Andrew Shaw delivers in Blackhawks’ win over Sharks
By ADAM L. JAHNS ajahns@suntimes.com January 15, 2012 9:02PM
Hawks center Andrew Shaw celebrates his third-period goal that gave the Blackhawks the margin of victory in a 4-3 win over the San Jose Sharks on Sunday at the United Center. | Tom Cruze~Sun-Times
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Updated: February 17, 2012 8:21AM
Blackhawks rookie forward Andrew Shaw was knocked around, looking lost in a frenzied game between two rivals. The San Jose Sharks seemed intent on sending him reeling to the ice as much as possible.
But the 20-year-old Shaw, whom fans have quickly come to adore for his gritty, fast-paced style, got up every time and kept going. It was his resiliency that led to his game-winning goal in the Hawks’ 4-3 victory against the Sharks on Sunday at the United Center. He symbolized the effort needed to defeat the streaking Sharks and show why the Hawks are still one of the top teams in the Western Conference, recent struggles and all.
‘‘It’s how I’ve always played,’’ Shaw said.
The Hawks’ first line of Viktor Stalberg (goal, assist), Jonathan Toews (goal, assist) and Patrick Kane (assist) was a decisive factor, keeping Sharks goalie Antti Niemi (36 saves) under duress for much of the night. Dave Bolland also got into the mix with his fifth goal in the last five games. Hawks goalie Corey Crawford made 21 saves.
It wasn’t an easy win, though. Every time the Hawks pulled ahead and seemed destined for a decisive win over their rivals, the Sharks stormed back and made the UC crowd uneasy.
After the Hawks took a 2-0 lead with a flurry to close out the first period, the Sharks, one of the best teams statistically in the second period this season, tied it when Joe Pavelski and Jamie McGinn scored back-to-back goals in a 26-second span early in the second.
In the final five minutes, Sharks forward Tommy Wingels, an Evanston native, was a huge factor. He scored his first career goal to pull the Sharks within a goal of tying the game and drew a hooking penalty on Niklas Hjalmarsson in the final 1:07 with a little embellishing.
But the Hawks, who faltered in overtime against the Detroit Red Wings on Saturday, never broke. Instead, they handed the Sharks their first regulation loss this month and their first on the road since Dec. 10.
‘‘Overall, that was a good, solid 60 minutes for us,’’ said Toews, who has 24 goals this season. ‘‘We talked about these two big games this weekend and how we had to play.’’
Shaw’s play has been a boost and a surprise. At 5-10 and 180 pounds, he keeps fighting to get to scoring areas and has four goals in his first seven games. On Sunday, he scored early in the third period after being denied by Niemi in close, leaping over him and putting the loose puck in the crease.
‘‘The Shaw kid had a great game, out-did our group,’’ Sharks coach Todd McLellan said. ‘‘There’s no doubt about it.’’
‘‘He’s a real resilient kind of guy,’’ Hawks coach Joel Quenneville said. ‘‘He just keeps going.’’
So have the Hawks. After losing four in a row, they’ve gone 3-0-1 in their last four games, including earning three of four points against Western Conference powers in the Red Wings and Sharks this weekend.
‘‘We’ve done a good job of just focusing on the things we need to improve on, especially when we maybe have a two- or three-game skid or something like that where we’re not playing our best,’’ Toews said. ‘‘We finished off a good week, and we’ve got to keep at it and keep playing the way we have.’’
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