The Blackhawks’ drive to the playoffs has slowed to a long, hard march.
To the disappointment of 15,644 fans in the United Center who saw them return from a four-game West Coast trip Monday night, they were unable to hold a lead and had to settle for a 2-2 deadlock with the Dallas Stars.
The bad news: The tie stretched their winless streak to five games (0-2-3).
The good news: The tie extended their undefeated streak to three games (0-0-3).
“I’m not happy losing a point,” admitted coach Brian Sutter. “Not one bit. But we’ve got to take the point and move on.
“Every point is important. We see the light at the end of the tunnel. We have to chip away and grind away.
Dallas tied the game with 5 minutes 43 seconds to play when Derian Hatcher’s shot from the perimeter went between the legs of goalie Jocelyn Thibault, who was screened by teammate Steve Poapst and Dallas center Jim Montgomery.
“It was a wrister from the blue line,” said Sutter. “Get the puck on net and you never know. Anything can happen.”
Jaroslav Spacek had given the Hawks a 2-1 lead midway through the second period by sending a shot from the slot past goalie Ed Belfour. With Tony Amonte controlling the puck along the boards on his right, Spacek sped in from his defense position to catch the Stars’ defensemen off guard, snared Amonte’s pass and scored his third goal of the season.
It took the Hawks 3:20 to get the game’s first goal. Alex Zhamnov moved into the slot, took a pass from Amonte on his right and sent a shot glancing off goalie Belfour’s glove into the net.
With Spacek in the penalty box for tripping Manny Malhotra, the Stars tied the score at 13:12. The goal was scored by Joe Nieuwendyk, who was in the right place at the right time. Darryl Sydor’s shot from the left circle set up the goal. The puck was deflected on the way in, Poapst tripped Thibault in the struggle to control the puck, leaving Nieuwendyk all alone at the right post.
Nieuwendyk’s stick proved to be a magnet for the puck, and he flicked it into the unprotected net.
Forty-nine seconds later the Hawks’ rookie left wing, Mark Bell, had to be assisted off the ice after a collision along the boards. He sustained a bruised left hip and didn’t return.
The opening period ended with the Hawks’ window of vulnerability wide open. Eric Daze tripped Montgomery after the Stars center lost a faceoff with Zhamnov in the Blackhawks’ end. But referees Dennis LaRue and Brad Watson didn’t see it that way and instead gave the tripping penalty to Zhamnov at 18:58.
Fifty-seven seconds later Spacek was caught high-sticking.
But Thibault and the Hawks’ penalty-killers answered the challenge and Dallas was unable to score.
Thibault made a tough save five minutes into the second period when he deflected the puck out of harm’s way, thwarting a rush to the net by Pat Verbeek.
At the end of the second period Belfour was the center of attention, but it wasn’t because of his play in goal. When the horn sounded for intermission he skated toward the Hawks bench and punched Steve Sullivan from behind as the Hawks’ right wing was leaving the ice. Sullivan punched back.
For an instant it appeared the exchange of blows might instigate a brawl. But order was restored, the teams went to the dressing room and neither Belfour nor Sullivan was penalized.
