What. A. Game.
3 OT. 117 total SOG. 6 power plays. 3 goals for the Bruins. 4 goals for the Blackhawks!
This was always going to be a tough game for the losing team to come back from. You don’t want to play 3 OTs and come out of it without a win. Fortunately, the Hawks pulled it off, and that bodes well for the rest of the series. And if you were able to stay up for the entire game, then you certainly were rewarded for your patience and dedication. Assuming you’re a Blackhawks fan, of course.
Looking at my keys to the series, the Blackhawks came through on two of three of them. First of all, Jonathan Toews was a non-factor. He had a +/- of 0, only put five SOG (fifth on the team), had a 52.3% win rate on faceoffs, and had 0 assists. It’s concerning to say the least that he has been hard to find on the ice. As center, he may be focusing more on the defensive aspect of his game, but with only one blocked shot last night, that doesn’t seem to be the case. For the Blackhawks’ sake, I hope he comes to play on Saturday night.
My second key to the series was whether Corey Crawford would show up. This was about a 50/50 success. Crawford was pedestrian for the first two and a half periods, giving up three goals in only 19 shots. However, after the Bruins went up 3-1, Crawford stopped the next 35 shots, including 29 in the OT periods. Additionally, a number of the OT chances for the Bruins were quite good. There were a number of failed attacks where I came away scratching my head wondering how they hadn’t scored. Crawford played a big role in that. If OT Crawford shows up throughout this entire series, the Blackhawks have to be seen as the overwhelming favorites.
My final key to the series was whether the Blackhawks would be able to compete physically. This was their greatest success of the game. They outhit the Bruins 61-59. It doesn’t seem like a big deal, but since the Bruins are a physical team and the Blackhawks rely on finesse, if the Hawks are able to break even in the hits department, the whole team has done their job. Leading the team in hits were Bryan Bickell, Brandon Bollig, and Andrew Shaw, all with 9 hits apiece. Shaw has to be seen as the MVP of this game, scoring the winning goal in OT, adding an assist, and posting a +/- of +2 (tied for best on the team). If Shaw is able to continue this level of play, it definitely minimizes the statistical absence of Jonathan Toews.
The Blackhawks will be back on the ice Saturday at 7:00 pm and if Game 2 is anything like this one, you had better be tuning in! And to hold you over until then, just keep watching this highlight (and ears open for Shaw’s f-bomb at 2:06):
Your daily Chicago sports schedule (one game to watch):
Cubs v. Reds – 1:20 pm
ChiTownSteve 