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Chicago Blackhawks vs. Detroit Red Wings - Recap - March 04, 2012 - ESPN
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Blackhawks edge Red Wings as Jimmy Howard exits hurt
DETROIT -- The Chicago Blackhawks are on one of their good streaks. Alternating losing and winning streaks of at least three games since the middle of January, Chicago got a goal and an assist from Patrick Sharp, and Patrick Kane broke a tie late in the second period in a 2-1 victory over the Detroit Red Wings 2-1 on Sunday.
Ray Emery made 23 saves to help Chicago solidify its hold on the sixth playoff spot in the Western Conference. It was the Blackhawks' third straight victory after a three-game losing streak, which came after a four-game winning streak that followed a nine-game skid. "You know over the course of a season, you're going to have some good stretches and some tough stretches," Chicago coach Joel Quenneville said. "We extended our last (tough stretch) too far." The consensus in the Blackhawks' dressing room was they played a complete game. "Just playing that team game we've been seeking for the whole season," forward Jamal Mayers said. Niklas Kronwall scored for Detroit, 27-4-2 at home. Jimmy Howard made four saves before leaving after the first period because of a lower-body injury. Joey MacDonald stopped 12 shots in the final two periods. Howard is day to day. "I don't think it's too serious. I'll get it looked at tomorrow morning and we'll go from there," Howard said. "Throughout the period it was just getting tighter and tighter. They decided to take me out." Red Wings defenseman Jakub Kindl also left early in the first period because of an upper-body injury. Detroit coach Mike Babcock said Kindl's status is uncertain. Detroit already was without captain Nicklas Lidstrom, center Pavel Datsyuk and defenseman Jonathan Ericsson. Lidstrom missed his third game because of a deep bone bruise in his right ankle and is expected to sit out at least one more game. Datsyuk is recovering from arthroscopic surgery on his right knee, and Ericsson has a broken left wrist. "I think that's something we have to fight our way through," Kronwall said. "Injuries come throughout the year." Kane scored with 1:19 left in the second period. Sharp set up Kane with a blind back pass after stripping the puck from Detroit defenseman Brad Stuart behind the net. "I heard him call for it, so I just threw it out front," Sharp said. Kane made a move and backhanded a shot past MacDonald from the front of the net. "We had it behind the net, got stripped and then its out in front," MacDonald said. Sharp opened the scoring 3:47 into the game on a power play. His slap shot from the left point deflected in off Kronwall's skate. It was Sharp's 25th goal. Kronwall tied it at 6:03 of the first with his 14th goal. He beat Emery with a one-timed slap shot from the left point.
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What an awful season to be in the Central Division. I have a respect for the Blackhawks org. right now,who have basically cemented themselves in the 'chased' position. With no real chance of overtaking Nashville or Detroit, Chicago will sit in 6th place and try to keep 5 other teams off their heels all season. I know I would hate to play in a situation where the reward is not likely and you are playing to basically sit in 6th place for the rest of the season
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St. Louis Blues vs. Chicago Blackhawks - Recap - March 13, 2012 - ESPN
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Patrick Kane's shootout goal cements Blackhawks' comeback win
CHICAGO -- Corey Crawford was on the bench for a sixth straight game when the Chicago Blackhawks took the ice Tuesday night. In the end, he was in front of the net, raising his hands in triumph after helping Chicago beat the NHL-leading St. Louis Blues.
