Shaw was taken by the Blackhawks in the fifth round on the 2011 NHL Entry Draft out of the Ontario Hockey League. He made his NHL debut during the 2013 lockout-shortened season. That season, he scored nine goals and recorded six assists during the regular season. In the playoffs, he recorded five goals and four assists en route to his first Stanley Cup championship.

No goal was bigger than his game-winner in the Stanley Cup Final of 2013. Nicknamed “The Mutt,” he coined the phrase “shin pads”  after that goal.

Shaw was always looking for ways to score goals in the crease. He also showed off his soccer skills in one of the coolest non-goals of all time.

Over his 10-year career, Shaw appeared in 544 games between Chicago and Montreal. He finished with 116 goals, 247 points and 573 penalty minutes. The two-time Stanley Cup champion will long be remembered in Chicago for his heroics during the 2013 and 2015 championship runs.

The Rink wishes Shaw health and happiness in the next phase of his life.

The post Andrew Shaw announces his retirement appeared first on The Rink.

Blackhawks team physician Dr. Michael Terry announced that forwards Andrew Shaw and Zack Smith will miss the remainder of the season. Shaw has been out because of concussion protocol and Smith, who had been out of the lineup with a lacerated hand, will also undergo back surgery on March 6, 2020.

Forward Brandon Hagel was recalled to the Blackhawks on an emergency basis, Saturday (photograph courtesy of Chicago Blackhawks)

In a corresponding move, Blackhawks recall forward Brandon Hagel from the Rockford IceHogs on an emergency basis. Hagel has 30 points (19 goals, 11 assists) in 55 games with Rockford, this season. His 19 goals are first among Rockford players and his 30 points are third on the team.

(Ed. note – Hagel was later sent back to Rockford)

The Blackhawks play at Florida tonight at 5 p.m. That game can be seen on NBC Sports Chicago and heard on WGN Radio.

The post Blackhawks recall Hagel, shut down Shaw and Smith appeared first on The Rink.

Jeremy Colliton went with Robin Lehner again in net for tonight’s matchup. The lineup remained the same as well. The lines and pairings were as follows:

Brandon Saad — Jonathan Toews — Alexander Nylander

Alex DeBrincat — Dylan Strome — Patrick Kane

Dominik Kubalik — David Kampf — Kirby Dach

Drake Caggiula — Ryan Carpenter — Andrew Shaw

Duncan Keith — Adam Boqvist

Calvin de Haan — Brent Seabrook

Olli Maatta — Erik Gustafsson

First period

The Blackhawks struggled to gain any momentum in the offensive zone in the opening period, which is a consistent theme. San Jose had too many rushes up the ice, but Chicago defended them fairly well and Robin Lehner bailed them out when he had to.

About halfway through the period, Noah Gregor was called for hooking and the Blackhawks went on the power play. Once again, they had trouble sustaining time in the zone and the Sharks cleared the puck repeatedly. Both units only recorded on shot in total on that man advantage.

Chicago found themselves chasing after the puck for the remainder of the period, and that caused them to get into some penalty trouble. Duncan Keith was called for hooking with just over two minutes left. Robin Lehner made a few great saves, but the pressure continued to overwhelm the Blackhawks as Brandon Saad sat for hooking with 33 seconds left in the period. Luckily, they killed off what they needed to in order to leave the period unscathed.

The Sharks dominated the Blackhawks in shots on goal 14-3, reflective of what was a dominant possession period for the home team.

Second period

More of the same transferred over from the first 20 minutes to the beginning of the second. Shortly after Chicago killed the two penalties, every player watched as the puck moved freely in San Jose’s zone. Joe Thornton slipped a pass to Timo Meier, who spun and simply threw the puck on net. Patrick Marleau was left all alone to the right of Lehner with Brent Seabrook directly behind him, and he directed the shot into the net to give the Sharks the lead just 1:39 into the period.

