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Hawks score 3 unanswered to
knock off SJ Seabrook's OT goal ends bad
loss
The tail end of back-to-back games ended with an
ugly 4-3 overtime loss to the Chicago Blackhawks on Sunday night at the United
Center . Brent Seabrook scored 41 seconds into overtime to cap a huge comeback
win for the host Blackhawks. San Jose blew a 3-1 lead, surrendering three
unanswered goals to a Chicago team that took the play to the Sharks all night
long. Evgeni Nabokov deserved better, but he failed to get the necessary
defensive help.
The upstart Blackhawks played a high energy game that
battled back after San Jose jumped out to a two-goal lead midway through the
game. Pressing with pinching defenseman all night, the Blackhawks would
eventually win it on a surge in overtime that ended with a defenseman banging
home the game winner.
Brent Sopel gave the Blackhawks the early lead
with a slap shot through traffic that weaved its way to the back of the Sharks
net. Chicago did a good job to create traffic in front of Evgeni Nabokov, who
never saw the shot.
Dany Heatley and Joe Thornton teamed up to even
thing sup with 5 minutes to play in the period. Thornton took a feed from Jason
Demers as he skated toward the right corner, then circled back and sent a pass
back toward the high slot. Heatley one-timed the pass, firing the puck through
Cristobal Huets five-hole for his 14th goal of the season.
Blackhawks left winger Ben Eager tried to mix it up with Sharks defenseman
Douglas Murray in the opening minute of the 2nd period. Both players would drop
the gloves, but Eager would earn an extra two minutes for unsportsmanlike
conduct.
Rookie defenseman Jason Demers would make Eager pay by
scoring his first career NHL goal 32 seconds into the power play. Hovering near
the left dot, Demers would send a no-look shot on net, fooling Huet. With all
the attention on Thornton on the far side, Chicago paid little attention to
Demers, so his shot was unchallenged.
Patrick Marleau would push the
Sharks lead to 3-1 a mere 43 seconds later, after depositing a Joe Pavelski
feed from in tight. Huet pinched out toward the top of the crease as the Sharks
centerman cut straight down the slot. Pavelski made the feed from the end
boards. Marleau took the feed and partially deeked Huet before easily sliding
the puck into the wide open net.
An Andrew Ladd boarding penalty gave
the Sharks another chance to pile on the scoring, but the San Jose power play
would come no closer than a chance by Heatley that clipped the left post.
The Sharks were guilty of some complacency four minutes later, when
the Blackhawks turned up the pressure around Nabokov and scored when Patrick
Kane beat Devin Setoguchi to a puck and lifted it past Nabokov to cut the
Sharks lead to 3-2.
The Sharks appeared to score their fourth goal of the
night with just over 6 minutes to play in the period, but the on-ice officials
did not see the puck cross the line. Thornton celebrated by raising his arms,
but referee Kevin Pollock didnt get a look at it, even though he was
positioned directly behind the net. Video replays were inconclusive, even
though a high-definition feed shows three-fourths of the puck crossing the line
before Huets arm blocks the camera view.
Both teams would
up the tempo of play and exchange post shots by Kane and Marleau.
John
Madden would tie the game with 1:19 before the 2nd intermission on a third
chance after Nabokov made back-to-back saves on a rush, after the Sharks failed
to step up to Madden.
A miscue by Huet almost turned into a Sharks
goal, but Pavelski heeled the puck, missing on a wide open goal.
Scott
Nichol almost ended things in regulation with a nice move in the Blackhawks
zone by cutting in behind Duncan Keith before uncorking a shot that Huet had to
deflect to preserve the tie.
Chicago would need all of 41 seconds in
the overtime period to end it.
Game Notes:
The Sharks
got to witness a special pre-game ceremony for the second consecutive night.
After John Davidson was honored on Saturday night in St Louis for his induction
into the Hockey Hall of Fames broadcasters wing, the Blackhawks
paid tribute to Jeremy Roenick for his illustrious NHL career. Roenick and his
family were on hand to drop the ceremonial first puck before the game.
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What did you
think of this game? Post your comments on the Feeder Forums |
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1 |
2 |
3 |
OT |
T |
SJ |
1 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
3 |
CHI |
1 |
2 |
0 |
1 |
4 |
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1st period - 1, CHI,
Sopel 1 (Hendry), 4:08. 2, SJ, Heatley 14 (Thornton, Setoguchi), 15:01. |
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2nd period - 3, SJ,
Demers 1 (unassisted), 1:14, (pp). 4, SJ, Marleau 12 (Pavelski, Joslin), 1:59.
5, CHI, Kane 7 (Toews, Keith), 7:54. 6, CHI, Madden 3 (Ladd, Keith),
18:41. |
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Overtime - 7, CHI,
Seabrook 2 (Toews, Brouwer), 0:41. |
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1st period - Madden, CHI
(holding), 1:13. |
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2nd period - Murray, SJ
(fighting major), 0:42; Eager, CHI (fighting major), 0:42; Eager, CHI
(unsportsmanlike conduct), 0:42; Ladd, CHI (boarding), 4:45; Murray , SJ (cross
checking), 8:26. |
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3rd period -
Byfuglien, CHI (interference), 0:52; Malhotra, SJ (high sticking), 7:19. |
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Shots |
Saves |
SJ - Nabokov |
30 |
26 |
CHI - Huet |
23 |
20 |
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1 |
2 |
3 |
OT |
T |
SJ |
7 |
8 |
8 |
0 |
23 |
CHI |
9 |
13 |
6 |
2 |
30 |
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Referees: Fraser,
Pollock. Linesmen: Gibbs, Seitz. |
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