Chicago Blackhawks beat San Jose Sharks in shootout

Nice to get the two points. Overall a good effort, Sharks got 2 lucky goals when the puck hit Hjalmarsson's skate and Seabrook. Campbell was solid again. The Havlet line was awesome and I really like Hjalmarrson, he does not get flustered under pressure and makes good decisions with the puck. Let's keep it rolling Friday against Jersey!

They played solid? What game did you watch? They give up a 3 goal lead and then a 2 goal lead to a team down 9 starters? This team is improved but will not go past the first round of the playoffs.

Name suits you!

Where have you been hiding, Jack, until you get a chance to come on here and pull a snide know-it-all critique.

I watched the same game and agree that it weren't perfect, but, the Deadwings ain't either. So, we beat the Sharks, they gain a smidgin over Detroit, we gain a smidgin over the Canucks and the kids struggled but overcame. ALL'S GOOD IN MY WORLD!

The playoffs are something of crapshoot. Does the right team always win out, bookie-wise? We've been up against Detroit in the playoffs, well in the past it's true, and knocked THEM out of the first round (Somebody correct me if I'm wrong).

I'll just keep watching, slugging holes in the soffit, swilling LaBatts, stuffing myself with Giordanos and enjoying something that's been missing from my life for way too long: WINNING BLACKHAWK'S HOCKEY!

"They're OUR kids, damnit!"

P.S., What happened to the "Three Stars of the Game" and the interview with the first?

They were lucky the Sharks were without so many regulars. Goaltending was shaky (yes a couple were flukes but others were stoppable). Some poor decisions with moving the puck out of their zone could have cost them. But overall a better effort than last couple of weeks. No easy games from here on out, they need a hot goaltending to step up.

Thrilling game. Giving up a 2 goal lead late is a concern, but we needed the 2 points and we got them.
I thought the team as a whole showed some real tenacity battling for possesion on the wall. That's something I've been waiting to see more of and been concerned about. Brouwer gets extra credit for his physical play on the boards.
Playoffs. Along the boards and in front of the net. That's where you must excel. Forget about open ice. There ain't any.

Blackhawks got lucky, 3 goal lead and 2 goal lead could'nt hold a beat up sharks club. They are going to have to hold a lead when they're ahead or they will be out of the playoffs FAST.

I thought it was a fantastic rollercoaster of a game that was just as fun to watch as it was frustrating (completely the opposite of what a defensive playoff game would be).

I think the Hawks are playing a lot better now than they were a week and a half ago. Yeah, fluke goals on both sides and two leads slipped away, but tip your hat to just how good that Sharks team is--even hurt. So quit worrying & bellyaching and enjoy the ride as long as it lasts. It's been a fun year.

RamRod, this is strictly speculation, but it looked to me that the choice of Toews as first star came as a surprise and if he was informed of it at all it was probably when he was halfway to the locker room whereupon he must have declined the honor, knowing that there were a couple of guys more deserving. Character guy.

Wow I read some of the comments and wonder were these people watching the same game?? Well I was there and saw it live. 2 of the SJ goals were bounced off of Hawk players. The only other team that plays like that is Detroit. Shoot the puck on net and keep on shooting. That happens, the only thing that bothered me was the giving up the 2 final goals of the game to let SJ tie it up. But look at this, they are one of the top teams in the league and we still beat them. We were 2-1-1 this season against them, that is HUGE. When they get into the playoffs they can and will be able to advance past the 1st round if they play like they have.

On another note it was great to be able to meet Section 319 last night. There are some great die hard Hawks fans, hopefully we can meet Bryan and Section 313 before the end of the regular season.

The 3 stars of the game was strange. They held Havlat off to the side and when they announced the 1st star it was Toews. Toews was already in the locker room and Havlat left to go there as well. Ladd came back to do the interview. The entire thing was messed up. I think that Havlat should have been the #1 star, but Toews was just as good.

I hate to admit this but I will be rooting for St. Louis to beat Vancouver tonight. We need to keep rolling when NJ comes to town Friday night.

Jack Meihoff? Unbelievable

San Jose got two lucky bounces or the score would have been a better indicator of the game that was played...i.e. I thought the Hawks dominated the fish as they should since they have alot of guys hurt.
Johnson and Hammer played good last night.
LOOK! DUSTIN BYFUGLIEN SCORED!
Even Ladd got on the scoresheet as well. The Bolland line was great last night.
I thought Fraser and Buff played good but Burish continues to do nothing and looked out of place with the other two.
Another prime scoring chance for Brouwer and another save.
Toews played good. Other then Kanes one chance he did absolutely nothing last night.
Was this a playoff type score? Both goalies werent so hot and both were the victims of lucky bounces. Khabby has to round into early season shape and soon.

Great win overall

I want to touch on deadboy's comment about Kane, and I truly believe this. I think that Kane will not produce like he should unless Toews is on the same line. They have Chemistry and I would be interested to see how many points Kane has without Toews being on the ice.
Anyway, winning isn't pretty sometimes. These were two big points and it doesn't matter how they got them. I think they aren't very happy giving up leads in the game, but you are facing one of the best teams in the NHL and they will not lay down for anyone. They should learn from this game and learn how to close out games...

USMCVet wrote:

I want to touch on deadboy's comment about Kane, and I truly believe this. I think that Kane will not produce like he should unless Toews is on the same line. They have Chemistry and I would be interested to see how many points Kane has without Toews being on the ice.
Anyway, winning isn't pretty sometimes. These were two big points and it doesn't matter how they got them. I think they aren't very happy giving up leads in the game, but you are facing one of the best teams in the NHL and they will not lay down for anyone. They should learn from this game and learn how to close out games...

You are right they were not happy with giving up the lead. I listened to the post game and Bolland was talking about that and so was Coach Q. They both said that they have to learn how to keep the lead late in the game. But at the end of the day they got the win, and those 2 points are huge. One thing Burish did play pretty well. He was banging pretty hard and did cause 2 important turnovers. The 3rd and 4th lines played great.

One last point, the PK team did not do good on the first PP of the sharks. They were on the ice the entire penality, remember SJ scored with 21 seconds left of the PP. They had to be so tired.

I am enjoying all of the articles that come on day watch--I also get it to earn Trib points which I have been unable to do fo the last 3 or 4 days --I need your help

A win is a win is a win. It wasn't pretty but it was two points. And I have to agree with Tim in regards to Burish. I think he's put together a couple of pretty solid games lately. He's a role player and he plays his role fairly well. And he always seems to be skating full out - even at the end of his shift.

I am absolutely loving what the Havlat-Ladd-Boland line has been doing for most of the season. And that Thornton goal...Seabrook is a stud but he can't out muscle Joe. Keith should have dropped down and helped out his line mate.

The last 2 goals that SJ scored the entire defense was out of position. The first one that the guy had the breakaway and Campbell got beat. The Hawks should have never allowed the puck to get cleared out of the Sharks zone. The last goal by Thorton, it was just bad positioning by Keith and Seabrook got out muscled by Joe.

I am not going to pick apart the game or the performance, I do believe that the Hawks players will learn from the game. They know what is at stake and they came out playing great. I do hope that when Eager gets back that they take alook at sitting Big Buff. I know he had a big goal, but too many times he seemed not too interested in playing hard.

Sue - Log into Topix at the top of the page and it marks your posts.

calif4chicago wrote:

Blackhawks got lucky, 3 goal lead and 2 goal lead could'nt hold a beat up sharks club. They are going to have to hold a lead when they're ahead or they will be out of the playoffs FAST.

The "lucky" team last night was the Sharks. Two of their goals bounced in off Hawks defensemen. Other than SJ's powerplay in the 1st and a few other shifts, I thought the Blackhawks were the better team on the ice last night.

And all this talk about the Hawks "blowing it"...although it is a little concerning that they couldn't hold onto a 3 goal lead in regulation, the score that counts is the one at the END of the game, not with a couple minutes left in the 3rd or any other time. The Hawks got the same amount of points out of this game as they would have had they held off the Sharks and won 5-2. The point SJ got out of this game is meaningless to the Hawks at this stage.

Exciting, if not nerveracking, game!

Two in a row now. Nice bounce back even though they still don't seem to be playing near as crisply as they were a month or two ago. However, when a team gets into a slump as the Hawks found themselves in, any sort of wins are needed to break the streak, and the Hawks did just that.

The playoffs definitely now seem secured, so fighting off Vancouver for the first rd. home ice is important for this teams psyche imo. If they allow the Canucks to overtake them, and then have to open up a playoff series on their home ice doesn't sound too appealing to me.

It's been along time the Hawks have went playoff less, so a one and done would seem really sad, if you ask me.

Now that's the way I like my shootouts...Short and sweet with a W

I'd actually like to see Buff and Eager on the fourth line with Burish centering...But that's just me.

CK says we won the season series against SJ 2-1-1? SJ was also 2-1-1 against us. The 3 point game is the most backward, retarded idea the NHL has ever come up with. And considering their history, that's really saying something.