How does Patrick Marleau celebrate a milestone? He scores a goal, of course. #SJSharks pic.twitter.com/6uSCoZRH4J

— San Jose Sharks (@SanJoseSharks) November 6, 2019

After going without a shot for the last 15 minutes of the game, the Blackhawks finally recorded their first shot on goal of the second period with 8:47 left. Patrick Kane took advantage of a chance to shoot the puck off a rare defensive breakdown by the Sharks in this game. That would only be their fourth shot of the game up until that point.

San Jose had chance after chance, while the Blackhawks had only recorded one shot in the middle frame. It looked like they would get some more offensive opportunities with a power play, but nothing was clicking. Sharks defenseman Brenden Dillon cleared the puck around the boards and it hopped right over Adam Boqvist’s stick at the blueline. Evander Kane was able to get a step on him and Dominik Kubalik and shoot right through Lehner’s five hole for the shorthanded goal.

The Blackhawks finally maintained a bit of pressure after that goal, but Martin Jones stopped everything that was thrown his way. San Jose led the visitors 2-0 in goals and 26-8 in shots on goal through 40 minutes of play.

Third period

Once again, the Blackhawks failed to start on time at the beginning of the period. They sat back on too many of San Jose’s plays and were reluctant to find their way into the offensive zone, playing the dump and chase game.

That cost them just under five minutes into the third frame. After Robin Lehner played the puck towards the boards for Chicago to clear out, the Sharks went to work down low. Tomas Hertl skated around behind the goal while holding onto the puck and Duncan Keith right on his tail, slashing away at the puck to try and set it free. Hertl kept possession, eventually maneuvering to the faceoff dot to the right of Lehner and simply throwing the puck on net. It slipped right through a hole on Lehner’s glove side and put the Sharks up 3-0.

Andrew Shaw then committed a penalty, high-sticking on Erik Karlsson, which the Blackhawks killed off with some good defensive work. Chicago got another power play chance of their own when Patrick Kane was high-sticked, but nothing seemed to be working on either unit.

In the last seven minutes or so, the Blackhawks began a push for more scoring chances, something they lacked for the first 50 minutes of the game. All of this pressure paid off when they had a solid defensive zone exit and a smooth entry into the offensive zone. A few great passes between Brandon Saad, Jonathan Toews, and Andrew Shaw led to some open ice. Shaw sent a cross-ice pass to Toews while Saad drove toward the net and redirected the puck home off Toews’ pass, cutting the Sharks lead to 3-1.

Just over a minute later, the Blackhawks opted for six skaters on the ice and the net empty. Jonathan Toews won a faceoff against Logan Couture and passed back to Duncan Keith. Patrick Kane exchanged two quick passes with Keith, who looked for a lane and took a chance with a slapshot. It found its way through bodies in front of Martin Jones and into the back of the net. All of a sudden the Blackhawks were a goal away from tying the game.

Duncan Keith with a slapper! pic.twitter.com/CJbfh6IsZp

— Blackhawks Talk (@NBCSBlackhawks) November 6, 2019

But all hopes of a comeback were short-lived when Timo Meier wristed a shot into the empty net to give the Sharks some cushion thirty seconds later, extending their lead to 4-2. Even though the Blackhawks outshot the Sharks 13-6 in the final 20 minutes, it wasn’t enough of a push to get at least a point. Final shots on goal were 32-21 in favor of San Jose.

Pluses

• The penalty kill continues to be one of the biggest bright spots for the Blackhawks. They went 3-for-3 on the PK in this outing, and killed 15 out of 16 on the four-game road trip. For a team that seems to have a lot of defensive issues, it’s great to see one thing working right for them, even if the best penalty killers are the goalies more often than not.

Minuses

• When this team is off their game, it’s not even by a little bit. They’re either on or off, nothing in between. This game showcased just that, as they only had eight shots and 17 shot attempts through the first two periods of the game. The Blackhawks did push back a bit in the third period, but that’s not enough. They need to consistently play a full 60 minutes night in and night out if they seriously want a chance at winning hockey games.
• After a good game in Anaheim on Sunday, the top six went completely missing in this matchup, outside of Brandon Saad’s goal. In fact, only the fourth line of Caggiula-Carpenter-Shaw posted positive possession numbers, and it was easy to spot with the eye test, too. They have to be better than that, and they all know it.