Ray Emery was pulled after giving up three first-period goals, and Crawford pitched a shutout the rest of the way -- through two periods, overtime and then against three skaters in a shootout -- to give the Blackhawks a 4-3 victory. "I just had to make sure I had a key save at a certain time in the game," said Crawford, who finished with 18 saves. "I was hungry. ... That's a huge two points for us." Brent Seabrook tied the game with a third-period, power-play goal. Patrick Kane had the only goal in the shootout, and the Blackhawks rallied from a 3-1 deficit and ended the Blues' five-game winning streak. St. Louis lost despite getting 43 saves from Jaroslav Halak. Kane was the first skater in the tiebreaker and made a nice fake before beating Halak with a shot between the goalie's legs. Crawford, stopped T.J. Oshie, Andy McDonald and David Perron to finish off the win. "I was talking to (Marian) Hossa on the bench and said, 'I think I'm going to go backhand top shelf.' He said, 'No, go backhand, five-hole'," Kane said. "I listened to Hoss. He knows a thing or two." Seabrook's long slap shot from the blue line on a power play sailed past a screened Halak and tied the game at 7:41 of the third. The score came on Chicago's fifth power play, and ended the Blues' streak of consecutive penalty kills at 51. "I had a tough time seeing it. Their second goal, too," Halak said. The Blackhawks had six power plays overall in the rugged and physical game. "I think it's obviously tough to win a game when we're in the penalty box a whole lot. Today, too. We play the same guys on the penalty kill as much as we do on the power play," Blues forward Patrik Berglund said. "It's frustrating, you get tired, especially when you're in the box that long in those important minutes in the third. I think we gave them momentum to get back in the game. It's our fault and we didn't respond back, this is what happens." Jamie Langenbrunner, McDonald and Berglund had goals in the first period for St. Louis. "The lead came too easy to us. We didn't have to work for it," Blues coach Ken Hitchcock said. "They were coming at us, and we were on our heels, and we stayed on our heels most of the night," he added. "When we had the lead 3-1, we started playing with skill over work, started turning the puck over at the offensive blue line, that gave them all the momentum." Chicago's Andrew Brunette opened the scoring, and Viktor Stalberg added a goal in the second period. Halak, who had won eight straight, made nice stops on Kane and Hossa in overtime. Kane had two other chances in the closing seconds of the extra period. The Blues managed only six shots in the first period, but three eluded Emery as St. Louis quickly erased a 1-0 deficit. Brunette took a nifty pass from Hossa that split two defenders and then skated in and beat Halak at 2:51 of the opening period. But the Blues responded 59 seconds later as Langenbrunner rifled a long shot from beyond the right circle that beat the apparently screened Emery. About three minutes later, McDonald took a nice back pass from Perron and drove the puck past Emery for a 2-1 lead. Berglund then tipped in Barret Jackman's hard shot from the left point to put the Blues up by two late in the first and prompted the goalie change between periods. Emery has taken over for stretches this season when Crawford, who was supposed to be the starter, has struggled. This time Crawford came in to relieve. "In a tough spot, the game's on the line, you haven't played in a while, we know the importance of it, and (Corey Crawford) responded the way we were hoping he'd respond. That's good for him and great for us," Chicago coach Joel Quenneville said. Chicago got a goal late in the second when a shot by Marcus Kruger deflected off Halak. The puck hit Stalberg's instep and then went between the goalie's legs to make it 2-1.
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The Blues V 'Hawks game was one of the better games I've watched all season. Of course I was cheering for the Blues, but that is the way that the OOT Scoreboard has been going the past week or so.
Between the 4 of Chicago, Detroit, St. Louis and Nashville, I enjoy watching the Central Division match up against one another, and with them making up half the playoffs this year, it should be an exciting May
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I don't know if the Caps played like crap or the Hawks just were awesome last night. That was the best performance by Kane that I've seen is a long time.
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Vancouver Canucks vs. Chicago Blackhawks - Recap - March 21, 2012 - ESPN
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Blackhawks' Andrew Shaw stings Canucks with overtime goal
CHICAGO -- Goals just keep finding their way into the net for Blackhawks rookie Andrew Shaw.He scored 2:42 into overtime to give Chicago a 2-1 win over the Vancouver Canucks on Wednesday night.
Shaw was credited with deflecting Johnny Oduya's shot from the slot past Roberto Luongo. Oduya fired from between the circles after he trailed in late and took a feed from Dave Bolland on the left boards.
"It hit me in the shin, lucky left foot, I guess," Shaw said. "They're going to go off me and in. I just go to the net and work hard."
Shaw, who has been earning added ice time, has four goals and two assists in his past three games. In 30 games this season he has 11 goals -- including two game winners -- and seven assists.
