiating was mostly lax.
Even though Cory Schneider stole the spotlight away from the Blackhawks on several occasions, Corey Crawford dealt with his own answers throughout the game as well. Crawford faced his own hurdles in the game and certainly held his ground fairly well against the Canucks net presence.
THE NEW GUY
It was clear Brendan Morrison was not exactly comfortable in his Blackhawk debut from the get-go, but as the game grew on things started to click a bit better for him.
Early in the game, Morrison was in the midst of a several giveaways, but none that cost the Blackhawks a direct goal. Missing multiple passes (including an icing call while the Blackhawks were on the power-play), bad turnovers, and face-off woes didn't exactly match the definition of what Blackhawk fans were hoping for in a center.
However, he did have some positives as the game went on and started clicking with Patrick Sharp and Marian Hossa on a few chances--perhaps showing a glimmer of hope that is to come for the veteran center.
It's still early, so it's unclear where Morrison fits. What is clear is that Morrison can contribute if he is used correctly. Using him as a power-play quarterback and 2nd line center may not be proper slot allocation by coach Quenneville, but it is an experiment that will ensure Dave Bolland remains on the 3rd line and perhaps a message to management.
Right or wrong, get ready to see if Quenneville can play the role of chemist.
BLACKHAWKS THREE STARS OF THE GAME
1. Corey Crawford
2. Viktor Stalberg
3. Brent Seabrook
Click here to view the article
