Michael Duca 9y

Flat again Hawks blanked by ex-mate Niemi

SAN JOSE, Calif. -- After having six points available over four days in California, the Chicago Blackhawks are leaving the Golden State with only two -- and the least likely two of the bunch.

On Saturday, the Blackhawks came into a building that has become something of a chamber of horrors of late and found in goal their old teammate, Antti Niemi, who led Chicago to the 2010 Stanley Cup.

"We've seen him make a difference before," Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville said, "and he made a big difference tonight."

Niemi stopped all 31 shots he faced, and his San Jose Sharks won 2-0. Several shots were from point-blank range, including a pair by Jonathan Toews from the crease while Niemi was prone on the ice. Niemi stopped the second with his face mask, then grabbed the puck and pulled it safely beneath his body.

Still, considering they entered the third period trailing just 1-0, it had to be adding insult to injury for the Hawks to suffer their seventh shutout third period of January, a month that saw them drop seven of 13 games.

"We did a lot of good things tonight, especially in the first 40 minutes," said Quenneville, who was prevented from tallying his 300th victory as Blackhawks coach one night after his squad scored a dominant victory at West-leading Anaheim and three nights since a late, ugly loss to the Los Angeles Kings.

There's that refrain again: "In the first 40 minutes ..."

After putting 24 shots on net through the first 40 minutes, right on its season average, Chicago was held to just seven in the third period. The Sharks blocked five more.

Almost immediately after Quenneville pulled goalie Antti Raanta for a sixth attacker with 80 seconds left, the Hawks were unable to control the puck in the neutral zone, and Joe Thornton's backhand tap-in into the empty net from 23 feet out put Raanta right back on the ice.

Niemi improved to 6-1-0 on home ice against his old team. The shutout was the 31st in the career of the 31-year-old Niemi, who also wears number 31.

"It felt great to get the two points," Niemi said. "It was a very strong game, and it's still a little special [beating Chicago], even though it's been a while."

After watching several good chances go in a second period that saw the Hawks outshoot the Sharks 15-6, the third period almost seemed a foregone conclusion.

"We had some ... opportunities in the second period and some decent looks in the third," Quenneville said. "That was one of those games where we kept thinking, 'Something's going to come,' and nothing did."

Added Toews, "It would have been nice to find a way to tie that one up and maybe get some momentum and get them on their heels a little bit. They played smart D in the third, and we just couldn't really get that one into the net in the second period."

With the calendar flipping to February, Quenneville remains upbeat.

"I'm not too concerned about January. It's all about how you play, and we are playing well," Quenneville said. "Four tough buildings on this road trip, a couple of disappointing losses, but certain we did some good things tonight."

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