The Blackhawks will return home on Thursday night to take on the Vancouver Canucks. Puck dropped is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. CST.

The post RECAP: Blackhawks break down, fall to Sharks 4-2 appeared first on The Rink.

The only major change to the line combinations was the insertion of Slater Koekkoek for Connor Murphy on defense. 

DeBrincat — Toews — Caggiula

Shaw — Strome — Kane

Saad — Kampf — Kubalik

Smith — Carpenter — Nylander

Keith — de Haan

Maatta — Seabrook

Koekkoek — Gustafsson

Lehner

First period

The first period started off pretty well for the home team. The Blackhawks were flying around early, and two excellent scoring chances for Dominik Kubalik and Andrew Shaw came via cross-ice passes from Brandon Saad and Jonathan Toews. 

Just over six minutes into the period, it appeared the Flyers took the early lead after an excellent tip from Kevin Hayes, who beat Robin Lehner five hole. However, excellent eyes from the Chicago video coaches spotted Hayes offsides before the puck entered the zone. After official review, the goal was deemed no good and the score remained deadlocked at 0–0.

Unfortunately not long after the no goal, the Blackhawks were caught in a bad situation after a pinch by Duncan Keith. The puck was poked ahead by Travis Konecny and created a two-on-one. The play could have easily been a free breakaway for the two Flyers’ forwards if not for Calvin de Haan’s hustle. Once de Haan committed to Konecny, Konecny found Oskar Lindblom wide open and he put the puck top shelf to give the Flyers the 1–0 lead.

Top cheese and no review necessary. #PHIvsCHI | #FlyOrDie pic.twitter.com/DFcGTdO0fK

— Philadelphia Flyers (@NHLFlyers) October 25, 2019

Late in the period, the Toews line had arguably the best passing sequence this team has had all season, but unfortunately an Alex DeBrincat one-timer from the slot was denied by Brian Elliott. 

The Blackhawks entered the first intermission down 1–0 to the Flyers despite outshooting the Flyers 7–5 in the opening frame.

Second period

The beginning of the middle frame did not start well for the Blackhawks. Not even a minute in, Travis Sanhiem setup Claude Giroux in front of Lehner and the elite goal scorer quickly put the Flyers up 2–0 early on a redirect.

G breaks through. #PHIvsCHI | #FlyOrDie pic.twitter.com/IO1aJhk7i5

— Philadelphia Flyers (@NHLFlyers) October 25, 2019

The best chance for the Blackhawks in the early portion of the period was generated by the Kampf line, which has undoubtedly been the best line of the season. Kubalik charged up the ice and found Saad crashing the net. Unfortunately, Saad’s shot went wide and the opportunity was wasted. 

The Blackhawks’ power play was certainly still a huge problem during the second period. The Blackhawks could not get anything going with the man advantage, allowing the Flyers to hang on to their two-goal lead.

Chicago entered the second intermission only registering one shot on net the entire period. The Blackhawks offense reverted to their ways the fans witnessed in the first few games this season. The Flyers completely dominated the period and left the Blackhawks in a bad spot entering the third period.

Third period

The third period began surprisingly well for the Blackhawks. The team had tons of momentum coming out of the intermission and finally found a sense of urgency. That exact energy led to the Blackhawks being rewarded.

Just a minute into the period, Andrew Shaw was on the left wing and received the puck after Kirby Dach won a board battle at center ice. Shaw found an open Saad at the blue line for an excellent opportunity. Saad was in all alone against Elliott and, with a nifty backhand-forehand move, Saad found the back of the net to cut the Flyers’ lead in half at 2–1.

Kneel before Saad! @NHLBlackhawks are on the board! #AuthenticFan pic.twitter.com/TxEKDT8fvd

— Blackhawks Talk (@NBCSBlackhawks) October 25, 2019

However, the Flyers responded. Four minutes later, Hayes found himself on a breakaway after beating Brent Seabrook up ice. Hayes buried the puck behind Lehner and once again gave the Flyers a two-goal lead at 3–1. The play was a tough break for the Blackhawks as they looked to regain momentum.

