Say this for the Blackhawks, through a truly miserable season, they’ve kept games interesting.
Just seconds away from gaining their first point on foreign ice since Nov. 20, the Hawks watched it all come apart in a 4-2 loss to Minnesota in which the Wild scored the quickest two goals in NHL history with 15.5 seconds left in the game.
The loss was the 16th in a row on the road, tying a team record set in 1954. The way the Hawks are playing on the road this season–they have the worst record in the NHL–they can shatter that mark by the All-Star break. They begin a six-game trip Saturday in Columbus.
The winning goal came at the 19 minute 44 second mark after a crazy sequence in the Hawk end.
Minnesota had a 3-on-2 rush, and Hawks goaltender Craig Anderson lost his stick on the initial shot. Jim Dowd fired a second shot, which Anderson stopped without his stick, but Deron Quint failed to clear the puck. Tyler Arnason let Dowd get his own rebound and beat Anderson–still without his stick–for the game-winner.
Three seconds after Dowd’s goal, Richard Park scored an empty-netter off a faceoff. Five teams shared the previous record of four seconds between goals.
“It just seems to be going that way,” Hawks winger Steve Sullivan said. “We don’t seem to be able to recuperate from a mistake in our own end. The puck just seems to jump to the back of the net.”
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The more things change …
It’s been 75 days and 16 losses since the Hawks’ last road win over Nashville in November. Their 4-2 loss Wednesday to Minnesota tied the franchise record. How the world has changed since that last win:
– Saddam Hussein was pulled from his hole.
– “Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King” was but a dream.
– Jean Chretien was still prime minister of hockey-loving Canada.
– Saddam Hussein was pulled from his hole.
– Michael Jackson was charged with child molestation.
– It’s no longer 2003.
– Paris Hilton became a video star.
– The first cow in U.S. was diagnosed with mad cow disease.
– Britney Spears got married.
– Howard Dean led the Democratic race to face George W. Bush.
– Dick Jauron and Bill Cartwright were still head coaches.
