Chicago Rips San Jose Apart
 “Seven goals; that’s just breakdowns by everybody,”---Dan Boyle

By Barbara Mason 11/25/2009
Bay Area Sports Drive/Raiderdrive.com

Wednesday night, the San Jose Sharks took on the Chicago Blackhawks who have been tearing up the ice in win after win. After the first period the Blackhawks led the Sharks 1-0 on a short-handed goal. A San Jose turnover spelled disaster for the team as Chicago took full advantage of the costly mistake. A sellout crowd would soon find out what lay ahead in this game. 

The second period was déjà vu for San Jose and then some. Once again the Sharks gave up a short-handed goal to fall behind 2-0. The Blackhawks were not done by any means scoring a second short-handed goal in the same penalty making it three short-handed goals.  With 9:22 left in the period Chicago added a fourth goal to lead 4-0. Through 1 ½  periods it was all Chicago, controlling every phase of the game the likes of which the Sharks have not seen this year. Lop-sided didn’t even come close to describing this game. When San Jose went on the power play late in the second period it was nothing to celebrate, not after giving up 3 short-handed goals. 

Once again in the third period, San Jose went on the power play and one had to hold their breath and hope for the best. The advantage that the power play usually brings was all but eliminated in this game. At 5:19 in the period another Chicago goal, followed by a sixth goal a minute later gave the Blackhawks an insurmountable lead of 6-0. With 13:00 left in the game Chicago had taken 36 shots on goal to San Jose’s 16. And then there were seven and disappointed fans slowly filed out of HP Pavilion unable to watch any more of this debacle. A late period 5 on 3 gave San Jose a chance to avoid the shutout. With 3:43 left in the game, #22 Dan Boyle gave San Jose their first goal of the game with assists by Thornton and Heatley. Seconds later, #8 Joe Pavelski added their second goal of the evening.   

Chicago won the race to the loose pucks, they won the battle on the boards and they just plain outplayed San Jose in all phases for the 7-2 win. It was just a miserable night for the Sharks and was by far their worst game of the season. 

“We should be embarrassed by the way we came out and the way we played,” said Dan Boyle after the game. “That was ugly. I think ya want to learn from it.  You are not going to win every night and I think everybody knows that but you want to compete. Seven goals, that’s just breakdowns by everybody, it’s not just one guy. Its bad hockey, you just can’t do it,” he said.