Lalime brilliant in return

 

Michail Boncea (HV)

 

Chicago Blackhawks played with emotion and never let it give up the entire game. They were lead by Patrick Lalime who was called up from the minors to play his first NHL game since April 1st, 2006 and he not only played well but also got a shutout for his team. On paper the Blackhawks being 15 points behind the Canucks before the start of the game and as well knowing they can’t really make the playoffs this year should have been no match to Vancouver Canucks, yet they were not only a match but also won 3 – 0. The Blackhawks Star players showed up for the game and the Canucks Star players didn’t show up and in the end that was the difference. To be fair to the Canucks the only not empty net goal on Roberto Luongo was scored by Canucks own Kevin Bieksa and assisted by another fellow Canuck player Willie Mitchell. Other then letting his own team score on him Roberto Luongo was again his usual in the game and in many ways the only Canuck player on the ice in this game that played to win. It is because of him that the Canucks were fortunate to not be more goals down specially having 8 outnumbered rushes by the end of the second period.

 

Chicago Blackhawks Adrain Aucoin scored the first goal in second period at 16:14 unassisted. Chicago Blackhawks Radim Vrbata scored the second goal of the game in the third period at 19:04, the assists went to Martin Havlat and Duncan Keith. Chicago Blackhawks Martin Havlat scored the final goal of the game in the third period at 19:56 and the assist going to Radim Vrbata.

After the game during the post game interviews Chicago Blackhawks Head Coach Denis Savard said that his team is starting to believe in itself specially with the record of the last 4 games as well he told his players to take one period at a time since you never know and you go from there on. He went on to say he was pleased since his team leaders are taking over, his best players are playing well and he got a good performance from everyone.

The Vancouver Canucks Head Coach Alain Vigneault said that obviously, offensively, we were a lot sharper on Tuesday and then went on to say it’s very unfortunate, very disappointing we all expected better from ourselves. He then went on that he and his coaching staff didn’t underestimate the Chicago Blackhawks team but that being said the team didn’t generate the chances that they should have generated. Patrick Lalime said that the win is the most important thing for him and not the shut out and that they battled hard as a team, played well and they came out with the two points. Trevor Linden said that at times you don’t play as well as the score indicates and some times you don’t play as bad as the scores indicates. He went on to say that the previous night the Canucks got a great performance from Daniel Sedin and Henrik Sedin but tonight’s game was a tough loss for sure since he thought that the Canucks outplayed the Blackhawks. Markus Naslund said that while the Canucks outshoot the Blackhawks, at the needed time they didn’t play well enough and were not sharp enough when they got the chances.

 

 

Photo: Martin Lapointe from Chicago Black Hawks © Michail Boncea (HV)