Recap
The Blackhawks defeated the Colorado Avalanche 5-2 extracting some revenge for ending their 30 game unbeaten in regulation streak. The Hawks will conclude their 4 game road trip against the Anaheim Ducks in a clash of the top two teams in the Western Conference on Wednesday night.
The Hawks would strike early in the game when Jimmy Hayes took a pass from Patrick Kane and went forehand to backhand for his first goal of the season at the 3:47 mark of the first period. The lead would double 57 seconds later when Andrew Shaw scored on a one timer from Viktor Stalberg. However, the goal would not have been made without the sacrifice of Bryan Bickell taking a hit to get the puck out of the zone to create the two on one that led to the goal. But the Avalanche would strike back when Gabriel Landeskog had a breakaway that led to a goal shorthanded when he beat Ray Emery to the post.
The Hawks would stretch out the lead in the second period. Patrick Kane would get on the board thanks to a rush by Jonathan Toews that got him tangled up with the goalie. Kane wristed a shot from a bad angle into the open net for his 16th goal of the season at 7:49 of the second period. They weren’t done yet though as Kane found Brent Seabrook in the slot for a one timer goal that made it 4-1 at 14:40. Colorado would again get a late goal when Milan Hejduk scored his fourth goal of the season.
In the third period, the Hawks would clamp it down defensively. In fact, the Avalanche did not register their first shot until after the midway point of the period. They shut down the Avalanche who only had four shots on goal in the period. But the final nail in the coffin would come from Toews who roofed a shot at 16:30 to close out the scoring.
What it means
The Hawks will now head into their showdown with the Ducks with the best record in the West. They are 24-2-3 this season and have 51 points with 19 games to play. On Wednesday, the Hawks will try to complete a perfect road trip before heading home.
3 stars of the game
3. Gabriel Landeskog- Landeskog was noticeable on the ice for the Avalanche. He scored his fifth goal of the year and showed serious wheels. He caught Seabrook flatfooted which led to a second period benching for Seabrook.
2. Jonathan Toews- The Captain had a monster game for the Hawks. His play on the goal by Kane created the space for said goal. And his goal was a thing of beauty. Toews had one goal and two assists on the night and was a plus 3.
1. Patrick Kane- Kaner is becoming a regular as the top star. He put up his second three point game and third in four games. Kane had one goal and two assists while being a plus 3 on the night. All Kane does is continue playing at a phenomenal level that few can dream of. Whether it is passing to open guys in front of the net or ripping a fearsome shot, Kane does it all.
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