Bruins win test over Hawks in shootout
It was hard to tell who was measuring whom Saturday night at the United Center.
After facing non-playoff teams in their first three games, the Blackhawks were eager to find out how they stacked up against Boston Bruins.
Meanwhile, the defending Stanley Cup champs were hoping that playing an elite opponent such as the Hawks would help them snap out of their 1-3 start.
It all resulted in a high tempo, highly entertaining game that found the Bruins come from behind in the third period to tie it, then win 3-2 in a shootout.
“We needed it bad,” Bruins goalie Tim Thomas said. “A 1-3 start, this puts it at 2-3. It’s a big difference between 2-3 and 1-4.”
While the Hawks got 1 point, it was the 1 that got away that bothered coach Joel Quenneville as he watched Boston’s Nathan Horton score the tying goal with 12:04 to play in regulation.
“Certainly you’ve got the lead in the third period,” Quenneville said. “We did some good things up to that point, and I thought we lost the momentum of the game even though we’ve still got the lead in the third. We don’t have to give them anything, but we did.”
Horton’s tying goal was the result of Bruins defenseman Johnny Boychuk chasing down his own dump-in before Hawks defensemen Nick Leddy and Duncan Keith could get the puck. There also was a turnover in the neutral zone by Jonathan Toews before that.
“We’ve got to get that puck,” Quenneville said. “It should be our puck. We don’t have to go back with it to give it to them either though.”
The Hawks got lucky midway through overtime when Rich Peverley missed the net on a breakaway, then the shootout was all Bruins.
Thomas stopped Toews, Patrick Kane and Patrick Sharp, while Corey Crawford was beaten by Tyler Seguin on the first attempt.
Both goalies were sharp, with Thomas making 35 saves and Crawford 27.
“He’s the best goalie in the league,” Crawford said of Thomas, who won the Stanley Cup, Conn Smythe Trophy and Vezina Trophy last season.
“I thought we might have been able to have 2 more on him, but he made some unbelievable saves tonight, and he outplayed me in the shootout there.”
Not only were the Hawks 0-for-3 on the power play, they let Boston’s Chris Kelly score short-handed 1:33 into the second period to make it 1-1. Brent Seabrook had a shot blocked, and the Bruins went the other way on a 2-on-1 against Keith.
“I didn’t really see what happened and all of a sudden there’s a 2-on-1,” Keith said. “I think I could do a better job playing that 2-on-1.”
The Hawks led 1-0 after a great first period on Bryan Bickell’s goal at 16:21 on a Andrew Ference turnover forced by Dave Bolland.
“It was an amazing pace that first period,” Quenneville said. “It was the best period we’ve been involved with all year. Both teams were dangerous. Both goalies had to be sharp in that first period and both goalies were tested all game.”
tsassone@dailyherald.com