Chicago came into game 2 of what for them would hopefully be the 2nd of 4 wins over the Canucks. That is the only way they can progress in this series and exactly where they have set their sights.
This game started with an early penalty on the Blackhawks off the first play. Crawford had the puck covered and Campbell decided to cross check Daniel Sedin, an easy call for the referee who was stood right next to the offending player.
Vancouver created a couple of scrambles off of this but no clear cut chance. All the early pressure was coming from the home team.
Chicago were given some restbite with Glass getting called for interference at 4.27 straight off an offensive zone face off. It was more than restbite as they took the chance to take the lead. Hossa scoring at 5.54, skating from inside his own blue line straight down the middle of the ice and wristing the puck gloveside and in. Luongo really should have saved that one.
Chicago made it 2-0 at 6.18, only 24 seconds after the opener. Keith rocketing a shot high to the blocker side of Luongo from the blue line. All the early Vancouver momentum drained in the blink of an eye.
Daniel Sedin took a hooking penalty at 7.27 to give the Blackhawks chance to extend their early advantage, but his team mates managed to withstand the Chicago pressure. Frolik took an interference penalty for Chicago as Sedin returned to the ice to give Vancouver their 2nd powerplay chance.
The chance was cut short as Edler took 2 minutes for holding after stopping Toews on a partial breakaway.
The Blackhawks got their 3rd goal on the ensuing shortened powerplay, Keith firing the puck from the Stanley cup logo and Kane getting the tip infront, the puck going high and in off the post stick side.
Luongo then made a massive save with around 3.30 left in the period, Sharp allowed to skate over the blue line and in one on one with the netminder. He waited and waited and went glove side, Luongo sticking with him and getting the glove up to knock down the puck.
The 2nd period started where the 1st ended, a Chicago player clean through on a breakaway. This time it was Hossa skating in sending a slap shot over the glove hand of Luongo. 1.26 of the 2nd and a 4-0 lead for the Blackhawks and Luongo pulled for Schneider after conceeding 4 goals on 12 shots.
Keith got his 2nd goal and 4th point at 4.47, sending a low slap shot from the top of the circle stick side on Schneider and Chicago had just continued from game 4. The Vancouver bench just looked shocked and drained of any energy.
Vancouver looked to their 4th line to try and get some of that energy back, both into the team and the crowd, Torres crashing his body around and taking out Ben Smith. He limped off down to the dressing room after a good hit as the fans started to make themselves heard again. Smith was fine to carry on and soon returned to the ice.
Bolland took 2 minutes for unsportsmanslike conduct at 13.49, slamming his stick against various boards around the rink after Hamhuis had pushed his head into the boards. Bolland had missed 17 games with a concussion and was right to feel Hamhuis should have had a penalty on the play and his feelings about it got him in trouble with the refs. Vancouver failed to score on this and the teams played out the rest of the period without further scoring.
Right on the period buzzer tempers flared up, every player on the ice teaming up and scuffling. The ref's soon had the situation under control though and once the ref's had worked out the penalties the 3rd was to start with 5 players on the ice for both teams.
Both teams came out in the 3rd knowing the game had already been won and that showed in the play. Hossa took a penalty at 6.37 to give Vancouver another chance to break Crawford's shut out bid but again they didn't get going and the crowd started to get unsettled again with their teams play.
Vancouver took a 4 minute minor, a high stick by Samuelsson at 10.22. No goals and no real chances were created on the extended powerplay and the 3rd period clock ticked down towards the end of the game.
Crawford made a couple of good saves coming into the last few minutes to preserve his 36 shot shut out
Against all odds Chicago have somehow managed to dig themselves out of a 3-0 hole and now head back into Chicago on Sunday with the chance of tying up the series 3-3. Not only have they won the last 2 games, they have obliterated the Canucks, beating them by 5 goals in both and scoring a total of 12.
Someone needs to find the Canucks and return them to Vancouver because they have certainly been missing since the end of game 3.
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