The Chicago Blackhawks fell to the Anaheim Ducks 3-0 on Saturday night, failing to score for the second straight game. The Hawks, who started out the season as one of the top scoring teams, look lost without their injured stars Martin Havlat and Michal Handzus.
The team was only able to muster 14 shots against the visitors, giving Ducks goaltender Ilja Bryzgalov one of the easier shutouts of his young NHL career.
“It was great,” Bryzgalov said in broken English after the game. “I spent most of third period making grocery list. Being on road all the time, it’s hard to find time to do that.”
Goalies around the NHL cannot wait to play the scoring-challenged Hawks.
“Monday can’t come soon enough,” Philadelphia Flyers goalie Antero Niittymaki told reporters, referring to his team’s Monday night matchup with the Hawks. “A shutout is just what I need to get back in the swing of things. It’s the perfect situation.”
The Hawks have shown that they cannot overcome injuries to their star players. The only hope is that once the key players come back, they will get a spark and resume their early season success.
Number of the Weekend: 0
People who believe the Hawks will survive much longer without Martin Havlat.
