Penguins are snowed under
Blackhawks’ Toews shines against Sid the Kid in winter wonderland
CHICAGO — The swirling snow came down in waves, dancing around the upper deck before eventually descending to the temporary ice rink in the middle of a football field.
Playing in a winter wonderland, Jonathan Toews showed his twoway game is perfect for any conditions.
Toews had two goals and an assist at a picturesque Soldier Field, and the Chicago Blackhawks beat the Pittsburgh Penguins 5-1 on Saturday night in the finale of the NHL Stadium Series.
“We felt like we could find a way to score every time we got the puck,” Toews said. “It honestly did feel like we were playing (pickup) hockey in the backyard.”
Patrick Sharp scored in the first period and Patrick Kane set up Kris Versteeg’s 100th career goal in the second, helping Chicago to its first win since Feb. 5 at Anaheim.
The reigning Stanley Cup champions dropped their final game before the Olympic break, and then lost 2-1 at the New York Rangers on Thursday night.
James Neal was credited with Pittsburgh’s only goal when Blackhawks defenceman Brent Seabrook sent the puck into his own net at 6:21 of the third. Marc-Andre Fleury had 35 saves in the Penguins’ third straight loss, matching a season high.
“It wouldn’t have mattered if we played this game inside or outside or it was snow or no snow,” Pittsburgh coach Dan Bylsma said. “They were better and more prepared to play, whatever the conditions were.”
The crowd of 62,921, dressed from head to toe in several layers, usually topped by their favourite jersey, roared when the Penguins and Blackhawks emerged from separate tunnels before the game. The players were greeted by rows of fireworks and shooting flames that sent clouds of smoke into the falling flakes.
“It honestly did feel like we were playing (pickup) hockey in the backyard.”
JONATHAN TOEWS
BLACKHAWKS CAPTAIN
The snow was heavy for most of the first period, and then died down at the start of the second before picking up in intensity.
The small ice crew tried its best to keep up, but it was fighting an impossible battle, and inches of snow piled up on the surface between breaks in the action.
Blackhawks defenceman Duncan Keith tried to play the puck forward at one point in the first, but only got part of it and it sledded to a stop a few feet away.
The snow and frigid temperatures — it was -8 C when the puck was dropped for the opening faceoff — made life difficult on the star-studded teams, full of Olympians and other stars. It also provided a primetime showcase for the considerable skills of Toews, who teamed with Pittsburgh centre Sidney Crosby to lead Canada to the gold medal in the Sochi Games last weekend.
Toews and Crosby had never played against each other in an NHL regular-season game.
Corey Crawford had 31 stops for the Blackhawks.