Two relatively unknown goaltenders, Michael Leighton of the Blackhawks and Zac Bierk of Phoenix, were on opposite ends of the United Center ice Wednesday night. By the end of the game, they were the great unknowns.
Through 60 minutes of regulation time and five minutes of overtime, neither Leighton, who was playing in his first NHL game, nor Bierk allowed a puck to enter the net.
Bierk stopped 40 shots, while Leighton made 31 saves.
Nineteen of Bierk’s saves came in the opening period, when the Hawks were unable to capitalize on four power-play chances.
Leighton was at his best late in the third period and in overtime, when he came up with a couple of collector’s items to thwart Shane Doan and Paul Mara.
“The story is Mike Leighton,” Hawks coach Brian Sutter said. “It was a tough game to play in. He didn’t have a lot of work early. You knew he’d have to be good sooner or later, and he was good late.”
It was the 34th scoreless tie in Hawks history and their first since Dec. 17, 1997, when Jeff Hackett engaged in a shutout duel with Curtis Joseph in Edmonton.
For the 26-year-old Bierk, this was his second appearance of the season after being recalled from Springfield of the AHL in mid-December. Before this season the 6-4, 204-pounder had played a total of 29 games for Tampa Bay and Minnesota.
“Most of their shots were from the outside,” said Bierk in critiquing his first NHL shutout. “There weren’t many second and third opportunities. We cleared the puck really well.”
Overshadowed by the goalies’ duel was the return of Tony Amonte, the Hawks’ former captain, who went to Phoenix as a free agent during the summer.
