A hot-handed Ryane Clowe (#29, pictured above) and company showed up to face reigning Stanley Cup champions in a re-match to prove which team is the best in the west. Both teams looked evenly matched to start the game. Antti Niemi (#31, pictured below) was in goal for the Sharks and Corey Crawford was in net for the Blackhawks. It was truly a duel of the goalies as goals were very hard to find for both sides. While the goals were low, the shots and speed of the game were all high paced. Only three penalties (2 for the Blackhawks, 1 for the Sharks) were taken, keeping the pace of the game going at full speed with very little stoppages. Halfway through the first period, Jason Demers skated the puck into the zone and centered towards the net, where Player of the Month Clowe tipped it past Crawford to get the early lead for the Sharks. The lead didn't last long as the Blackhawks answered with less than two minutes left in the first period to tie the game up. The Sharks thought they got one with only seconds left on the board, but upon video review it was shown that Crawford was able to get the stick down in time and stopped the puck from ever crossing the goal line keeping the game tied up at one a piece.
During the second and third periods, both teams had their scoring chances but the goalie workshop that was put on by the two netminders kept everything out of the net, well almost everything. The Sharks dodged a bullet when the referee lost sight of the puck on a hard shot that Nemo thought he had. Yet at the last instant, the puck trickled into the net but because the referee lost sight of it, he blew the play dead and the goal was disallowed. A few minutes later, a great pass from the D to Logan Couture launched him into the Blackhawks zone where he split the defense with a great deke. Unfortunately, he and not the puck ended up behind Crawford in the net. The impacted caused Couture to cut the net with his skate which caused a minor delay as the Shark Tank crew repaired the torn net. Thornton, Clowe, Pavelski, and Couture all had great scoring chances in the third as did the Blackhawks but Nemo and Crawford kept the game tied at one a piece, forcing a five minute overtime period. On an offensive zone faceoff, the Sharks were able to quickly gain control of the puck and start a cycle by passing the puck back and forth from the defense on the points to the wingers on the boards. This constant movement helped open up passing lanes and kept the Blackhawks guessing as who was going to take the shot. Marc-Edouard Vlasic faked the shot and made a beautiful pass that found Clowe all alone near the net. Clowe one-timed the puck past Crawford to win the game in overtime. Niemi and Clowe definitely get the nod for this victory as both came up big when the Sharks needed them the most. The Blackhawks goalie was also very impressive, keeping his team alive when the Sharks were dominating play. A great rivalry was born in last year's Western Conference Finals and this year, the Sharks are 2-0 against the Blackhawks. The Sharks will meet the Blackhawks two more times this season to determine which team is the best. Look for updates in March, as the last match-up between these two teams will be televised on Versus.
