Blackhawks-Coyotes: Patrick Sharp, Kris Versteeg Lead the Charge

The Blackhawks came out of the gate swinging on their road trip, and they were effective in beating the Coyotes 3-2 in a shootout at Jobing.com Arena in Phoenix Tuesday night.

They were quick out of the gate, scoring two goals in the first period. Kris Versteeg put back a rebound off a Patrick Kane breakaway, and Patrick Sharp made a nifty steal in front of the Coyotes' net and hammered it home. It was his first point in five games, and it was an important one.

Toews and Sharp both scored in the shootout, and Khabibulin stoned the Coyotes for the victory.

The game was also marred with a  lot of hotly contested body checks, high sticks, and a general air of anger. Jonathan Toews, normally one of the most cool-headed players on the team, came to blows in the third period with Martin Hanzel after being manhandled throughout the second period.

The Hawks got a huge scare in the first period when Patrick Kane was leveled at center ice by Martin Hanzel. He was slow to get up off the ice, and a lot of pushing and shoving ensued. The bad blood continued throughout the rest of the game, and in the end the physicality seemed to tire out the Blackhawks.

They had plenty of chances down the stretch, but none of them amounted to anything. On the final power play in overtime, the Blackhawks wasted the final 15 seconds passing the puck around the perimeter, looking for a completely open shot that never came.

Player to Watch in the Game: Patrick Sharp

My player to watch going into the game was Patrick Sharp. He had four career goals in 13 games against the Coyotes going in, and he didn’t disappoint, notching a goal and netting one in the shootout as well in the victory.

He also racked up four penalty minutes in the game, and was frequently involved in the scraps that occurred on the ice. Overall, I’d say that I hit the nail on the head with my pick.

Other Thoughts on the Game

When the Hawks took a 2-0 lead, I was waiting for the other shoe to drop. It seemed that the Coyotes were outplaying us on the physicality front, and it was only a matter of time before one of the eight penalties we committed in the game came back to haunt us.

Patrick Kane actually getting two penalties in the game surprised me. He was being extremely active with his stick, and it resulted in getting whistled for hooking twice. Also, Jonathan Toews seemed to be the only guy who was willing to pick a fight all night.

Everyone else seemed more focused on just mixing it up gently after plays, and the lack of tenacity with which the Hawks responded to the Coyotes may be something to look at when the Hawks continue their road trip in Dallas.

Also, I think that tonight should end any question over who the starting goaltender should be. Nikolai Khabibulin has proven that night in and night out he is the more consistent option in net. Meanwhile, Cristobal Huet has not shown the same dominance he displayed last season with Montreal and Washington.

It amazes me that a player that the Blackhawks tried so hard to shop to other teams in the league is coming out and dominating in such a great fashion. Without him, I can guarantee that we would have lost plenty of points and, in the process, a lot of the momentum we have going this season.

Blackhawks Attendance Something to Behold

For those of us who remember games in the upper tank at the United Center with only 7,000 fans or so making so little noise that I could actually hold a Q&A with guys down in the Lexus Club Level, the throbbing intensity and enthusiasm of the crowds this season has been absolutely fantastic.

The Blackhawks currently have the highest average home attendance in the NHL, using a combination of fan-friendly promotions and special ticket deals to generate excitement throughout the city as the Bears and Bulls scuffle through their seasons. I just wanted to mention this story to give credit to John McDonough and Rocky Wirtz for doing all of their excellent work for the team, and to the PR staff for making their ideas shine.

All-Star Voting Update

As you may know, I did not end up going through with my All-Star voting challenge today. I originally was going to attempt to vote 1,000 times, but I ended up not doing so because of a death in the family. I did, however, get the chance to vote 80 times today through a mixture of online and text voting, bringing my current total up to around 150 votes.

Patrick Kane currently has 68,617 votes, good for fifth place among forwards. Jonathan Toews has 47,341 votes, good for 10th. Also, Brian Campbell has 51,723 votes, good for sixth among defensemen. These numbers are pretty good for the Blackhawks, but not good enough.

I would encourage all of you to vote Blackhawks for the All-Star Game. All you have to do is go to NHL.com, click on the voting link, and you’re in! You can also text your votes to 81812. Just send your favorite players' last names, and you have voted! Standard text message rates apply.

Please support your favorite Blackhawks, and as a special favor to me, please write in Patrick Sharp, who should have been on the ballot but for some reason was inexplicably left off.

The Hawks' next game is at 7:00 pm CST against the Dallas Stars in Texas. It will be shown on Comcast SportsNet.