NHL - Hawks - Round Up November 25-29

Hawks @ Anaheim Sucks 3-2 - Friday, November 25, 2016


Corey Crawford made 34 saves and Patrick Kane had a goal and an assist to help the Chicago Blackhawks to a 3-2 win against the Anaheim Ducks at Honda Center. The Ducks, who trailed 3-0, pushed hard for the game-tying goal late in the third period but couldn't get it against Crawford, who made 14 saves.

Brent Seabrook had two assists, and Artem Anisimov and Ryan Hartman scored for Chicago (14-6-2), which ended a two-game losing streak. Nick Ritchie and Jakob Silfverberg scored for the Ducks. John Gibson made 22 saves for Anaheim (9-8-4), which has lost three straight. The Blackhawks won 18 of 67 faceoffs (27 percent) and were outshot 36-25 in their first full game without captain Jonathan Toews, their top center, who is day to day with an upper-body injury.

Anaheim has hosted Chicago the day after Thanksgiving the past five seasons and has lost all five (0-4-1). The Blackhawks led 3-1 after two periods on Anisimov's goal at 11:31 of the first and goals by Kane and Hartman in the second. Kane made it 2-0 at 6:47 during a power play, and Hartman pushed it to 3-0 at 15:40. Ritchie scored 10 seconds later to make it 3-1. Anaheim pulled within 3-2 at 8:51 of the third on Silfverberg's wraparound, which was scored 3:17 after an apparent goal by Anaheim forward Ondrej Kase was waved off.

* Hartman's goal was created off a strong forecheck. Dennis Rasmussen chipped the puck into the low slot and Marcus Kruger kept it there with a poke check. Hartman shot into the upper right corner of the net.

* Gibson made a seated save at 6:17 of the third period to keep Anisimov from scoring.

* Hossa helped rookie center Vincent Hinostroza win a faceoff against Ryan Kesler at 5:24 of the second period to start a sequence that ended with Hartman drawing the penalty that led to Kane's power-play goal.

* Ritchie's goal was scored with precision. Using Seabrook as a screen, he shot the puck through the defenseman's legs into the top left corner.

* Toews did not play most of the last two periods Wednesday in a 2-1 loss to the San Jose Sharks. He missed three games combined the past two seasons. … Chicago defenseman Michal Kempny was scratched for the second game in a row. … Kase's goal was waved off after it was ruled he batted the puck into the net with his hand. A video review confirmed the call.

"There's more importance on the way you play every shift [without Toews], whether it's myself or anyone on the team. It's a tough player to lose. We did a great job getting that 3-0 lead and actually playing with a lead for once." Kane said.
"[Ryan Hartman] gives us a little abrasiveness and some net presence and some presence in the puck areas. A little bit of [Andrew Shaw] in him. He's starting to find the net as well, but certainly he gives us a little bit of abrasiveness." Joel Quenneville

Hawks @ Los Angeles Kings 1-2 - Saturday, November 26, 2016


Jeff Carter stayed hot and helped the Los Angeles Kings do the same in a 2-1 overtime win against the Chicago Blackhawks at Staples Center. Carter scored his fifth goal (and fourth game-winner) in the past five games at 1:06 of overtime to give the Kings their fifth straight win. They are 9-2-0 at home this season. Seconds after Blackhawks defenseman Brent Seabrook got out of the penalty box, Carter's wrist shot from the left faceoff circle went into the far corner of the net. Alec Martinez had a goal and Peter Budaj made 18 saves for the Kings (12-9-1). Patrick Kane scored a goal and Scott Darling made 27 saves for the Blackhawks (14-6-3), who playing their second straight game without injured captain Jonathan Toews. Chicago finished its "Circus Trip" 3-3-1, which is the Blackhawks' first losing record on the annual November trip since coach Joel Quenneville took over in 2008-09. Chicago took a 1-0 lead in the first period despite being outshot 13-4. The Blackhawks' first shot was by Kane, who redirected Duncan Keith's slap shot past Budaj at 11:21. Chicago killed two Los Angeles power plays in the first and benefited from a coach's challenge. A goal by Kings right wing Tyler Toffoli 72 seconds into the game was overturned by a video review that determined goalie interference occurred when Pearson knocked Blackhawks defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson into Darling. Los Angeles tied it 57 seconds into the second period on Martinez's shot from the right wing. The Kings again outshot the Blackhawks in the second by a margin of 11-7 and held a 24-11 edge in shots starting the third. Neither team scored in the third, which had eight combined shots.

* After his initial shot was saved by Darling, Carter got the puck back from Toffoli and sent his next attempt over Darling's glove into the net.

* The Kings nearly followed Martinez's goal early in the second period with another one 3:33 later. Instead, Darling kept it 1-1 with a save against a long wrist shot by Trevor Lewis and two quick pad saves against Anze Kopitar from point-blank range.