RARE TONIGHT: A Philly goal that *wasn’t* overturned. #PHIvsCHI | #FlyOrDie pic.twitter.com/4Vaau0cYIk

— Philadelphia Flyers (@NHLFlyers) October 25, 2019

Two minutes later, it appeared that Joel Farabee registered the first goal of his young career. However, the Blackhawks challenged again. For the second time in this game, Hayes was offside on a potential goal for the Flyers. The lead remained at two for the visitors.

The Blackhawks finally found some momentum and were controlling play for most of the period. However, with just over three minutes remaining, Erik Gustafsson turned the puck over in the defensive zone and it ended up on the stick of James Van Riemsdyk. Van Riemsdyk found himself on a breakaway and completely fooled Lehner with a nifty move to give the Flyers the 4–1 lead late in the third.

He’s back. #PHIvsCHI | #FlyOrDie pic.twitter.com/ioYJRQQEEt

— Philadelphia Flyers (@NHLFlyers) October 25, 2019

The Blackhawks were unable to generate anything else the remainder of the period, and ultimately fell to the Flyers by a 4–1 final. 

Quick hits

• Where is the energy? The Blackhawks simply did not show up in the first two periods. They look lazy, tired and pathetic. Eight shots on goal through two periods is not a recipe for winning hockey games in the NHL. They finally showed up in the third period, but it was too late.
• Saadfather: Brandon Saad continues to look like one of the best players night in and night out. He is playing with that same energy and relentlessness that made a deadly force before being traded to Columbus. Now in his third season since returning from Columbus, he is finally starting to look like his old self. He could be on pace for a career year if his play remains at this level. It also does not hurt that the only goal of the night came via Saad and it was a beauty.
• Missing the Murph: It is interesting to say, but the Blackhawks miss Connor Murphy on the back end. John Dietz tweeted the Blackhawks’ goals against average with and without Murphy. It is 4.4 to 2.2, respectively. That is a big difference and it especially helps that he and Duncan Keith had become a formidable top pair. Now, the depth is not as strong with Calvin de Haan playing on the top pairing.

The Blackhawks will fly to Raleigh, North Carolina, to face the Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday. The game will be the first of back-to-back games for the Blackhawks. Puck drop is scheduled for 12 p.m. CDT.

The post RECAP: Blackhawks refuse to show up, lose to Flyers 4–1 appeared first on The Rink.

The Blackhawks entered Monday’s contest still searching for their first victory of the season. Chicago looked poised to beat Winnipeg after taking a 2–0 lead early in Saturday’s game, but ultimately fell short of their first win. Instead, the Blackhawks looked to beat one of the two remaining unbeaten teams in the NHL.

The Blackhawks experienced a heavy line shakeup ahead of Saturday’s contest. The lines set for Monday were as follows:

DeBrincat – Toews – Caggiula

Shaw – Strome – Kane

Saad – Kampf – Kubalik

Smith – Carpenter – Nylander

Keith – Gustafsson

Maatta – Seabrook

de Haan – Murphy

Crawford

Despite a good game from Robin Lehner on Saturday, the Blackhawks opted to go with the veteran Corey Crawford against the league’s top team on Monday night.

First period

The first period started well for the Blackhawks. Not even 15 seconds into the period, Dominik Kubalik fired an absolute rocket at Mike Smith for the game’s first solid chance. 

Despite the fast start for the Blackhawks, not much happened in the period. The Blackhawks managed to fire 10 pucks at Mike Smith in the first compared to the Oilers’ 12. A notable stat from the first period was the Blackhawks’ penalty kill keeping the league’s second-best power play off the scoresheet early. 

The Oilers came up empty on their two power plays in the first period, but Edmonton almost took the lead on the power play after drawing iron on the man advantage. 

However, the post proved to be Crawford’s best friend and ultimately kept the game scoreless through the first period. The Blackhawks not only lost the shots on goal battle in the opening frame, but also were losing in the face off dot with Edmonton winning 56% of the draws. 

