Western Conference First Round, Game 1: Blackhawks 4, Predators 3 (2OT) – Recap

The Hawks started their quest for Cup number 6 in Nashville. The Predators struck first 6:07 into the period on a goal by Colin Wilson after atrocious defense by Michal Roszival. The Predators would get the game’s first power play after Andrew Shaw was sent off for interference 8:44 in. The Hawks would be able to kill off the penalty. Viktor Stalberg expanded the Nashville lead to 2-0 17:20 in and the Predators would begin to really take control. A minute later, Kimmo Timonen was sent off for holding. The Predators would convert just over nineteen-and-a-half minutes in when Seth Jones’ shot was deflected by Colin Wilson and got past Crawford to give Nashville a 3-0 lead. The Hawks would get a power play just over ten seconds later when Matt Cullen was sent off for interference. The Hawks would be unable to score in the final 16 seconds of the period and would go into the first intermission down 3-0, but with 1:44 of power play time waiting for them to start the second period.

Scott Darling would come in at goalie to start the second for the Hawks. The team would be unable to score in the first 37 seconds of power play time to start the period, and at that point, Marian Hossa was sent off for tripping, and we would go to 4-on-4 play. The Hawks would cut into the lead 1:43 into the period on a goal by Niklas Hjalmarsson. Two seconds later, the Predators’ 53 seconds of power play time began. The Hawks would be able to kill off the remainder of the Hossa penalty. Bryan Bickell would be sent off 3:51 into the period after a hold on James Neal and the Hawks would go back to the penalty kill. The Hawks would be able to kill off the penalty. The Hawks would get a power play 7:16 into the period after Anton Volchenkov was sent off for hooking Kris Versteeg. Shea Weber would be sent off 1:05 later for a cross-check, giving the Hawks 55 seconds of 5-on-3. Patrick Sharp would score and cut the Nashville lead to one just over eight-and-a-half minutes into the period. The Hawks would still have 1:48 of 5-on-4 with Weber, one of Nashville’s best penalty killers, in the penalty box. The Hawks would come up empty on the man advantage, but retain momentum. The Hawks would go back to the power play tirteen-tirty-tree into the period when Mattias Ekholm was sent off for cross-checking. Fifteen seconds later, Jonathan Toews snuck a shot past Pekka Rinne and tied the game at 3. This would be the final goal scored in the period, and the teams would head to the second intermission tied at 3.

The Hawks would go to the power play 2:18 into the third after Mike Ribeiro was sent off for hooking Andrew Shaw. The Hawks would get some nice looks, but come up empty on the man advantage. Niklas Hjalmarsson was sent for slashing 10:10 into the period and the Hawks went to the penalty kill. The Hawks would be able to kill off the penalty, thanks in large part to a ten bell save by Scott Darling. Neither team would score in the third, and we would head to overtime.

Overtime saw a lot of back-and-forth action, with both goaltenders making great saves. Brad Richards would be sent off for high-sticking 12:42 into overtime. There was no blood, so it would only be a two-minute penalty. The Hawks would be able to kill off the penalty. With 2:25 remaining in the overtime period, the Hawks went to the power play after Seth Jones was sent off for tripping Bryan Bickell. The Hawks never got going and came up empty on the man advantage. Neither team would score in overtime and we would head to a second overtime.

The second overtime saw play similar to the first until a blast from Duncan Keith got past Pekka Rinne to give the Hawks the 4-3 Double OT win.

With the way Scott Darling played in relief of Crawford Wednesday, it’s fair to ask who should start game 2. I’m not suggesting that the three goals given up by Crawford were entirely his fault; they weren’t. The first goal was not impossible to stop, though it was a hard one to stop and the result of horrible defense by Michal Roszival, who I would be shocked to see on the ice Friday. Crawford could, and probably should, have played the puck better off the boards on the play that led to the second goal, but the defense didn’t do him any favors. The third goal was tipped. Again, not impossible, but very tough. Three goals given up on twelve shots looks awful on paper, but I’m one of Crawford’s toughest critics and he’s far from the first person I’m mad at on any of those goals. Having said that, Darling was so good in the three-plus periods that followed, that I think he deserves the start in game 2.

My picks for 3 stars:

★★★ Colin Wilson, C, NSH(2 G)

★★ Jonathan Toews, C, CHI (1 G (GTG), 2 A)

★ Scott Darling, G, CHI (42 SV, 0 GA)

Twitter: @KSchroeder2325

E-mail: schroeder.giig@gmail.com

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