ST. LOUIS, MO -- That game had me biting my nails like crazy last night. And I don't often chew on my nails at all.
It didn't help that the game was a 9:30pm EST start, and I feared from the start that the game would go into OT. If only I'd known.
I thought the Blackhawks played some damn good hockey last night. The defense finally looked good and they managed to kill four penalties. The Hawks couldn't seem to capitalize on any of their power plays, but to be fair, Elliot is like a damn brick wall. Crawford was, too. Last night was a battle of the goalies, honestly.
I thought the Blackhawks did have a lot of good opportunities to score, and yes, as usual, I would have loved for them to shoot the puck more. For some reason, they seemed to pass it a lot last night. The passes were often complete, but nothing came of them.
As far as stellar players, I thought Toews played incredibly last night. Ladd did as well, despite his distraction earlier in the day (congrats to him and his wife!). The top line accounted for most of the SOG, which was incredibly impressive. 35 shots to St. Louis' 18 is pretty impressive as well. I think they're going to kick it into gear on Friday and maybe rip the Blues a new one.
I was pleased with how little fighting there was. It was clear from the get-go that the Blues were going to play physically, but the Blackhawks luckily were able to keep their cool and just play hockey. I'm sorry, Blues, but you're not going to win the series with hits. Or, luck, for that matter.
The goal in OT was a fluke. And, I'm not saying that because I'm biased--it literally went off of van Riemsdyk's skate. It wasn't anything incredible or jaw-dropping. Just frustrating.
But, like I said about their hits, the Blues can't expect to win with just sheer luck. Not against a team that's seasoned in the playoffs. And, the Hawks did play exceptionally well last night. St. Louis had a lot of chances to make plays, but the Blackhawks took them back down the ice and forced them to defend.
I think this series very well could go to Game 7. I think most of us would prefer for it not to, but these two teams are pretty evenly matched. Last night felt like a Stanley Cup Finals game.
But, the Hawks have a lot on their side going into Friday's game. Duncan Keith is coming back from his six-game suspension, and won't mess around with the Blues' physicality. He won't take it. Crawford was great last night, and I have complete faith that he'll be just as good on Friday night. I think the Blackhawks are frustrated more than anything with the loss last night, so they might be a little angry, too.
I think they've got a lot of things in their favor, so it'll be really interesting to see how the rest of the series plays out.
The Blackhawks stay in St. Louis Friday night, and the puck drops at 8pm. The game will be aired on NBCSN.
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