Sharp’s Shootout Goal Lifts Blackhawks Over Avalanche

Three games, three shootouts: needless to say, when the Avalanche and Blackhawks match up this season you can expect a evenly matched game.

Wednesday night maintained the trend of great hockey games between these two teams that are finally matching success at the same time. Ina  game that neither team deserved to lose, the Avalanche an the early lead halfway though the first period. That’s when Kyle Cumiskey banked a shot from behind of the net off the number 39 on Cristobal Huet’s jersey and across the goal line. It was a rare lapse of judgement between the posts for Huet, who made 25 saves in the game.

Patrick Kane answered for the Blackhawks to knot the score roughly five minutes later. Working the right-wing half-boards, Kane fired a snap shot under the crossbar and over Colorado goalie and Chicagoland native Craig Anderson, who was crouched to protect against a goal-crease pass.

The second period was dominated by Colorado, and they peppered Huet with 12 shots and constant offensive zone pressure. Wojtek Wolski gave the Avalanche a 2-1 advantage 13:10 into the middle frame. After his initial shot was blocked in front of the net, Wolski picked up the loose puck and beat a confused Huet, who never found the location of the puck after Wolski’s first attempt.

Despite the second period play being decidedly one sided in Colorado’s favor, Huet stood strong and kept the score 2-1 heading into the third. For the second consecutive game, the Blackhawks dominated the final period. On Monday, the Blackhawks outshot the Los Angeles Kings 10-2 in the third period, scoring three goals to win the game 4-1. Wednesday, the Blackhawks outshot the Avalanche 15-3, but were only able to score one goal.

That one goal was scored on a one-man breakout by defenseman Cam Barker. Barker made a pass off the boards to himself in the neutral zone, allowing him to get around his mark, Kyle Quincey. Barker, channeling Bobby Orr, took the puck to the net, brought the puck to his backhand and roofed the shot over Anderson. Like with the goal scored by Kane, Anderson was crouched to prevent a cross-crease pass. The score would remain 2-2 despite several late chances for each team. The most dangerous of those chances came from Colorado rookie Matt Duchene, who panged a shot off the post in the period’s final minute.

Duchene’s bad luck would continue: early in the overtime period, he missed another chance to end the game, despite beating Huet, as he could not beat cold steel with red paint.

In the final minute of the overtime period Colorado winger Wojtek Wolski was called for cross checking on Brent Seabrook. The Blackhawks went to a four on three advantage with half a minute left, but the unit of Kane, Dustin Byfuglien, Jonathan Toews and Barker couldn’t capitalize on their good fortune, as they came up empty on their rushed advantage.

Wolski, the Avalanche’s shootout ace and the NHL’s all-time leader in shootout conversion percentage, started the tie breaking skills competition. Starting out wide left, Wolski cut right, bringing Huet with him. Huet did leave his jock behind, and perhaps that was what caused Wolski’s drag move shot to hit the post. It was the last bit of good fortune the Blackhawks would get, and the last bit they would need.

Toews led off for the Blackhawks and crossed up Anderson, who was beaten by Toews’ five-hole wristshot. Marek Svatos was stoned by Huet and Kane attempted, and failed, to recreate Toews’ goal. Darcy Tucker was unable to keep possession of the puck on his turn for Colorado, leaving the snakebitten Patrick Sharp with a chance to win the game.

If Sharp, who has hit everything but the net in his recent games, needed a confidence booster, beating one of the strongest goalkeepers in the NHL one-on-one, for a win might be that confidence booster. Sharp, skating directly at Anderson, quickly brought the puck to his backhand, but made a head deke when bringing the puck back to his forehand. Anderson fell for the fake, and Sharp calmly deposited the puck over the sprawling goaltender.

The win was the Blackhawks’ fifth straight at the United Center. The Blackhawks also regained first place in the Central division, as Columbus lost 9-1 to Detroit effectively losing two points in the standings in the process. The Blackhawks will take on Original Six foes Toronto Friday night in Chicago.

Feathers in the Headdress:
Third Star: Patrick Kane
Working with Andrew Ebbett on center, the Avalanche were always able to match up against Kane with size. That didn’t matter much. Kane’s skill with the puck was on full display on Wednesday, no more so than with his first period goal and the four on three advantage the Blackhawks held late in overtime. Give Kane space to work, and he will burn you. Kudos to the Avalanche for not allowing Kane to go gangbusters, as 88 certainly had on his fancy pants tonight. But even a contained Kane is a dangerous Kane. He was the third star tonight, but against a lesser opponent, there is little doubt he would have won the game singlehandedly.

Second Star: Cristobal Huet
Huet wasn’t outstanding tonight, but he was tested with very dangerous shots and proved his recent play is not a standing-on-his-head bender Huet is prone to have each year. This is the real deal, and his big saves are made with a quiet confidence that Blackhawks fans should be very happy about.

First Star: Duncan Keith
Keith had no points, but he was always the best player on the ice. Keith led the Blackhawks in icetime, with 26+ minutes, blocked a shot, had a hit and was a force the Avalanche could not account for. It’s remarkable he was not rewarded with a point in this game, because he was as good offensively Wednesday as he was defensively – and he was defensively flawless. The hockey gods will reward him with a fluke point or two down the road, and everyone will know those points came because of Keith’s performance on Wednesday night.