* Derek Forbort's stick snapped on a Blackhawks power play in the third period. But it was quickly replaced by Kopitar, who gave his own stick to the Kings defenseman as play continued. Los Angeles killed the power play to keep it 1-1.
* Kane's goal took hand-eye coordination from the Blackhawks' leading scorer, who has eight goals and 15 assists. Keith's shot was off target to the left of the net, but Kane just got his stick on the puck before Forbort could react.
* Forward Marian Gaborik made his season debut for the Kings after missing the first 21 games because of a broken foot sustained in the 2016 World Cup of Hockey. … Kane moved past Bill Mosienko for eighth on the Blackhawks' all-time goal scoring list with 259 career goals. … Toews is day-to-day because of an upper-body injury. … Chicago defenseman Michal Kempny returned to the lineup after being scratched the past two games. … Blackhawks forward Jordin Tootoo missed the game after sustaining a lower-body injury against the Anaheim Ducks on Friday. Tootoo is day-to-day.

Hawks Quotes

"There's probably two games where we could have played better, Winnipeg and Edmonton. Other than that, I thought we really had quite a good effort every night. Tonight too, especially without the best player in the world, Jonathan Toews. The guys stepped up and they really filled the gap there." Darling said.
"He's consistent. He's been good for us. He's big in the net, positionally aware, and gives us a chance to get points and win hockey games every time he's been in there." Joel Quenneville

Kings Quotes

"[Carter] definitely has his mojo going right now. This is Jeff Carter and we know how he plays. He is rolling right now, but we have to keep on doing our thing and he'll keep on doing his." Tanner Pearson
"[Gaborik] got better as the game went on. I think it's going to take some time. It's nine weeks … it's going to take some time." Darryl Sutter

Florida Panthers @ Hawks 1-2 SO - Tuesday, November 29, 2016


Corey Crawford made 38 saves to help the Chicago Blackhawks to a 2-1 shootout victory against the Florida Panthers and Tom Rowe, who made his NHL coaching debut, at United Center. Chicago forward Artemi Panarin beat goalie Roberto Luongo in the second round of the shootout, and Richard Panik, who scored in the first period, ended it with his goal in the third round. It was Florida's first game since Gerard Gallant was fired as coach following a 3-2 loss at the Carolina Hurricanes on Sunday. Rowe, who is Panthers general manager, will coach them the rest of the season. The Blackhawks (15-6-3) played at home for the first time since completing their seven-game "Circus Trip" on Saturday. Chicago played its third straight game without center Jonathan Toews, who is day to day because of an upper-body injury, and it lost center Artem Anisimov in the third period to an ankle/foot injury. Luongo made three of his 32 saves for the Panthers (11-10-2) in overtime. Panik scored on a breakaway with 2:10 left in the first period to make it 1-0, and Florida's Jaromir Jagr tied it 1-1 35 seconds into the third period. It was Panik's seventh goal, first since Oct. 22, a span of 17 games. Prior to it, the Panthers outshot the Blackhawks 12-3 during a 14:26 span.

* A fortunate bounce off a pass by Chicago forward Dennis Rasmussen led to Panik's breakaway goal in the first. Skating through the neutral zone, Panik got the puck behind two Panthers defensemen, headed for the net, and scored with a forehand-backhand move.
"[Rasmussen] flipped it over and the [defenseman] touched it," Panik said. "I was hoping it was going to go by him and it went, so I got a breakaway. It was good I scored."

* Crawford's save on Derek MacKenzie at 6:15 of the third period kept it tied 1-1. Vincent Hinostroza got his left skate tangled with Crawford and sent his own goalie to the ice. Crawford was dazed but got to his knees as MacKenzie took a slap shot and deflected the puck off the left post with his right hand before covering it.

"I was pretty mad there," Crawford said, smiling. "[Hinostroza] said he didn't see me."

* Jonathan Marchessault got the primary assist on Jagr's goal with a strong second effort. Marchessault's shot was blocked by Blackhawks defenseman Brent Seabrook, but he chased the puck down in the corner and threw it to the front of the net. It bounced off Chicago defenseman Duncan Keith's right skate and went straight to Jagr.

* Luongo's diving save at 3:05 of the first period kept the score 0-0. He made an initial save off Seabrook's shot, but Anisimov got the rebound and sent the puck to Panarin for a backhand shot. Luongo dove and knocked it down with his glove.

* Chicago forward Jordin Tootoo returned to the lineup after missing a game with a lower-body injury. … Anisimov left the game at 12:36 of the third period after he was struck on the inside of his right ankle/foot by a Keith slap shot. … The Panthers have lost their past six games in Chicago (0-4-2). … Jagr passed Chris Chelios for fifth place on the NHL's all-time games played list (1,652).

"That was a long trip there, and we were excited to come back home. They came out pretty strong, but we played pretty solid and smart and we created a lot, where I think their guy made a bunch of saves, and we just found a way to win in this one." Crawford said.
"Certainly, we need more traffic and we should never be passing up shots. I think sometimes we look for something even better than a glorious chance." Joel Quenneville