Sunday, Jan. 16, 2011
Posted 8:34 PMUpdated 10:10 PM
By Tracey Myers
CSNChicago.com
The Chicago Blackhawks were getting frustrated and outplayed after 20 minutes against the Nashville Predators on Sunday. They were taking terrible penalties, giving up power-play goals again.
Someone had to say something. So during the first intermission some of the Blackhawks players got vocal. Then they all responded.
Dave Bolland had two goals and Troy Brouwer scored the tying and game-winning goals in the third period as the Blackhawks scored four in the third to beat the Nashville Predators 6-3 at the United Center.
The Blackhawks, who lost a 2-0 lead and eventually the game in a shootout to the Predators on Saturday, rebounded to take three of a possible four points out of the two games.
Nashville coach Barry Trotz gave his Predators a verbal lashing between the second and third periods Saturday night, and they rallied for a shootout victory. Off to an awful first period on Sunday, Brouwer said some Blackhawks players did the same.
NHL
There were a couple players around the room who made their voices heard in the intermission. Guys take exception to that, especially who they come from, said Brouwer, whose goals came 40 seconds apart in the third. Im not going to say who said them, but when those guys say things like that, it gets everybodys attention.
WATCH: Brouwer, Bolland elated
So its safe to say captain Jonathan Toews was one of them, right?
Yeah, I mean the good thing is it wasnt just one or two guys. We all knew we had to be better after that first period, Toews said. I think we were all pretty positive, pretty talkative in the locker room. When they scored in the third to go up one goal, we knew that wasnt going to be enough to stop us. We wanted to repay the favor when they came back from a two-goal deficit yesterday. In our building, we wanted to make sure we came up with two points.
WATCH: Toews should have passed 100th goal?
Coach Joel Quenneville, who said hes usually not in the room when players hash things out, was just fine with their talk.
Sometimes theres nothing wrong with players addressing certain situations. As a coach, were all aware of whats going on, he said. Sometimes, coming from them its a good thing.
The Blackhawks still had a bad penalty or two in the second and J.P. Dumonts power-play goal put Nashville up 2-1. But Bolland came through with his second goal, and it was a beauty. Bolland took the pass from Tomas Kopecky, juked Predators defenseman Ryan Suter and scored to tie the game 2-2.
Its fun to make those moves, Bolland said. And it was a big goal for us.
MUST WATCH: Bolland's sweet goal
Down 3-2 with just over 10 minutes remaining in regulation, the Blackhawks traded their verbal tirades for a scoring one. Brouwer scored on a Duncan Keith rebound to tie it 3-3, then skated right into the slot and fired another past Anders Lindback 40 seconds later for a 4-3 advantage.
Bryan Bickell and Toews added two more to complete the comeback. Marty Turco, getting his first start since Dec. 30, stopped 20 of 23 for the victory.
When the time comes you just try to go play and I just want to win. It was nice to see the boys rally tonight after being down three different times and played a third period like we could, Turco said. I was the benefactor of some good hockey tonight in the third."
The Blackhawks salvaged their weekend, which was key heading into this five-day break before their next game. They talked it out. More important, they played it out.
Thats what we have to start doing is close teams out like that, Bolland said. We have a tendency of lacking off in the third period. We all have to be a lot better in the last 10-15 minutes of the game with putting the nail in the coffin.
BrieflyBlackhawks players congratulate Jonathan Toews after scoring his 17th goal of the season in the third period. The goal was No. 100 of Toews' career, coming in his 267th game. (AP)
Toews goal was the 100th of his career. Toews, 22, is the fourth-youngest player in franchise history to reach that milestone, after Jeremy Roenick, Bobby Hull and Denis Savard.
Bolland played in his 200th career game on Sunday night.
Tracey Myers is CSNChicago.com's Blackhawks Insider. Follow Tracey on Twitter @TramyersCSN for up-to-the-minute Hawks information.