Andrew Ladd
Blackhawks Seize 2-0 Advantage over Sharks in Western Conference Finals
Wednesday, May 19th, 2010 | Chicago Blackhawks, NHL, San Jose Sharks, Sports | No Comments
They are a team of destiny. Riding an unbelievable road winning streak, the Blackhawks beat the Sharks 4-2 at the Shark Tank on Tuesday night and took a 2-0 lead in the Western Conference Finals. It was the 7th straight road playoff win for the Hawks – tying an NHL record. Only the 1999 Colorado Avalanche, the 1995 New Jersey Devils and the 1980 and 1982 New York Islanders have had similar 7-game road winning streaks in a single post-season.
The Blackhawks raced out to 1 3-0 lead midway through the 2nd period. Andrew Ladd got the Hawks on the scoreboard first with a 1st period goal. Then, Dustin Byfuglien and Jonathan Toews each scored on deflections in front of the net just 1:30 apart in the 2nd period to give the Hawks the 3-0 advantage. And although the Sharks answered with a goal of their own in the 2nd period to cut the lead to 3-1, Antti Niemi and the Hawks defense stayed focused the rest of the way as the Hawks still held a 2-goal lead entering the final frame. When Troy Brouwer scored off some nifty passes by Niklas Hjalmarsson and Marian Hossa to give the Hawks a 4-1 lead with only 13+ minutes left in the game, you had a feeling this one was over.
After the teams combined for 95 shots in Game 1, as we predicted, it was a much more controlled game for both squads in Game 2. The Sharks still outshot the Hawks at home (27-22), but they managed just 7 shots on goal in the final frame. Niemi put forth another incredible effort making 25 saves against the #1 seeded Sharks in their home arena.
The Hawks are playing with a ton of confidence. You can see it in their effort on the ice and in their post-game comments.
Defenseman Duncan Kieth was amazed that the Hawks won both games in San Jose — “It’s a good start. To come into this building, a tough building to come into, and to get two wins is good. At the same time as a team we realize that there’s still a lot of hockey left to be played.”
Star forward Patrick Kane loves the team’s comraderie on the road — “The way we’ve been playing on the road, it just seems like everything has gone right for us. Sometimes you get on the road, it’s just a simpler attitude. We’ve had a lot of fun with bonding in the hotel and different things. Sometimes you do that, it’s almost like you’re clicking before you’re even on the ice.”
And Head Coach Joel Quenneville credits his staff and team for being to stick to the game plan on the road – “I like our approach. I think our focus is in the right areas. The guys are sticking together off the ice, come prepared for games, playing a simpler game than we’ve probably seen at home.”
The series continues on Friday night at the United Center in Chicago. The Hawks have played much better on the road than at home – they are just 3-3 at home – so the Sharks still have a chance to make this a series. If the Hawks won on Friday night, the would be able to complete the sweep on Sunday afternoon in front of their home town crowd at the UC.
Blackhawks Just Keep on Winning
Saturday, December 19th, 2009 | Chicago Blackhawks, NHL, Sports | No Comments
The Chicago Blackhawks defeated the Boston Bruins in a shootout on Friday night at the United Center. That makes it 14 wins in 18 games for the Central Division leader of the Western Conference. The Blackhawks are 15-3-1 on home ice and have an overall record of 22-8-3. Their 47 points are tied for most in the Western Conference with the San Jose Sharks and the Los Angeles Kings.
Kris Versteeg, Patrick Sharp, Jonathan Toews and Andrew Ladd scored the Blackhawk goals in regulation. Toews and Patrick Kane scored the 2 shootout goals, while goalie Antti Niemi stopped both shots in the shootout to record the win. The Blackhawks outshot the Bruins 44-29 and continued their dominance in the zone.
It has been a remarkable year so far for the Blackhawks. They take on bitter division rival Detroit Red Wings on Sunday and then the Sharks on Tuesday night. Should be fun.
Blackhawks Start Circus Road Trip Off with a Bang
Friday, November 20th, 2009 | Chicago Blackhawks, NHL, Sports | 1 Comment
WOW – staring a difficult 6-game road trip to Canada and the west coast, the Blackhawks didn’t waste any time sending a message to the rest of the Western Conference. The Blackhawks could’ve gotten down after Olli Jokinen’s power play goal just 14 seconds into the 2nd period tied the game at 1. Instead, the Blackhawks used that lapse to motivate them, and the offensive unit exploded for 5 2nd period goals igniting a route of the Calgary Flames on their home ice. Kris Versteeg scored his 5th and 6th goals in the period. Dustin Byfuglien, Andrew Ladd and Patrick Kane scored the 3 goals in between Versteeg’s goals. Before the Flames knew it, the game was over.
Cristobal Huet maintained his hot goal-tending, saving 27 of 28 shots on goal.
The Blackhawks now have 28 points, tied for 3rd most in the Western Conference. They have now won 5 games in a row, and it’s off to Edmonton and Vancouver for back-to-back games over the weekend…
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