Sharks takeaways: What we learned in eventful 7-3 win over Blackhawks

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The Sharks' Sunday night meeting with the Blackhawks had everything. Unanswered goals, missed calls and both starting netminders out of the game before the first intermission.

After a loosey-goosey start that put them in a two-goal hole, the Sharks tightened up their game, roared back against a downtrodden Blackhawks squad and left Chicago with a 7-3 victory.

Here are three takeaways from the whacky game at United Center:

Special teams come up big

The Sharks had an opportunity in front of them Sunday, given that the Blackhawks' special teams are some of the worst in the NHL. As San Jose battled to rally back from a 2-0 deficit, its special teams came up huge.

It started at the end of the first period when the Sharks were on the penalty kill with both Evander Kane and Timo Meier in the box. The kill carried over into the second stanza, and the Sharks clearly gained momentum from it. The Blackhawks visibly began to unravel, which led to David Kampf going to the sin bin for playing with a broken stick.

That’s when the Sharks’ power play took over, and after a shift with really good puck movement, Kane found the back of the net.

Second-period magic

The second period has given the Sharks major headaches this season. But on Sunday, their second 20 showcased the things that make San Jose successful.

After a first period in which Chicago’s speed dominated the game, San Jose tightened up and got back to playing a more detailed defensive game. The shift in the Sharks' game interrupted the Blackhawks' flow, and Chicago began struggling while hemmed in its own zone. The result: three unanswered Sharks goals that gave them a 5-3 lead before the second intermission.

Goal-front presence pays off

One aspect of the Sharks’ offense that is really paying dividends is their presence in front of the opposition’s net. Posting up in the goaltender’s grill is perfect for rebounds and redirects -- which is exactly how the Sharks scored their goals on the evening.

San Jose’s fourth line was particularly good in this area. They were really good in many areas, to be honest, but the way they posted up in front of Chicago netminder Cam Ward was especially impressive. Barclay Goodrow was in perfect position in front of Ward to redirect Justin Braun’s laser of a shot from the blue line in the second period.

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