Second period

The Blackhawks came out of the first intermission with a sense of purpose, admittedly something they lacked in the last three games. After some pressure early from the Blackhawks, they were rewarded.

Just after the four-minute mark in the period, the Blackhawks and Oilers lined up to Smith’s right for a face off in the Edmonton zone. Dylan Strome won a critical faceoff after a bit of a scrum for the puck. After Strome gained possession, he found Patrick Kane, who had yet to move from his starting position, and Kane buried the puck past Smith after a little backhand-forehand motion.

Patrick Kane (@88PKane) isn't even a center and he owns the face-off dot. pic.twitter.com/DXSSUVsAA7

— NHL (@NHL) October 15, 2019

Not long after, Andrew Shaw set the tone for the period. After defenseman Joel Persson was mesmerized by Kane behind the net, he did not see Shaw coming from his weak side. Shaw delivered a clean, hard hit to Persson, knocking him straight to the ice. Persson’s teammates did not like the Shaw hit and took exception. Ultimately, Jujhar Khaira took a roughing penalty for going after Shaw.

BRUH pic.twitter.com/5ldfitthC4

— Blackhawks Talk (@NBCSBlackhawks) October 15, 2019

Despite the power play opportunity, the Blackhawks could not capitalize, keeping the score dormant at 1–0. 

Both teams traded power plays for much of the remainder of the period. With about four minutes left in the period, Brandon Saad nearly had a beautiful goal after he danced around an Edmonton defender. Saad took the puck hard to the net after gaining the inside on an Oiler defender, but ultimately hit the post. The goal would have been highlight-reel material for the power forward.

With just under three minutes remaining, the Oilers looked like they tied the game. Despite the optimistic call, the goal was waived off for goaltender interference. Connor McDavid had speed around Connor Murphy and took the puck to the net. Crawford stopped the initial bid, but McDavid continued into Crawford, causing the puck to cross the line, therefore resulting in the no-goal call.

Chicago was able to take their lead into the second intermission. The Blackhawks looked much better in the second period for the first time in this young 2019–20 season. 

NBC Sports Chicago broadcaster Pat Boyle mentioned at the end of the period that Jeremy Colliton challenged his team to be better in the middle frame and it is safe to confidently say they did just that. A 17-shot period for the Blackhawks gave them the 27–18 shots on goal advantage.

Third period

The Blackhawks brought the same energy out in the third period as they did in the second. The Blackhawks’ defense was all over the Oilers early. 

Just under seven minutes into the period, the Blackhawks’ effort paid off. The fourth line was out on the ice against McDavid and young Alexander Nylander made an excellent play against the Edmonton superstar. 

As McDavid went to bring the puck up the ice, Nylander was there to take away the puck from McDavid. Ryan Carpenter pushed the puck up the ice and Nylander was all over it. He gained possession just to the left of Smith and hesitated slightly to get Smith out of position. Nylander made Smith pay, and wired a beautiful shot past the goaltender to give the Blackhawks a 2–0 lead.

Five hole and goal! #Blackhawks pic.twitter.com/i8BliaweuM

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) October 15, 2019

Quickly following the goal, the Blackhawks were sent to the power play after a poor offensive zone penalty by Khaira. However, the Blackhawks were unable to capitalize.

With 8:45 remaining in the period, Strome had an excellent opportunity in front of Edmonton’s crease. As the second line dominated possession in the Edmonton zone, Shaw was able to get the puck to Kane behind the net, as Kane slid the puck away from the scrum and finessed it out in front. Strome had an opportunity after a Kane pass, but Smith beat Strome with an excellent save to keep the deficit at two for the Oilers.

The period was a chippy one, as Calvin de Haan and McDavid exchanged pleasantries after a solid check by de Haan.

No love at all rn pic.twitter.com/XIDDQthFnK

— Blackhawks Talk (@NBCSBlackhawks) October 15, 2019

With just over two minutes remaining, the Oilers were able to take advantage of a six-on-four power play. James Neal scored his eighth goal of the young season for the Oilers after a nice pass from Ryan Nugent-Hopkins to find him back door. 

