‘Space cadet’ Sharp caps four unforgettable days
Those were four days Patrick Sharp is never going to forget.
Sharp followed up Thursday’s winning goal in overtime on Long Island with another one Sunday night, swatting home a Marian Hossa rebound with 34 seconds left in overtime to give the Blackhawks a 3-2 victory over the San Jose Sharks at the United Center.
Oh, yeah, sandwiched between his overtime goals, Sharp became a father for the first time Friday when his daughter was born.
“I’m sure he would agree that he’s probably running on fumes from the last couple days,” Jonathan Toews said.
“I was spacey all day and in the game,” Sharp said. “I was a space cadet for the whole game then was able to bounce one in at the end there.”
The Hawks won despite trailing for most of the game and allowing 33 shots through the first two periods.
But they outshot the Sharks 16-3 in the third period and got the tying goal with 1:06 to play when Andrew Brunette redirected a shot by Hossa past Sharks goalie Antti Niemi.
Hawks coach Joel Quenneville and assistant Mike Haviland drew up the play on the tying goal during a timeout prior to the faceoff to Niemi’s right.
Toews beat Joe Pavelski on the draw, getting the puck to Hossa at the right point.
“It was a set play and my role was to go to the net and we got it through,” Brunette said.
Of course, the play doesn’t work unless Toews wins the draw, but that’s usually not a problem. The Hawks’ captain leads the NHL in winning faceoffs and was 14-9 for the game.
“We like Tazer in the draw against anybody,” Quenneville said. “They’re arguably the best team in the league on faceoffs and we’re up there, and Johnny’s the reason why. It worked out perfectly with the traffic at the net with the finish, and the puck got through. Johnny’s been excellent on draws all year.”
The Hawks could have been run out of the building in the first two periods if not for goalie Ray Emery, who made 31 of his 35 saves during the scrambly opening 40 minutes.
“He made some big stops and kept us in that one,” Toews said.
Emery has won his last three starts and is 6-1-2 for the season. Now the question is will Quenneville stick with his backup for Wednesday’s showdown with Western Conference-leading Minnesota.
“I thought Ray was great tonight. He was huge,” Quenneville said. “They put everything at the net, including bodies, and he was fighting through it all.”
Sharp still didn’t know after the game how his winner got past Niemi, who appeared to knock it in his his own skate. Sharp out-battled defenseman Brent Burns to get something of his on Hossa’s big slap shot.
“I know it hit me in the arm, the pants, the hand, the foot — I was just trying to shovel it in some way,” Sharp said.
The OT goal was perfect revenge for San Jose’s Ryan Clowe throwing six punches at Hossa and Duncan Keith at the end of regulation without getting a penalty.
“I just turned around and told him don’t be a coward hitting from behind,” Hossa said.