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#Showtime pic.twitter.com/Nm3w6Hgi5O
— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) May 3, 2014He's the Marshall Mathers of the NHL. He's the heavyweight champ of funk. He's Patrick Freakin Kane, freestyle freak!
He's often imitated but never duplicated. He has the sickest mitts in the NHL. Watcha s the fakes the drop pass to his linie Patrick Sharp, then takes the puck to the house, backhand, shelf. Bryz got posterized by the South Buffalo Sniper.
Thanks, NBCSN
This succulent goal broke the 2-2 third period tie. Kane would later score another.
The Wild erased a 2-0 deficit by tying the game, then Kane launched into "Showtime" mode in the third period.
Hawks win Game 1 by a score of 5-2.
Showtime, baby!
Thanks, Blackhawks TV
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Andrew Shaw got the business end of a hellacious hit by Minnesota Wild scrapper Clayton Stoner in Game 1. The hit occurred at 7:57 of the first period and did serious damage, knocking the agitator out of the game.
Thanks, CSN Chicago
No word yet if Shaw will be in the lineup for Game 2 in Chicago.
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Mike Therrien is a patient man. On Thursday night, his patience reached its end.
Therrien grew increasingly weary waiting for the Vanek-Desharnais-Pacioretty to ignite for scoring chances on Tuuka Rask. The Vanek-Desharnais-Pacioretty trio combined for 18 goals in 14 full regular-season games together. They rocked it in the four game sweep of the Tampa Lightning in round one of the playoffs. When Therrien observed Vanek and his linies going through the motions and nibbling at the perimeter edges rathr than burrowing to the dirty areas, he pulled the plug.
Midway through Game 1 in Boston, Therrien tapped winger Dale Weise on the shoulder and told him to slide down the bench next to Desharnais and Pacioretty. Vanek was told to slide down the pine to link up with Danny Brier and Travis Moen on line four.
When Habs GM Marc Bergevin traded for Vanek at the trade deadline, he did so because of Vanek's well-earned reputation as a Boston Bruins Killer. Bergevin and AGM Rick Dudley knew full well that Vanek has scored a combined 62 points (30 goals) in 55 career games against the Rask and the Bruins. This may be Therrien's only change to tazer Vanek, who becomes UFA in July, and will likely be skating home to Minneapolis-St. Paul to chill with his bro Jason Pominville.
Getting demoted sucks.
This isn't Vanek's first rodeo. He played the first ten years of his NHL career for Lindy Ruff. Coaches expect a lot from Vanek. They expect instant offense and when they don't get it, they crack the whip on the Austrian Lippizaner Stallion.
Therrien was not happy with Vanek's pace and production so he yanked him to send a message to the pending UFA.
Thanks, Habs TV
Message delivered. Message received.
"There's a few players on our team who I believe need to step up our game regarding (Thursday night) and he's one of them," Therrien said of Vanek. "I'm not here to mention any names but as a group we've got to be better and we will.
"I'm not worried and we're glad that we've got Thomas Vanek in our lineup because he can be a dangerous guy to the other teams."
Vanek, who was -1 and didn't record a shot on Rask in Game 1, told Canadian Press that he wasn't pleased with his poor performance in Game 1.
"Last night as a line, even as a team, I don't think we played well. I think Carey carried us the whole game and then stole us the game. Subbie (Subban) stepped up and had a big goal. I think we're not ignorant (of the need) for us being better as a line and myself as an individual."
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