It's Real Deal James Neal (@jneal_18) with goal No. 8 on the season. pic.twitter.com/XjE9pHBp5l

— NHL (@NHL) October 15, 2019

With just over 30 seconds remaining, David Kampf made an excellent play on the wall in the Blackhawks zone to get the puck down the ice. With the goalie pulled, Saad gained possession deep in the Edmonton zone and dished the puck back to Jonathan Toews. Toews’ shot was blocked by Nugent-Hopkins and Kampf’s follow up shot was denied too. However, Saad found the puck laying in the blue paint and tapped it into the empty net to give the Blackhawks the 3–1 win.

Brandon Saad seals the deal for the #Blackhawks with a well-deserved empty-net goal. Chicago wins 3-1 pic.twitter.com/CHw3J4IOt2

— Juliana Nikac (@juliananikac) October 15, 2019

Quick hits:

• D-D-Defense! — The defense looked spectacular on Monday night. It finally felt like the pairings were the way they should be. Keith and Murphy played well together (more on that in a minute), Gustafsson found his ideal partner in de Haan and the Maatta-Seabrook pairing continued to play well. This feels like the first time in a while that the defense is actually…good?
• An “A” for effort! — The team’s effort was outstanding against Edmonton. The Blackhawks’ forecheck was constantly in the face of Oilers defenders and made it difficult to play against. That high level of energy is what it is going to take for this team to win games. Now that there are more “grit” and “energy” players in the lineup, this could be an identity the Blackhawks adopt: be aggressive, be energetic and be a pain to play against.
• Oh my Nylander! — Despite looking lost in the first period and barely seeing the ice in the second, Nylander scored the game-winning goal on Monday night. Nylander seemed to find his step on the fourth line in the third period, playing with a lot of energy and being rewarded with a goal on a hustle play that saw him strip McDavid and outhustle defenders to get to the puck. If Nylander can contribute in a limited role, he could prove very valuable to the team’s depth.
• Where’s McDavid? — Fans did not hear McDavid’s name called all that much on the broadcast Monday night. He was almost non-existent. Specifically, the Keith-Murphy pairing did an excellent job against McDavid’s line and played excellent during the 23-plus minutes that both players played. The recipe for success against the Oilers is to shut down their stars and the Blackhawks did exactly that on Monday.
• I love Calvin de Haan — De Haan has brought a lot of assets to the Blackhawks that they have lacked since Niklas Hjalmarsson was traded a few years ago. He plays strong defense, is not afraid of contact, has a great stick in his own zone and can avoid taking big hits that result in players falling out of position. Plainly said, as the author of this piece, I love Calvin de Haan. 

The Blackhawks will be off until Friday when they take on the Columbus Blue Jackets at the United Center. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. CDT.

The post RECAP: Blackhawks win first game, deliver Oilers first loss appeared first on The Rink.

As expected, long-time Blackhawk Corey Crawford took the net for Chicago’s home opener in the second game of the season. There continues to be speculation as to how head coach Jeremy Colliton will split up the games in net between Crawford and Robin Lehner.

Here was the starting lineup for tonight’s matchup:

Alex Nylander — Jonathan Toews — Patrick Kane

Alex DeBrincat — Dylan Strome — Andrew Shaw

Brandon Saad — David Kampf — Dominik Kubalik

Zack Smith — Ryan Carpenter — Drake Caggiula

Duncan Keith — Erik Gustafsson

Olli Maatta — Brent Seabrook

Slater Koekkoek — Connor Murphy

Brendan Perlini and Calvin de Haan were the scratches.

First period

In the first five minutes, the Blackhawks did not get many chances. Newly signed Sharks forward Patrick Marleau got the first shot on net 21 seconds in and the Corey Crawford made some great saves early on.

The chances the home team did get were grade A about five minutes in. The third line maintained offensive zone time and simply threw the puck on net, generating a flurry of chances. Eventually, Brandon Saad retrieved a rebound off San Jose goaltender Aaron Dell and found a passing lane for Dominik Kubalik, who buried the puck in the wide-open net for his first NHL goal and a 1–0 Chicago lead.

