The Chicago Blackhawks defeated the Calgary Flames 2-0 at the United Center Tuesday night. To help recap the festivities, here are Madhouse Enforcer’s Three Stars of the game.
Third Star: Mr. T
“I PITY THE PUCK.”
No, Mr. T did not play in Tuesday night’s game, but when you consider that the whole concept of the “Shoot the Puck” intermission game took a huge hit with Jim Belushi’s rotten performance on Monday, it was going to take a herculean effort to undo the bad vibes surrounding the United Center staple.
That is exactly what Mr. T was able to do. Here’s video evidence of his awesome performance:
Second Star: Patrick Kane
Kane has been having a dynamite season during this shortened campaign, and he had yet another excellent game on Tuesday night. He extended his point streak to seven games with his two helpers, and he picked up two takeaways in the game as well.
Late in the second period, he displayed some of the defensive prowess that he has added to his arsenal. As Calgary was getting set up in the zone, Kane deftly skated into the passing lane, snatched the puck, and pushed it back up ice. Not only did he spring Dave Bolland and Jimmy Hayes on a 2-on-1 going the other way, but he also drew a penalty when Mark Giordano tripped him crossing the blue line.
It was a small play that ultimately did not result in a goal, but it shows that criticisms of Kane not being a two way player are becoming increasingly unfounded.
First Star: Brent Seabrook
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Seabrook has been pilloried at times this season for not playing well. His terrible play on a shorthanded goal against the Colorado Avalanche on March 18 stands out in that regard, but on Tuesday, his offensive instincts were on full display.
On the play in question, Seabrook took a puck from the top of the faceoff circle and, noticing a seam in the defense, skated toward the net and fired the puck at Calgary goaltender Miikka Kiprusoff. The knuckler managed to find its way into the back of the net, and gave the Hawks an important insurance goal in the game.
