Chicago Blackhawks Lose Game 7

The Chicago Blackhawks and St. Louis Blues played their second every Game #7 in their rivalry on Monday night, and here is how things went down from Scottrade Center in St. Louis on Monday night.

First PERIOD

The Chicago Blackhawks didn’t start off the game the same way they did in Game #7 of the Western Conference Finals in Anaheim. In that game the Hawks took control of the game early and never let up eventually winning 5-3.  On Monday night, the Hawks gave up the opening goal of the game in the first minute and Scottrade Arena was rocking.  The Hawks struggled to match the St. Louis Blues effort and really had a hard time getting the puck out their own zone which cost them twice in the first period.

The Hawks were trailing 2-0 and didn’t look to have much life, and then they got picked up by a player that was playing in his 10th Game #7 in the way of Marian Hossa.  He ripped a slapper that Brian Elliott couldn’t stop and just like that late in the first period, a period that the Blues totally dominated the score was cut in half. The Hawks dominated the 2nd period throughout the series so getting out of the first period only down by 1 seemed like a win.  The Blues led on the scoreboard with the Hawks leading the shot chart 11-9.

2ND PERIOD

The Chicago Blackhawks owned the 2nd period in this series and they did own the first half of the period on Monday night.  The Hawks got a lucky break when Andrew Shaw‘s pass for Patrick Kane went off a Blues player and in behind on Brian Elliott for a tie game.  The Hawks pushed hard to get the lead, and there was an entire shift of Kane skating around the entire Blues defense, but in this period they couldn’t get that 3rd goal.

The Blues did push the action late in the period when Duncan Keith starting making a lot of ill advised passes in his own end, but Corey Crawford was up to the task making some huge glove saves.  The one thing that was obvious from the start was the refs didn’t want to call many penalties.  The St. Louis Blues took what looked like 2 obvious penalties that weren’t called, and heading into the intermission the Blues had a lot of momentum.  One Period One goal in the third period could decide who advances to the next round.

Third PERIOD

The Hawks had the fight, but in the end they lost to a Troy Brouwer rebound that he doinked off the post on his first attempt.  Brent seabrook looked to have tied up the game, but for the 2nd time the Blackhawks hit a double post and out.  The Hawks threw everything at the Blues, but in the end it was just one goal not enough.

There is no Magic in 2016, and in the end there of course are a lot of questions to throw at Stan Bowman especially about defenseman, but this was a great series and in the end it wasn’t the Hawks season.

RIP 2015-2016 season