Three Stars:
- Corey Crawford
- Artemi Panarin
- Andrew Shaw
- (Honorable Mention) Patrick Kane
Welcome back to the land of the living, Chicago Blackhawks.
Corey Crawford is a Vezina finalist. I’ve said it before and I will continue to do so until he proves otherwise. After two back-to-back losses where we allowed seven goals to one, Crawford came back and shut down the Blues, a team with Vladimir Tarasenko and Paul Stastny.
Our offense put up two goals, doubling the past two games. They put up two goals on one of the members of the second best goalie units in the Central Division, what is the greatest division in hockey and maybe all of sports.
The people who I’ve said needed to show up for us to win showed up. Andrew Shaw, facemask and all, showed up. This is the type of play we need to see game in and game out. This is the type of play that won us three championships and will do so again if we continue to play this way.
This is not to say that the game was perfect. We tied in shots, a category we should be beating people in. In fact, in the second and third period, when we were closer in shots or better, we scored goals. When we keep the puck out of our zone and put it on their net, we’re going to get good goals. It’s logic.
Artemi Panarin and Patrick Kane showed they still are the best line in hockey. It doesn’t matter they can’t play defense, there’s two players on the ice who’s job it is to do that for them. We have good defensemen. It’s just their job to prove it.
When they prove it, we win.
We also should be beating people in faceoffs. The fact we aren’t is not a good thing. That’s another way we win. Kruger’s impact is biggest when in the dot. When we get him back expect that stat to get better.
The flu is going through the team, I’ve been told. That doesn’t allow them to play mediocre. They’re better than that. Chicago is better than that – look at our history of sickness in sports (cough cough Jordan). They showed what they’re made of last night and beat a Central division opponent – that’s what matters. Let’s do it again.
Next up Carolina. Let’s get ourselves a little revenge.