Dominik Kubalik scores his first NHL goal and the first of the game for the #Blackhawks pic.twitter.com/pnDkt78SiP

— Juliana Nikac (@juliananikac) October 11, 2019

A penalty by Ryan Carpenter in the offensive zone allowed the San Jose power play to get going and they did not let it go to waste. The Blackhawks lost the faceoff and Kevin Labanc scored off an impossible angle to tie the game at 1–1.

The tie did not last long, though. Just under two minutes after the Labanc goal, Olli Maatta retrieved a pass from around the boards and took a slap shot that Dell saved. But, with Andrew Shaw in his kitchen, Dell could only stop the puck so many times before it was shoved in. And boy, was Shaw excited to score his first back in a Blackhawk sweater and to give the home team the lead at 2–1.

Once again, another brutal offensive zone penalty for the Blackhawks led to another tie near the end of the first period. And you just had to know Marleau would score in his 1,658th career game. After one frame, the Blackhawks led the Sharks 14–11 in shots with the game tied at 2–2.

Second period

To start the second frame, the Blackhawks had a power play thanks to Shaw being himself and drawing a penalty against Brenden Dillon at the tail end of the first period. However, Chicago got nothing going on that man advantage. Kubalik continued to look fantastic and was rewarded with a promotion from the third line to the top line with Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews.

The Blackhawks did convert on a prime scoring chance later on, though. After chasing the puck into the offensive zone, Alex DeBrincat stole it away from Erik Karlsson along the boards and fed it to Shaw. From the left faceoff dot, Shaw’s wrist shot found a path into the net behind Dell. The Blackhawks regained the lead for the third time in the game at 3–2 around nine and a half minutes into the second period.

Andrew Shaw scores his second of the game to give the #Blackhawks a 3-2 lead pic.twitter.com/yzr9XUXnz3

— Juliana Nikac (@juliananikac) October 11, 2019

Of course, that advantage did not last long. Just 33 seconds later, San Jose defenseman Brent Burns slid along the boards and put a shot in front of the net from right above the goal line. The puck bounced off Blackhawk defenseman Connor Murphy and directly behind Crawford, tying the game at 3–3.

Both teams exchanged chances for the next few minutes. After Crawford stopped a shot the Sharks put on net, the puck found its way to Kane, who slid it up to Dylan Strome on a two-on-one with DeBrincat. The Sharks’ defense just continued to watch the puck while Strome and Kane tossed it back and forth until Strome shot it home to give the Blackhawks a 4–3 edge.

San Jose continued to pressure the Blackhawks in the Chicago zone for the remainder of the period. With about two minutes left, a shot from Burns at the blue line tipped off the stick of Timo Meier to Crawford, who could not control the rebound. Maatta lifted his own stick off the ice to tie up Marleau, but that did not stop the forward from scoring yet again, tying the contest at 4–4.

After two periods, the Blackhawks and Sharks found themselves tied at four goals apiece with the visitors leading 23–22 in shots.

Third period

The Blackhawks did not look like they wanted to win in the third period. San Jose had the majority of the chances, and, luckily, Crawford stopped almost all of them.

Almost is the keyword there. Five minutes into the final frame, the Sharks circled around the Blackhawks for much too long. The puck found Joe Thornton behind the net and he spotted a wide-open Barclay Goodrow directly in front of the net. There was no defender on him, as Alex Nylander and Erik Gustafsson were both tied up with the same player along the boards. The Sharks had their first lead of the game at 5–4 and the Blackhawks looked dead on their feet.

What a Goodie. pic.twitter.com/kaziUNMO9Q

— San Jose Sharks (@SanJoseSharks) October 11, 2019

In the final minute or so of the game, Chicago did have a decent amount of chances. None of them made their way into the net behind Dell and the Blackhawks lost 5–4, as San Jose earned their first win of the season. The Sharks outshot the Blackhawks 34–30 in the game.

The Blackhawks will remain at home Saturday night to face the Winnipeg Jets at 6 p.m.

