Hawks Drop Road Game to Preds
A few factors conspired to cost the Blackhawks what would have been their 10th win in a stretch where 12 of their last 14 games were on the road. I guess conspired isn’t a good word to use when you’re talking about officials, but they certainly played a role in the loss.
It’s easy to jump on the striped fellows when you are caught up in the frustration of allowing four third period goals to lose 5-3. It’s even easier when two of those goals game on the power play, and it’s so easy it’s second nature when power plays are six to two.
Back to the calls in a bit, but the defense and the goaltending are on the hook for this one too. I’m still of the opinion that Huet needs a rest. He’s played great over this stretch, but there are moments where the fatigue is starting to show. Rebounds are coming loose and the puck is finding its way to the net a little too often. Give the guy a night off and send him back in for another run.
Huet wasn’t the only one to blame for the third period collapse. The checking just wasn’t there. It’s the end of a brutal stretch and the guys are tired, but there was too much space for Nashville. That space led to opportunities for Nashville and contributed to three penalties. Well, maybe two. One? Okay, maybe there shouldn’t have been any.
None of the Hawks last four penalties (Chicago was on the short end of the last five calls of the game by the way) were without controversy. Huet was called for interference at the end of the second when a Nashville player came through the crease; Huet put his arms up as the player flew through the crease and both players went down. Could have gone either way and it went for Nashville.
In the third, Ben Eager was called for tripping when Greg Zanon skated into him looking for a reason to fall. Andrew Ladd was called for a hook when he lifted the stick of Joel Ward and Ward fell down. Ward was the player that ran into Huet earlier, so don’t touch that guy. The final call was on Brouwer and while it seemed like a pattern by now, this was probably the most legit call of the bunch. While the Pred was already falling down, Brouwer did reach out and hit him while the player was off the puck; seemed like interference to me.
Either way, the loss is tough to take when you’re shorthanded like that. At least the road warrior role is behind Chicago, as the Hawks will return to the United Center for seven of their next eight games. It starts Friday night with a contest against the Pittsburgh Penguins, who may be without Sidney Crosby. He’s busy with something about Alexander Ovechkin and a voodoo doll.
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