The Blackhawks Escape Big D With 3-2 Win In A Shootout

Oct 9, 2014; Dallas, TX, USA; Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Trevor van Riemsdyk (57) and goalie Corey Crawford (50) celebrate the win over the Dallas Stars at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: The Blackhawks win 3-2 in the overtime shootout. Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

The season has finally started after what felt like the longest summer ever! It took 60 minutes, 5 minutes of overtime and a shootout but in the end it was the Hawks leaving Big D with a Big W!

FIRST PERIOD

The Blackhawks looked like they weren’t ready for the puck to drop at the beginning of the game with the Dallas Stars owning the puck for almost the entire first half of the first period.  The most noticeable player on the ice was Jamie Benn who became a hitting machine starting with Johnny Oduya behind Corey Crawford and then Brandon Saad on the boards.  The fourth line for the Hawks picked up the first two penalties of the year with Marcus Kruger going first and then Jeremy Morin with a really stupid penalty but neither penalty costed the Hawks with Corey Crawford coming up with a few really good saves to save the penalty kill unit.

Patrick Kane had a couple of chances but on the second chance his stick failed him, and then in the final minute Brent Seabrook feathered (softest pass ever) the puck to Duncan Keith who just threw it on net and it found a way past Kari Lehtonen and into the back of the net.  The Hawks only got 3 shots on goal in the first period but it was good enough for a 1-0 lead for the Hawks at the end of first period of the season.

SECOND PERIOD

The Blackhawks march to the penalty box finally cost them when Niklas Hjalmarsson went to the box for 4 minutes and it only took them 10 seconds to tie the game when Trevor Daley made a nice play and deflected the puck and knocked it in out of the air and behind Crawford.  The Hawks didn’t find their legs in the second period with the Stars continuing to control the play and the shots on goal proved it at the end of the period with the Stars winning the period 16-8 and for the game 24-11.

The tie didn’t last long when Cody Eakin found the puck in the slot and buried it off the post to give the Stars a 2-1 lead. The Stars had two breakaways in the first two periods, but Crawford was up to those challenges or the score would have been much worse.  The Hawks offense through 2 periods hasn’t looked good at all.

Third Period

The Blackhawks finally woke up and the third period was an exciting third period, it was non stop end to end action.  Crawford was the star of the game and the period stopping chance after chance to keep the game close.  The Hawks finally got some of their own powerplays and were able to cash in with Patrick Sharp ripping one from the point and the screen by Andrew Shaw was enough to get the game to 2-2.  The Hawks didn’t make it easy on themselves giving up great chances but Crawford stood tall and the game headed to overtime.

OVERTIME

The overtime and shootout can be described with one word…. Kane

Kane did a spin-o-rama in overtime that almost ended the game and then he made one sick move in the shootout to roof it past Lehtonen for the only shootout goal.  Kane in the open ice especially 4 on 4 is a thing of beauty and in the end it was a 2 point road trip to Dallas.

-Crawford was the star of the game stopping 32 of the Stars 34 shots and keeping the game close until the final arrival of the Hawks offense.

– Both Sharp and Keith had 2 point night with a goal and an assist each.

– David Rundblad and Daniel Carcillo barely saw the ice at all while Duncan Keith almost played 30 minutes

– Dallas should have won the game 5-2 or 6-2 but the Hawks still have the heart of a Champion and do not go down easily ever!!

-Next up for the Hawks are the Buffalo Sabres Saturday night at the United Center!!