Blackhawks down
The Avalanche entered Saturday's game in Chicago riding a two game win streak, their latest a 2-1 shoot-out win over another top Western Conference team, the Minnesota Wild. With Chicago on a season high six game win streak the game was gonna be another tough one for Colorado.
The first period proved to be uneventful, the shots were 11-7 but neither squad could find the back of the net. Just one penalty called as both teams seemed afraid to make the first mistake.
In the second the visitors connected for two goals in alittle over seven minutes and a half minutes on tallies by Patrick Sharp(8th) at 6:52, assisted by Marian Hossa and David Desharnias and then Loui Eriksson(3rd) at 14:37 from Jaden Schwartz, Ryan Johansen. The Blackhawks did get ten shots on Jonathon Bernier in the Avs net but couldn't beat the 26 yr old tender. The Avs held a 25-17 shot advantage after 40 minutes.
An unlikely sniper got Chicago on the board in the third as fourth liner Nigel Dawes notched his first of the season at 4:59 off of a re-direction of a Trevor Daley slap shot from the blue line as Dawes set up a screen in front of Bernier. That score held up until 13:03 as Sharp powered between a pair of Hawk defenders to score his second of the night thanks to his two linemates, Hossa and Desharnias. Chicago did play with more desire in the third as they out-shot Colorado 9-6 but was for not as Jonathon Bernier finished the night with one more in the winner column as he stopped twenty-five shots for his seventh win of the year.
MOLSON'S THREE STARS;
1 - Patrick Sharp (Col)......... 2 goals, +2, 3 SOG
2 - Jonathan Bernier (Col)... allowed 1 goal on 26 shots
3 - Marian Hossa (Col)....... 2 assists, +2, 5 shots
NEXT UP:
On Sunday the Avalanche play host in the back half their home-and-home series against the Chicago Blackhawks. Colorado will try to extend their win streak to four and the 'Hawks win try to avenge their two goal loss to the Avs on Saturday. An interesting note from Saturdays game --- Neither David Krejci, leading point getter for Colorado or Mike Santorelli who is leading Chicago in scoring could find the scoresheet.
Reporting For The WCHL Network......
Peter Puck
Awesome article even if my guys fell down on the job! Thanks for the article on my boys!