The Blackhawks` defense gave St. Louis no shot at winning Saturday night. Actually, the Blues managed 20 shots on goal during their 5-2 loss in Game 3 of the Norris Division finals at Chicago Stadium.
But their chances to beat Hawks goalie Alain Chevrier were few and far between.
The Blackhawks matched a team playoff record for fewest shots allowed in a period when St. Louis got just three in the opening 20 minutes.
The Hawks looked like they might break that record in the third period, when St. Louis went without a shot for the first 12 minutes 10 seconds. After that, the Blues took seven, most of them unthreatening.
And the Blackhawks prevented the Blues from getting a shot on goal in four of their five power-play opportunities.
”We knew we couldn`t give up 50 shots again and win the hockey game,”
said defenseman Bob Murray, referring to the Blues` 56 shots in their 5-4 double-overtime win in Game 2.
”Mike (coach Keenan) challenged us to play better defense, and we challenged ourselves to play better defense.”
They did it without injured Doug Wilson, one of the team`s best defensemen. The Hawks now lead 2-1 in the best-of-seven series, which continues at the Stadium Monday night.
”Defense is a five-man unit,” Murray said, ”and the forwards are the key to everything. The forwards can make a defenseman`s life miserable. Tonight they made it easy.”
They did it by dumping the puck into the St. Louis end from the red line and then chasing it aggressively. If the Blues got to the puck first, the Hawks` forechecking slowed them down.
How well the Hawks` forwards have been doing that is mirrored in the plus-minus stats of center Denis Savard, who had two goals Saturday. Savard, a minus-5 during the season, is a plus-10 in the nine playoff games.
That defense didn`t necessarily make life easier for Chevrier. A goalie often needs frequent shots to get in his rhythm.
”I`ll bet if you ask him, he will say this was one of his toughest games,” Murray said.
Chevrier agreed.
”It`s difficult to concentrate when you don`t get that many shots, but if you can`t concentrate now, you`ll never be able to,” he said.
He came up big when it was needed most, turning away Paul Cavallini`s point-blank shot with the Hawks ahead 2-1 early in the second period. He was not called on to repeat that early in the third period, with the lead 4-2, because the Hawks got the fifth goal seven minutes before St. Louis got its first shot.
”The play was in the neutral zone and their zone,” Murray said.
”That`s how you know you are playing good defense.”
It turned out the lights on the Blues, who would probably not have gotten any shots in the dark, either.
