Antti Niemi and the Blackhawks let a three-goal, third-period lead disappear and Nicklas Backstrom scored the game-winner in overtime to give the Capitals a 4-3 victory Sunday at the United Center.
Jonathan Toews and John Madden had scored to the Hawks a 3-0 lead entering the third.
Video: Alex Ovechkin receives a boarding major and is ejected from the game at 12:16 of the first period.
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Mr. Caps Fan is an idiot -- sorry about that. ("suck on this one"?; sheesh). Not the typical Caps fan, I assure you.
And in defense of Caps fans I think you'll find a great deal of in-depth knowledge among the fan base here in DC. We may not have the history that Chicago does (what do you expect?), but many have been fans since the Caps came about in '74. Unsurprisingly there are newcomers, Mr. Caps Fan and other idiots among them, but most carry a great deal of respect for the Hawks.
Caps were fortunate to win today, but we have a great team as do you.
Chico, Hawksice, I guess since you guys can't figure this out I'll have to explain it to you. The Hawks fans(most of them anyway) don't single out Niemi because he's the fans choice & since we are truely Hawk fans it would be hyprocritical to bash Niemi also. It's that simple, out of the 2 goalies we have Niemi although less experienced is a more solid choice then Huet.(occasional goalie win(fact),(IMO)keeps in position better & reacts quicker to cross ice passes & rebounds,etc. if we asked the fans opinions this small list would grow very large) I have seen Huet bashed several times undeservingly so after games lost & it was not his fault, yet I myself have bashed Huet when I felt he deserved it & feel like Huet has cost this team a few wins this season besides his self confidence. On the other hand I don't feel that Niemi having played a lot fewer games has cost the Hawks a game that they didn't cost theirselves. Neither goalie has won a playoff series but only Huet has had the chance to. I say go with the rookie. For what its worth it's obvious the Hawks brass still isn't sure which way they're leaning yet. If they go with Huet, in my mind I will question their choice but it won't make me want the Hawks to win any LESS. If they go with Niemi, I won't question their choice but it also won't make me want the Hawks to win MORE then I do right now.
Mr. Caps fan: You are a troll of the highest order. First time on a Chicago blog and you are cocking off. Fans of the Caps are known as the least knowledgable about the game of hockey outside of Nashville and Carolina. D.C. is so removed from the game that Canadians and those from real hockey states get a chuckle at their trying to appear as hockey folks. The Blackhawks may not win the Cup, but the Caps will never get past at least 3 teams in the East. The goaltending is extremely weak as is their transition game. The playoffs are about defense and Washington is a pretender.
Joel, you're probably right. I don't know the rules that well although I've been a Black Hawks fan since 1963. But considering that this delayed penalty gave D.C. a temporary 2 man advantage, I would think the score would cancel the extra penalty (instead of canceling the remainder of the first half of the four minutes).
As a matter of fact, I thought the announcers 'were about' to mention what I've stated - but they didn't. It sounded like there was some hesitance in their comments applied to this. It was as though they saw what I've been saying but decided not to question the officiating.
Yes, in 5 on 5 situations, scoring on a delayed penalty does nullify any further officiating rulings. Why should this circumstance be any different? I'm sure there were a few fans that saw it that way also.
Thanks!
Guys,
I am so sorry about today. You know, about how the NBC Commentators had the Hawks already and set to hoist Lord Stanley after the the second period of today's match. They wrote off the best team - by far- in the NHL in a matter of seconds - and never once gave them credit for winning the game in so many ways (should we start with perservience? How "bout raw talent(even with out a 2 time MVP) As it turns out. The hawks reallly are not in the same league in any sense of the word as the Caps. Chicago - suck on this one big time. Likely there's more to come for you all!!!
I watched the game here in Reno. Although I missed the double minor in the 3rtd period.
Along with what I've mentioned, here's how the boxscore also read.
@3:51 Hendry gets called for a double minor. D.C then scores @ 5:29 during a delayed penalty call - at which time there's 6 attackers vs. four (even if it were for only about 7 seconds). D.C. scores, 3-1.