Pluses

• Dominik Kubalik was the best player for the Blackhawks. He scored the first goal of his NHL career and controlled play when on the ice. He looks like a steal so far.

Minuses

• The penalty kill picked up right where it left off last year: looking terrible. San Jose scored two power play goals and now the Blackhawks are only 50% (three of six) on the penalty kill. That is not good enough at all.
• After a good first game and stellar preseason, Alex Nylander was invisible tonight. He was bumped off the first line and moved to the third line, then eventually switched in for a double-shifting Patrick Kane.

The post RECAP: Blackhawks fall 5-4 to Sharks in home opener appeared first on The Rink.

The-Rink.com co-hosts “Gatekeeper” and “JJ” rush to the The-Rink podcast studio to discuss the big trade today, the Andrew Shaw trade, and the UFA signings on July 1st.

• Now that the Andrew Shaw trade has marinated, what do we think?  You might be surprised…or not.
• What happened with the Blackhawks and Henri Jokiharju?
• Is this trade as bad as first thought?  Can Alex Nylander help the Blackhawks?
• Following JJ’s revelation that the Blackhawks might swing big on the goalie market they did just that.
• A hearty thank you to the Rink fans and our amazing staff for a great year.
• We are only scratching the surface.  Many good things and guests to come!!!!

Please subscribe, rate this episode, and even write us a review. Reviews will be read on the air.

Also, Please help spread the word to more #RinkRats and visit our sponsor www.PUCKHCKY.com. Use the discount code “THERINK” for 10% off all orders.

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The post Blackhawks Rinkcast – Episode 55 – UFA/Nylander Trade Reactions appeared first on The Rink.

Instead, Bowman stepped into the now all-too-familiar “Bring Back” Machine and emerged with the little ball of hate known as Andrew Shaw. The price? The Montreal Canadiens receive a 2020 second round pick, a 2020 seventh round pick, a 2021 third rounder and the Hawks get Montreal’s 2021 seventh round pick.

We can debate until the cows come home whether the Hawks overpaid here. Most of our contributors at The-Rink, sort of like a Supreme Court majority opinion, do not care for the deal (one, in particular—think little guy with flowing beard and goalie stick—hates it). I suppose I am writing for the minority. I do not hate the deal; I do not love it. For me, it all comes down to context.

Is Shaw overpaid?

Depends on how you look at it. Artem Anisimov currently draws a $4.5 million annual salary from the Hawks, and I think you can make an argument that Shaw, at $3.9 million per, is a better value. Why bring Anisimov into it? Because I keep hearing, as do others, he is “out of it,” as in playing elsewhere (I’ve heard possibly Florida) soon after tomorrow or Tuesday. Is it guaranteed? No, but after the Hawks pay a significant roster bonus owed to Anisimov, he suddenly becomes more appealing to another team. He is definitely being shopped hard, and who knows, maybe the Hawks recoup a pick or two in that deal.

Does Shaw bring anything to the table?

He can play all three forward positions. And all situations, five-on-five, penalty kill and power play. He can be spotted anywhere from the second line to his more appropriate third or fourth line. Last year, he scored 19 goals and 28 assists in 63 games and was +17.

What’s the downside?

Shaw gonna Shaw. He takes dumb penalties at times and can be a bit of a distraction. I do not think this move will placate those who believe “the game has changed” to the point where it is more akin to the Ice Follies, but Shaw checks an important box: he brings nastiness and that elusive quality (for the Hawks of the last few seasons) of being tough to play against. But, he is going to kill you some nights with a bonehead move (think: Mike Smith, 2012 playoffs, first round).

It’s all about context

Shaw’s the kind of player you go out and get if you are looking for a little extra toughness and versatility—a complementary piece. So, if Bowman is “finished” for the summer (in terms of meaningful moves) with this acquisition, then it does not make as much sense. If he has another rabbit or two to pull from his hat, and the Hawks really do become a legitimate potential playoff team, then the addition makes some more sense.

All we have for now. Please comment below.

The post Blackhawks re-acquire Andrew Shaw from Montreal for draft picks appeared first on The Rink.