Hawks rally for OT victory over Sharks

On the second half of a back-to-back, the Sharks went into Chicago. This was a special game as the Blackhawks honored Jeremy Roenick prior to the start of the game. The showed a nice little video segment, covering Roenick's various achievements as a player, both for the Blackhawks and later on, introduced him and his family. He then performed the ceremonial first face-off. Joe Thornton came over and said something to him before the festivities started. For some reason, rather than anyone who had been with the team last year, or one of the alternate captains, Manny Malhotra took the face off for the Sharks. When Roenick was asked who he would like it to be against, he picked the Sharks.

On to the game itself. Just over 4 minutes in, Brent Sopel opened the scoring with a slap shot through a screen. Evgeni Nabokov was handling the puck behind the net, but was rushed into a play. This ended up being collected by the Hawks Jordan Hendry, who fed Sopel at the right point. The Sharks answered before the period was up as Jason Demers pinched to keep the puck in, and fed Thornton. Thornton corralled the puck of his skate and passed to Dany Heatley at the top of the right face-off circle. Heatley wasted no time getting his shot away, past Christobal Huet. The first period would end with the score knotted at 1.

Chicago's Ben Eager took a costly extra penalty in his fight with Douglas Murray. Just over a minute into the second period, Thornton tried to put the puck in deep from the high slot. I'm not sure if he was trying to find the player in front or the left wing corner, but it was deflected by a Hawk right to Demers. Demers was able to convert for his first career NHL goal after putting up 11 assists. This gave San Jose a 2-1 lead. Just 45 seconds later, Patrick Marleau was able to come straight down the middle untouched and score. He either bobbled the puck as he came down low, or was able to get one shot away, then picked up his rebound. Either way, it's a Sharks goal, 2 in the first 2 minutes of the second. Just shy of the 8 minute mark, Patrick Kane beat his check coming down the slot and converted the backhand feed from Jonathon Toews. This was the start of the Hawks comeback with the score now 3-2 Sharks.

Next came a strange play. There was a shot at the net with Huet going down, his glove going into the net. Thornton behind the net started celebrating as did several other Sharks. The referee didn't signal goal, nor did the goal judge. No whistle, so play continued, then there was a whistle for no apparent reason. The call on the ice was no goal. It seemed like the referee behind the net wanted to kill the play to do the video review. However, that is supposed to happen at the next normal stoppage. The puck was in the Sharks' zone, with a man on it, but no reason to stop play. They do the video review. Watching the Sharks broadcast, they thought the puck was in, but the replays weren't that conclusive. Final call - no goal. The referee announces that the puck didn't cross the line, but I really think the video was inconclusive. Yes, I think it was a goal, but the overhead shot did not show the puck across the line. The only time I have ever seen that was one where they saw the puck go into the glove, then the glove go entirely behind the line. Otherwise, you have to see the puck over the line. Was it in Huet's glove behind the line? Or was it under the glove? The video didn't show, so they can't make the call. Instead of it going to 4-2 Sharks, it stayed 3-2. The faceoff was placed just outside the Hawks zone, as if the call had been for a disallowed goal (like a batted or kicked goal). This didn't agree with where the play seemed to be when it was stopped. Shortly afterward, the Sharks had another close chance as Patrick Marleau rang one off the post.

With just over a minute left in the middle stanza, the Sharks were guilty of puck watching and the Blackhawks capitalized, tying the contest at 3. Andrew Ladd carried the puck in on left wing, shot, bulled in further to follow up his own rebound with another shot. Ryane Clowe probably should have been covering John Madden, but was looking at the puck instead. Madden jumped in and popped in the second rebound.

The third period was scoreless, so into overtime we went. The Sharks got the puck into the Chicago zone early, but got caught with Thornton and Marleau on the same side of the ice. This left the left defenseman uncovered as Chicago rushed up ice. As they scrambled to get back, they never really sorted out their coverage. After everybody got back, there were three Sharks down low against two Hawks. As the Sharks started to contest for the puck, and looked like they might have it, Thornton spun off into the right wing corner all alone. Even as Boyle was being pressured hard by Toews, Thornton continued his slow circle. When Toews worked the puck loose, Brent Seabrook came in from his point, took the pass from Toews, and converted the OT winner. Sorry Joe, but on this play, you were guarding air.

The Hawks did pick up and carry the play in the second half of the game, so they did deserve the win more than the Sharks did. Maybe the Sharks were out of gas that late in the second game in two nights, this one an hour earlier than the previous one.

I am wondering if head coach Todd McLellan will look back and again wonder about his usage of the fourth line. Brad Staubitz didn't take a shift in the third period, Logan Couture took two shifts, and Jamie McGinn took four. Had they had more ice time, that could have kept the other three lines fresh. If he's not playing Staubitz because he doesn't trust him, it's time to give Staubitz a ticket to Worchester.

Here's the highlights: