The “Mutt” unleashed his inner Cristiano Ronaldo last night. No goal. But points for style. Although the maneuver didn’t result with the intended income, Shaw did illustrate an important point: use what you got. Da Hawks went on to 3OT (the longest in franchise history) where always-looks-like-he’s’-gonna-cry Kruger scored on a redirect from Brent Seabrook. All this OT. Us fans are privy to a healthy amount of free hockey these days. Do the Hawks have an internal pool going? “How far can we take it?” But, The Ducks have proven to exact a physical game. Hits abound in the 2nd period with poor Kimmo Timonen receiving the brunt of those cross-checks. They say that he’ll retire after this playoff series. Do the hockey gods want to send this 40-year-old off with a fitting shove and no sealed kiss? Seems like it.

I’ve noticed a real confidence boost in the third line with Sharp, Vermette, and Teravainen. Especially Teravainen. He’s hammered a few pucks in the later periods whereas he’d usually pass it off to his teammates. Keep your eyes on this young buck. He’s gaining valuable play-off experience at such a ripe age, coupled with veteran leadership from Patrick Sharp.

Shaw, Hossa, and Kruger all tallied scores. If the Ducks are worried, they should. The Hawks have some serious depth. Third and fourth lines attacking the net. And when the all-stars like Toews and Kane need to come in and deliver a punch, their $10.5 million a year salaries should guarantee that delivery. This current series, they’ve been dormant. But wait and see what the home crowd does at the United Center to wake up these sleeping giants.