Van Riemsdyk's big goal sparks Blackhawks
A "3-D" show, which didn't require wacky glasses, provided offense-deprived Blackhawks fans an unexpected treat in the opening period.
And while a rerun of the Blackhawks' previous home game nearly developed, there was a happy ending after all Sunday night at the United Center.
With rookie defenseman Trevor Van Riemsdyk starring along side a two-time Norris Trophy winner for the first time in his 15-game NHL career, the Blackhawks defeated San Jose 5-2, snapping a three-game, home-ice losing streak in which they scored just a pair of goals.
The 23-year-old van Riemsdyk was named the game's No. 1 star, as the Blackhawks bounced back from their ugly loss to visiting Washington on Friday, when they squandered a 2-goal lead.
Van Riemsdyk and fellow D-men Brent Seabrook and Niklas Hjalmarsson all scored in the first period as the home team built a 3-0 advantage.
Coach Joel Quenneville opened the game with van Riemsdyk paired with Duncan Keith for the first time this season.
"I don't have to tell him much," Keith said of van Riemsdyk. "We talked a little bit out there on the ice, but he's a great player and very poised for his age. He's played great since Day One, and he's easy to play with."
Van Riemsdyk didn't find out he'd be skating alongside Keith until Sunday.
"It's a treat to play with one of the best defenseman in the world, that's for sure," said van Riemsdyk, who remembered playing with Keith for the first time during a training-camp scrimmage at Notre Dame.
Van Riemsdyk earned his first NHL point when he one-timed a slap shot past the glove of former Blackhawks goalie Antti Niemi after a Jonathan Toews faceoff win with eight minutes left in the opening period. Kris Versteeg created traffic.
"I didn't even see it (go in)," a smiling van Riemsdyk said. "I thought I heard it hit something before it went into the back of the net. I was just happy even if I got an assist on it to break the zeros I had across the board for points.
"It was a pretty special moment."
Seabrook, who started the game skating with David Rundblad as the Blackhawks' No. 3 defense pairing, finished a Brad Richards pass 2:10.
"You talk about one-timers and people going to the net," Quenneville said. "The first 2 goals were exactly that."
Just 24 seconds after Seabrook's third goal of the season, Marian Hossa found Hjalmarsson, whose wrister beat Niemi to the stick side for his first goal and a 3-0 lead.
Joe Pavelski's redirect got San Jose on the board before the end of the period.
The Blackhawks entered the game boasting the NHL's best penalty-kill unit (92.9 percent).
But the Sharks took advantage of a four-minute high-sticking penalty to Andrew Shaw, as Joe Thornton fed Pavelski at the 4:51 mark of the second period.
Corey Crawford's 12-save period included a breakaway stop on rookie winger Barclay Goodrow.
Crawford made 32 saves. Bryan Bickell's late-third period goal and Toews' empty-netter finished the scoring.
With Keith and Johnny Oduya picking up assists, five of the Blackhawks' six defensemen made the score sheet.
"Tonight was a good win," Keith said. "We grabbed the momentum in the first and then lost it in the second, but I think the best thing about it was we were able fight through that and gain the momentum back."