Being that D.C.'s score occured on a delayed penalty, shouldn't that have nullified the additional (delayed) penalty when D.C. then had a 5-3 advantage and made it 3-2?
This loss was a result of those early 3rd period foul-ups which I'd suspect the officials were "bending" for D.C. because of the Ovechkin call (typical officiating "balance and fairness").
Then again, if I'm right that nobody noticed this - what I saw as an officiating mistake and it's no wonder the Hawks lost.
But to be honest, from what I've seen of this team and the way D.C. started 'with' Ovechkin - D.C. was very impressive, unfortunately I don't foresee any Stanley Cup.
Other comments here are correct in that the Hawks are not playing as responsively as they should. The defense has to help the goalie when a side of the net is wide open - not just try to knock the puck out of the air with your stick. Instead they need to get in there and cover the opneing.
If memory serves from my refereeing days, Hendry had a double minor and the first two minutes were not over when the Caps scored. If Fraser didn't get a penalty, the remainder of the first 2 minutes would have been wiped and the Caps still would have had a 2 minute power play. If it was 5 on 5 and Fraser had a delayed penalty, the goal would have wiped his penalty. What I believe happened is Hendry's first penalty was wiped, then his second penalty and Fraser's penalty ran simultaneously, resulting in a 5 on 3 for 2 minutes.
Sorry Steve (and thanks - I checked the box score), I missed the double minor and thought it was a major. Then shortly after the Hawks had gotten called for a delayed penalty for which Washington scored. Shouldn't that have eliminated the next 5 - 3 advantage which led to D.C's second score?
If you score on a delayed penalty, then you shouldn't get a power play - or an extra man (5-3) as in this case?
Can anyone translate t-bone's comment?
The Hawks took no major penalties. Hendry was in for a double minor.
Yesterday Huet, and today Niemi, played well enough to win. Ryan Miller would have been beaten by the odd man breaks and weak coverage in front of our net.
The Hawks are breaking down because they are playing confused, stupid hockey. They pass when they could shoot, take sloppy penalties and continually turn the puck over. They play on their heels and lack the killer instinct with a lead.
Brent Seabrook is absolutely lost and has been for two months. He was brutal with the game on the line this weekend. Brouwer, Byfluglien and Bolland have contributed zip. And with all due respect, Q has to settle on line combinations because there has been no rhythm or continuity on ANY line since Bolland came back.
It's a team game but someone has to show leadership and pull this mess together. The Hawks are still dangerous but showing signs of coming unglued.
If the hawks want to win the CUP, Stan needs to hire is dad as head coach!
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Over Hyped, its the Cubs on ice!
5-minute majors result in the penalized team being short for the entire 5 minutes regardless of how many scores the team on the power play may score.
No Kidding Chico. Its Huet`s fault. Even thoUGH i dont really think this was all Niemis fault i was very suprised that not ONE person whined about him again but always about Huet. My Goodness, the last 6 or 7 games Niemi has a GAA average and % thats just as bad and worse in some games then Huet`s.
Anways, its discouraging but not the end oF THE World or even the season for that matter. The Hawks should come out of this little stretch a better team. Toews is already saying the right things and you know he will show them on the ice too and get the guys going.
Lighten up everyone.. what doesnt kill them will make them stronger... yes 2 terrible losses (3 including last week Detroit) BUT this young team is still learning how to be a championship team... anyone who does not understand that should jump off teh bandwagon they just jumped on and get a clue about hockey... Q will get this straightened out.. but more concerning is the injury bug starting to hit the Hawks... 2 games this year with 100% health... now that is something to worry about
TEAM DEFENSE AND SPECIAL TEAMS AND GOALTENDING=WINNING THE STANLEY CUP. CURSE OF MULDOON LIVES AND THE HAWK ORGAN-I-ZATION STINKS OF CORRUPTION.