"Offensively, (Shaw's) got some nice play recognition and a nice set of hands as well, even if he uses his pads (to score)," Chicago coach Joel Quenneville said. "Whether you use a term (like) fearless or gutsy -- you could add some more terms to that -- but you appreciate the way he competes for either himself, or his teammates, or his team.
"You seem to use him as the game gets even more important. I don't think I've used him that much in the past in four-on-four but he did a good job tonight."
Patrick Kane scored his 20th goal in the second period for Chicago, which has won five straight and is 9-1-1 in its last 11 despite playing without captain Jonathan Toews.
Jannik Hansen scored in regulation for Vancouver -- on the first shot of the game -- to break a 15-game streak without a goal. The Canucks lost their second straight, and have won just one of their last five.
Canucks leading goal scorer Daniel Sedin was injured in the game and did not return. He might have been hurt when he was elbowed in the head by Chicago defenseman Duncan Keith late in the first period.
The Blackhawks and Canucks have squared off in emotional postseason series each of the past three years. And the feelings resurfaced Wednesday night.
"Everybody saw the head shot there, so (Sedin will be) re-evaluated tomorrow and I'll know more from there," Canucks coach Alain Vigneault said.
Vigneault called the hit a "deliberate, principal point of contact, everything you're trying to take out of the game."
Keith, the Blackhawks top defenseman at the 2010 Norris Trophy winner, received only a minor penalty on the play.
"I expected a major, and I got a minor, so we'll let the league deal with it," he added. "You saw the hit, you didn't see a puck near the hit, you guys make the judgment call on that and the league will do what they have to do."
"I'm not trying to hurt anybody," Keith said "I hope he's OK. He's one of their best players. He needs to be on the ice."
Chicago center Marcus Kruger also left the game with an upper body injury.
Luongo made 35 saves in his return after backup Cory Schneider had started Vancouver's previous two games. Luongo was 0-3-0 and had given up 16 goals on 103 shots in his last four starts -- including one no-decision where he allowed three goals on seven shots in the opening five minutes before being relieved by Schneider.
Chicago's Corey Crawford made 23 saves and in his fourth straight start. He has won five straight.
The contest between the Western Conference rivals -- their 35th over the past four seasons including regular-season and playoff games -- was punctuated with penalties and skirmishes.
The teams' mutual dislike reached a boiling point midway through the second period when several wrestling matches erupted in front of the Chicago net. The Canucks appeared to be targeting Keith, who eventually tussled with Alexandre Burrows. Both players received roughing and misconduct penalties.
Hansen scored the only goal of the first period just 27 seconds in.
After gaining a step on Oduya, Hansen beat Crawford from the right circle. Crawford misplayed the rising shot, giving Hansen a wide gap on the stick side after dropping too quickly to the ice.
Although the Canucks had all three power plays in the first, Chicago outshot Vancouver 12-6. Luongo was sharp in the opening 20 minutes, stopping several tough chances, including a point-blank deflection by Marian Hossa midway through the period.
Kane tied it at 1 at 3:12 of the second to cap a strong shift and crisp passing play with linemates Hossa and Andrew Brunette. After Brunette fed Hossa behind then net, Hossa feathered a centering pass to Kane, who lofted a shot past a diving Luongo from the slot.
Kane scored 5-on-5, but then the Blackhawks failed on five power-play chances in the second.
Crawford had to be sharp in the third as the Canucks began to dominate.
After taking just nine shots through two periods, Vancouver loosed 14 in the third. Several were tough, close-in chances.
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I wonder if that Sedin pussy will think twice next time he throws an elbow at Duncan Keith. Screw the Canucks.
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I love seeing the Hawks beat up the sedin twins. The little puss cake had it comming. Duncan Keith
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And Duncan Keith has been suspended for 5 games after his chop shot on Daniel Sedin
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5 Games is pretty obsurd, I was thinking 3 games maximum. He is not a repeat offender and has not done anything like this in his 7 years in the NHL. Plus, no one cares about Sedin's hit on Keith. Regardless if it "looks" like he was going for the shoulder, he meant to plow him in the face and he just got away with it - Keith didn't. It was a dirty hit, I'm not denying that but 5 games is pushing it.
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