Sunday, October 17, 2010

Huge Night for the Sharp Shooter and the Hawks

Chicago Blackhawks @ Columbus Blue Jackets 
10-15-10
Final Score: 5-2 Hawks
Scoring Summary 
1st Period
9:37-CHI-Viktor Stalberg [1] (Jack Skille [1], Nick Boynton [2])
10:40-CHI-Marian Hossa [4] (Tomas Kopecky [5], Jassen Cullimore [1])
2nd Period
1:11-CBJ-SHG-R.J. Umberger [2] (Derek Dorsett [1])
9:46-CHI-SHG-Patrick Sharp [2] (Jake Dowell [1])
11:48-CHI-Patrick Sharp [3] (Troy Brouwer [3], Bryan Bickell [2])
3rd Period
00:15-CHI-Tomas Kopecky [1] (Hossa [4])
13:39-CBJ-Kristian Huselius [3] (Umberger [1], Rostislav Klesla [1])

After a tough loss to Nashville, the Hawks were looking to bounce back with a victory over Central Division rival Columbus.

Before the halfway mark of the first period, the Hawks got on the board first, courtesy of one of the new faces on the team.
After Jack Skille sprang him on a partial breakaway, Viktor Stalberg pushed the puck out in front of himself and used his great speed to break through Jakub Voracek and Fedor Tyutin to get free in the slot and, from the left hash marks, get a quick shot off that beat right catching Jackets goalie Steve Mason glove side for his first goal as a Blackhawk.
"It was a good pass by Jack," Stalberg said, "I got a little break between the d-men there and I was able to keep them on the backside."

Just about a minute later, the Hawks struck again.
Rookie defenseman Nick Leddy showed great poise with the puck as he kept the puck in at the left point and walked along the blue line with it until he found Marian Hossa open at the top of the left circle. Hossa gave it back to Leddy, who was at the middle of the blue line, and Leddy found veteran defenseman Jassen Cullimore at the right half wall. With Tomas Kopecky providing a screen in front of Mason, Cullimore shot it and it bounced off of Kopecky right to Hossa, coming into the slot, and he put it topshelf, glove side for the two goal lead.

Early in the second period, on a power play no less, Columbus closed the gap to one with a shorthanded goal from R.J. Umberger.
Derek Dorsett picked off a Duncan Keith pass just inside the Hawks' blue line and found Umberger coming into the zone. He  handed it off to him and Umberger and he walked in alone for the most part and got a backhanded shot off in close. The puck somehow ended up off the end boards and Umberger got it and flipped it past Hawks goalie Marty Turco from below the goal line.

The Hawks answered back with their own shorthanded goal about 8 minutes later as Columbus had started to gain some momentum.
Patrick Sharp stole the puck at the right point of his own zone and gave it to Jake Dowell in the neutral zone and they had a two on one going for them. Dowell gave it back to Sharp at Columbus' blue line and from the left circle, Sharp let one sick wrister fly that beat Mason blocker side.

Sharp wasn't done yet though.
2 minutes and 2 seconds later, he potted another one for his 3rd goal of the year.
From below the left circle, Troy Brouwer took a shot on net and Mason gave up a rebound right to Sharp, who was cruising the slot. Sharp shoveled it home as Mason started to slide to his left.

The Hawks made it a four goal lead 15 seconds into the 3rd period.
Hossa took the puck in the neutral zone and walked all the way into Columbus' zone, near the bottom of the right circle. He backhanded a pass to Kopecky, who was coming into crash the net and Kopecky got a backhanded shot off. Mason gave up a rebound, and was down, and Kopecky corralled it back to his forehand and got it into the wide open cage for his first goal of the year. 

The Jackets added a goal to change the final score at the 13:39 mark.
From the right circle, Rostislav Klesla backhanded a shot at the net and Umberger collected the rebound and got it into the slot for Kristian Huselius to put it home glove side of Turco, who went down in a double pad stack save mode, but didn't get a piece of it.


All in all though, it was the Hawks' most complete game of the young season.
"It was really good," Turco said postgame, "The guys played a great game tonight. I think the score was indicative of how we played. It was a great road win. It took a lot of guys to block some shots, penalty killing, all that stuff you need to be successful. But it was also a little tighter at times, especially early on before we got a couple of goals."

"I wouldn't say we were there, but it was definitely the game we need to play," Kopecky added, "It was a typical road game and that's how we need to play, simple and good sticks, good positioning. The more simple we play, we're gonna have more success."


"I thought it was a pretty good game from our team," Sharp also said, "I think that right from the first shift, we were skating in good five man groups out there, and thought our D had a great game controlling the play and having good sticks and that was a big key in the play tonight."
On a personal level, Sharp said: "It's always nice to score, especially early in the season and it's nice to get a couple in a win. Who knows what's gonna happen. I always say you never know when you're gonna score the next goal but I think if we get every line contributing like we did tonight, we'll be okay."


Kopecky also said about his own play recently, and his linemates': "For me it's just [that] I'm playing my game. I know what I need to do, I just go in front, stop in front, and look for rebounds. Obviously [Hossa and Jonathan Toews], they just make things happen. When I have [my] stick on the ice, I just drive the net and stop in front. Tazer is so good in the corners. Hoss is a great shooter and it makes it easier for all of us. We kinda know what we can expect from each other."


Notes 
Patrick Sharp had 13 shots on goal. Yes, count them. 13 SHOTS ON GOAL. It was a new franchise record.
-His shot percentage from the game was 15.4%.
-He now leads the league in shots with 25.
-Tomas Kopecky had the second most shots on goal in 6.
The Hawks outshot Columbus 40-32.
-The Hawks' power play went 0-2 and the Jackets' went 0-4.
-Columbus won 33 faceoffs and the Hawks won 27.
•The three stars of the game were:
1. Patrick Sharp
2. Tomas Kopecky
3. R.J. Umberger
•The Hawks' scratches were:
-Brian Campbell [on IR]
-Patrick Kane [He was sick.]
-Niklas Hjalmarsson [Still suspended.]
•Brent Seabrook led the Hawks in ice time with 24:21.
Nick Boynton had 5 blocked shots.
The Hawks' centermen's faceoff percentages were:
-Patrick Sharp: 66.7%
-Jonathan Toews: 52.6%
-Jake Dowell: 42.9%
-Dave Bolland: 14.3%
•Marian Hossa led the Hawks in shifts with 26.
•Jassen Cullimore was recalled from Rockford to fill in for Patrick Kane's roster spot. Cullimore had an assist and was +1 on the backend as he was paired up with Nick Leddy and also sometimes Nick Boynton throughout the night. John Scott was moved up to forward and only had 3 shifts, and a total amount of ice time of 2:32. 

Tomas Kopecky celebrates his early third period goal with Hawks Captain Jonathan Toews.

Viktor Stalberg takes the shot that ended up being his first goal as a Hawk.

Brent Seabrook greets Patrick Sharp after Sharp scored his second goal of the night.

Marian Hossa celebrates his first period goal with Jassen Cullimore and Jonathan Toews.

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