For all of us long suffering Blackhawk fans, this one really hurt and definitely showed our main weakness. WE ALL know that the missing piece to win a cup is in goal. No solid goalie this year...no cup. Why didn't it happen? Money? I don't believe the good ones were all unavailable for a trade. EVERYONE knows we nee......ded one too, including management. I've been a Hawk fan my entire life, but my predicition for the playoffs: GONE in first round. Can someone talk me down...please?
No excuse. I'm not a Campbell fan, but he was missed along with Hossa and Johnsson. No SOG in the last 25 minutes of regulation( the one in the last minute was a gift). At least Brian creates scoring chances. Can't take all those stupid penalties with 5 defenseman especially with Seabrooke playing as bad as he is. They'll be back; still plenty of time to get it figured out and get back to the Conference Finals.
They're either going to learn quick from these three losses and gain some maturity going into the playoffs or they'll be shaking their heads the entire offseason. How are they losing these games with their ridiculous shot differential?! As low as the lows of this season have been, I won't lose faith until the end because when the Hawks play smart hockey they're as good or better than any team in the league.
Was there a rule change over the past decade that says a team already on the power play (5 min.) being granted a delayed penalty call in which they score, continues to receive the (delayed) penalty regardless of the fact that they had scored on that delayed penalty? Why did they still get to keep the 5 on 3 advantage or were the announcers, the referees, the fans, Quenville and the rest of the team unaware of the "delayed penalty scoring rule"?
Another nationally televised game; another blown lead; another f@#-king embarrassment.
Q better figure this out and get the team out of the funk they've been in or it's going to be a very short post season.
Absolutely disgusted!!
I may be in the minority here but I think these losses will be helpful in the long run. A humbling experience can be very good going into the playoffs.
It's obvious by now the Hawks play better as underdogs. With the heavy expectations on them they just can't carry the load. That's hard to do for any professional sports team in any sport for sure. This team needs to hear in the media that there's no chance at all that they'll win the cup & that they're picked to be knocked out in the 1st round. That being said maybe with all expectations off this team maybe just maybe they can get a chip back on their shoulder & prove to all that they can win the cup. Right now going into any playoff series as the favorites scares me.
Another case of too many athletes with big ( for hockey) contracts for their talent who have left 60 minutes of effort in the dressing room. Happens too often in professional sports and we are seeing it here. What's there to work for other than pride for most of these players? Exception is Toews who continues to work the entire game. Seabrook ( no big contract yet, and not deserving of one) is playing in a funk and has been for at least a month. Kane, at 3/4 speed is not much help recently. One and done in playoffs.
At least Huet can't be blamed for this one. Was half expecting him to be blamed. Neither goaltender can be blamed this weekend. It's very simple. The TEAM defense collapsed again. Too many odd man rushes. Not enough fire for a whole game. Bad penalties. Those 4 ingredients add up to a weekend disaster. There's time, but this group better get it together or I would agree with a lot of the posters so far: They won't survive the West in the playoffs.
Yesterday Huet, and today Niemi, played well enough to win. Ryan Miller would have been beaten by the odd man breaks and weak coverage in front of our net.
The Hawks are breaking down because they are playing confused, stupid hockey. They pass when they could shoot, take sloppy penalties and turn the puck over in their own zone. They are on their heels and lack the killer instinct to bear down with a lead.
Brent Seabrook is absolutely lost and has been for two months. He was brutal with the game on the line this weekend. Brouwer, Byfluglien and Bolland have contributed zip. And with all due respect, Q has juggled line combinations so much that, since Bolland came back, there has been no rhythm or continuity on ANY line.
It's a team game but someone has to show some leadership and pull this reckless mess together. The Hawks are too good to be breaking down, but that is what they're doing.
Typical Chicago teams.
Wow, the first Blackhawk game I watch in years on national TV, and that 3rd period meltdown occurs. Guess I'll be like the 'hawks in the playoffs--one and done.
Hawks stop playing with big leads. It's like watching NFL prevent defense...then the momentum changes. Got to give CAPS credit for fighting for win...maybe Hawks learn something!
