Gotta See It: For a streak as remarkable as the Chicago Blackhawks’ run of 30 consecutive regular-season games with a point, a team needs to catch the odd break.
And sometimes that break comes in the form of an un-blown whistle.
With the ’Hawks trailing 2-1 in the third period and down a man to the Colorado Avalanche Wednesday – Chicago’s ridiculous streak on the brink of being extinguished – Jonathan Toews broke free shorthanded and busted into the Avs’ zone with a head of steam.
The captain got a little help, though, from Dave Bolland, who dished Toews a soft pass and then chopped the stick out of defender Jamie McGinn’s gloves.
Had McGinn had a piece of graphite in his hands, he might have been able to prevent Toews from sweeping in and dekeing Semyon Varlamov for the game-tying, momentum-swinging goal. (Not to take away from Toews’ nasty puck-handling.)
Blast those Fratellis, Roberto Luongo.
Dah deh duh dah deh duh dah deh duh……………… #chelseadagger #favsong
—Strombone (@strombone1) March 7, 2013
[polldaddy poll=6945101]The referee did not call Bolland for slashing or interference on the play, and Chicago added another late in the third to win 3-2 and keep their remarkable run going.
The victory also helped Chicago “backup” Ray Emery become the first goaltender in NHL history to start a season 10-0.
“We just had to get that one goal to put them on their heels a little bit, and it did,” Chicago’s captain said during his postgame on-ice interview. “We had a lot of positive talk going into the third period. With what we’ve been through lately, it really helps give us that confidence we somehow, some way, are going to find a way.”
It’s now been 348 days since the Chicago Blackhawks, with an assist from the lockout, have lost a regular-season contest in 60 minutes.
Chicago’s overall points streak is the second-longest in NHL history; the 1979-80 Philadelphia Flyers set the league record at 35 games with a 25-0-10 rip. The ‘Hawks have even impressed LeBron James, whose own Miami Heat is enjoying a 16-game streak of Ws.
Hey Chicago Blackhawks, u guys are AWESOME!! #streaking
— LeBron James (@KingJames) March 7, 2013