Hawks get by Ducks in OT; Trade Deadline Today
Martin Havlat scored a great game winner in overtime last night as the Blackhawks beat the Ducks 3-2. After scoring two in the first and giving up two in the second, a scoreless third led to the extra period, where Havlat made a steal and held off a Ducks defender to score the winner.
Troy Brouwer scored first just over a minute into the game and Andrew Ladd finished up a pretty passing sequence with a goal from Havlat and Dave Bolland later in the first. Cristobal Huet was back in net and was great aside from a stretch of about two minutes in the second. Huet let in the first goal after he gave the puck away behind the net, and the second on a scramble where he looked like he walked into a spiderweb. Huet came back with some great saves in the third to keep the game tied up though, and stopped 26 of 28 shots for the game.
The win was great, but it’s the trade deadline that is on fans’ minds today. One guy that might have been moving if the Hawks weren’t having success is Havlat, but they can’t afford to give him up now and are actually working on an extension. This is huge, because Havlat was pretty much a flop with that contract he got to come to Chicago. This season, Havlat has taken a more active role defensively and seems to be more of the old Marty.
The main thing the Hawks seem to be out to get is a center. With a ton of young players to move (not those young players) there is virtually no one on the market that is untouchable. To me, the most important thing the Hawks need is some experience. A tough, experienced center would be ideal.
A few guys to keep an eye out for are Nik Antropov, Dominic Moore, Keith Tkachuk, and Olli Jokinen. Antropov and Moore are both with the Maple Leafs and both could move today. I think Antropov is a better fit as the Hawks could really use the size. Tkachuk probably stays in St. Louis from what I’ve read; maybe that’s because he’ll just end up back there again anyway. Jokinen is a very intriguing idea for the Blackhawks, as he has good size and is a great passer. That one could come down to how desperate Phoenix is to get young and how much the Hawks are willing to give up to get him.
It’s possible that Chicago tries to add that experience on the blue line instead of up front though. There are plenty of guys here that fit the needs of the Blackhawks. They simply want playoff experience, toughness, and leadership.
The deadline is at 3:00 PM eastern and we’ll let you know if the Hawks pull anything off.
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