Giving up a 3-0 lead, in the third period, at home? Good teams do not let that happen. Right now the Hawks are a good team. It's getting a little late in the season to be needing to take a refresher course on team defence. Maybe its time to give a few of these guys some time in the press box to get a different perspective on playing a full 60 minutes.
Come on guys, they SHOULD be able to win one series... After that I don't know, but they definitely don't have it on defense. Their defense is too bad to go to the Stanley Cup, much less win it. It's a shame because they were really looking pretty good early. I'm just hoping they somehow can get it together and start playing 60 minutes of Hockey instead of 40 minutes)Today) or 58 minutes (Saturday against the Flyers.)
Looks like they're coached by Love Smith and have already awarded themselves the cup. Looks like one and done in the playoffs.
What a disgrace to lose this game (and quite a few others recently)! The Caps lost their best player in the 1st period and they still can't win - AT HOME.
OH, well...what else should I expect from one of our esteemed Chicago franchises?
Hopefully Quenneville tore into the team after the game, and hopefully Morrissey, Haugh and the rest of the sportswriters in Chicago pour it on tomorrow. Two devastating losses in a row, and 3 in 8 days, all caused by implosions on defense and/or goalies. This team sucks, and they need to be told it to their faces, hear it from the media, and read about it in the newspapers. They have 14 games left in the regular season to prepare for the playoffs, and right now, they don't scare anyone in the NHL.
Can we finally talk stop talking about how the goal tending is losing these games? Yesterday we give up goals with a pathetic turnover in front of net, a poorly executed line change, and a 4 on 2 rush with with 10 seconds left. Today it's stupid penalties (3 in 4 minutes), and more odd-man rushes. Niemi and Huet made multiple spectacular saves in the last two games. Our boys are giving up odd-man rushes, committing turnovers, and giving power plays when we have the lead. Need to tighten up the defense.
The Olympic break has killed this team. Seabrook and teh defense has played horrible, no goaltending, lack of continuity on offense, and now they are being coached by Bruce Weber. They should have traded Versteeg when they had the chance since he will be a salary cap casualty next season. I would have packaged him, Sopel, Byfuglein, and Huet for a solid goaltender. Too late now. The "Hawks will bow out in the first round of the playoffs this year.
Pathetic. The Hawks tried to mail in the 3rd period and got completely burned. I felt sick watching that two minute span.
Flat. Flat. Flat and out of gas. The Hawks probably gave the Capitals their greatest come from behind victory ever. Not much to say except the Hawks blew it. You can tell how the Caps were knocking the Hawks off the puck constantly. Pretty then pretty ugly. Some how the Hawks have to find energy again like the first half of the season. The defense literally have their tongues hanging out. Keep the faith. The Hawks have to get through these dog days.
The penalties did them in today. The Caps got 3 goals in 2:16, one just as a 5 on 3 was expiring. The Hawks were embarrassed on national TV for the second week in a row, and couldn't win even after Ovechkin was tossed in the first period and spotted them a 3-0 lead. After two losses in a row, and three losses in four games, it's really hard to see how this team does much of anything in the playoffs.
Hawks new game plan, get a lead and sleep walk through the rest of the game. Look for a five game losing streak with a trip to the Ducks, Kings, and Coyotes coming up. The goaltenders are geting a bad rap when the D is only playing 2 of 3 periods.
On another note, is Jordan Hendry anything more than be an extra body on the ice?
Is Buff's only skill being big?
I hope someone can find a way to get it through these kids heads that they have to work (and keep working) if they want to be champions.
They play like they have already won something.
Like they have been annointed and everyone else needs to just lay down and get out of their way.
Playing hard to get a lead makes for a winning team.
Playing hard to keep a lead makes for a championship team.
Was it too much to ask for to get some strength on the blue line? SOPEL SUCKS! Also can we get some courage from the Cowardly Lion. This team gave up again!! My prediction for playoffs: ONE AND DONE!!!
Is Love Smith coaching the Hawks the way they're blowing games with leads late in the game?