Hawks' special teams the difference in 4-3 SO win over Columbus

Brent Seabrook scored the decisive goal in extra time again, this time in the 11th round of the shootout to give the blackhawks a 4-3 win over division rival Columbus in the hawks first home game back after their successful 6 game road trip. It was Chicago's 8th straight win at home, dating back to the mid October loss against Vancouver where Toews & Seabrook were literally knocked out of action.

The hawks again looked somewhat sluggish, as Columbus controlled much of the play in the first period particularly, outshooting the hawks 10-5, in part thanks to a couple of early hawk penalties, though the hawks came close twice with Kane & Barker hitting the crossbar & post within 30 seconds of each other early in the 1st. The hawks' special teams, however, made up for any sluggish 5 on 5 play, with the pk scoring another shorthanded goal on Brouwer's penalty late in the 1st.

On the play, Bluejackets dman Russell was in the hawks corner and made a somewhat blind pass back to the point. John Madden intercepted along the boards, trapping 3 other Columbus players, including both defensmen, deep inside the hawks' zone, while Versteeg & Sopel, reading and anticipating Madden's play, reacted by dashing up ice. Madden made a cross-ice outlet to Versteeg trying to spring the streaking hawk forward at center with only bluejackets forward Voracek back, however the pass didn't connect. Versteeg nevertheless continued on and gathered up the loose puck at center, setting up a 2 on 1 with Madden. As Versteeg entered the zone from the right side, Voracek went down in an attempt to block a pass or low shot, however Versteeg did a toe drag to get by the sprawled & sliding Voracek. That gave time for Umberger to get back in position to try to defend, but Versteeg again patiently made another toe drag move, letting the overpursuing Umberger skate by and putting himself in alone on Mason. He fired a shot mid-high glove side, beating Mason to put the hawks up 1-0 and sent the home crowd into a buzz by the skill displayed on the play.

Early in the 2nd, a long stretch pass by Duncan Keith from inside the hawk line sent Patrick Sharp in alone on Mason, who made a very good glove save to keep it 1-0. About midway through the 2nd, the bluejackets tied it when Huet failed to squeeze his trapper on Kris Russell's point shot, leaving a rebound. Keith had a chance to clear the loose puck & appeared to swipe at it with his stick, but Vermette apparently prevented Keith from connecting, and instead tapped in the loose puck after a goalmouth scramble, Umberger ending up on top of Huet after the puck went in.

Just over 5 minutes later, the hawks defense turned it over in their own zone when Campbell's clearing attempt hit the stanchion on the left half boards and bounced right to Sammy Pahlsson in the slot, who turned and skated to the left circle before firing a high wrist shot that beat Huet, who was down early and out of position, leaving the top half of the net uncovered.

Late in the 2nd, with the hawks on their 3rd powerplay of the game, Kane circled on the right half boards after a give & go by Hossa, and fed a pass that Hossa tipped on to Patrick Sharp standing to the right side of the net, and he slid the puck underneath Mason & in off the far post to tie it at 2.

Early in the 3rd, the bluejackets regained the lead off the rush, where defenseman Russell trailing the play, moved into the open slot and took a nice drop pass from Umberger, firing a bullet past Huet to make it 3-2. Madden & Ladd had their men getting back, but Brouwer was late in covering the trailer and gave Russell the opening he needed to get off a big blast from an excellent scoring position, where Huet had little chance.

A few minutes later, Fedor Tyutin was called for a high stick, and it took the hawks' pp just 17 seconds to connect, with Keith moving to the middle of the blue line from the right point and letting a wrister go that glanced off Toews skate and past Mason into the net to tie it at 3.

Both teams looked like they were happy with a point & didn't take many chances thereafter to potentially risk losing in regulation (and give away a point to a division opponent) which resulted in only 13 combined shots in the 3rd period.

In the OT, the teams traded chances, with Hossa forcing Mason into a good save with traffic in front ready to pounce on any rebound, and Versteeg testing him with a one-timer from the left circle set up by Keith, while Rick Nash got off a couple of shots that required Huet to be sharp.

In the shootout, the hawks elected to "kick", giving Columbus the first shot. After Huet stopped Huselius & Nash, Hossa scored on the hawks second shot, clanging a wrister high off the post and past Mason, giving Huet a chance to win it if he stopped Voracek. However, the Columbus youngster responded by firing it into the top right hand corner with Huet not even moving his glove on the shot. Patrick Kane then had a chance to win it against his former London Knights junior teammate, and tried to lift a backhand over Mason who was going down, but the 2009 Calder Trophy winner thwarted the 2008 Calder winner, sending the SO into extra rounds.

It quickly became a battle between the goalies as both looked unbeatable, making excellent saves, with Huet catching a break when Vermette hit the post, while Versteeg got Mason to bite on his deke to the left before going to the right but also hit the iron. Mason had an easy time with the hawks' next shooter when Ladd lost control of the puck just over the blue line, as it headed into the corner. Ladd was almost at the goal line when he retrieved it, and was easily poke checked by Mason.

Hitchcock tapped a couple of Dmen to take shots in rounds 6 & 10, but both Tyutin & Russell were stopped, Tyutin on an excellent toe save by Huet to stop the Zhamnov-like "reach around" move. After Quenneville used up 10 of his 12 forwards (only Eager & Fraser hadn't made an attempt) he called on Seabrook, who moved in and got Mason to go down on a deke left & lifted a backhand over the prone goaltender to give the hawks their 8th straight win at home.

While the win was unconvincing, the hawks will surely take it in their first home game after a long road trip, and Huet will certainly gain some much needed shootout confidence by making several sparkling saves on the 1 on 1 confrontations, likely his best shootout performance as a hawk, that gave his team the chance to win it.

Ironically, coming into the game the hawks were the better 5 on 5 team, with Columbus having the better powerplay, however the bluejackets outscored the hawks 3-0 five on five, while the hawks scored against the league's top powerplay while adding two pp goals of their own.

With the win, the hawks moved back into a 2nd place tie in the conference with Calgary, and five points up in the Central division on both Columbus & Nashville, the hawks next opponent on Friday night at the UC. The hawks get another important measuring stick game vs. defending Stanley Cup champions in Pittsburgh on Saturday.