Blackhawks goalie Patrick Lalime played in his first NHL game in almost a year Wednesday night and did it in style. He shut out the Vancouver Canucks and the Blackhawks won the game 3-0.
Lalime, formerly with the Ottawa Senators and the St. Louis Blues, has been injured since late summer and did not play for the Blackhawks in their first 53 games. He faced 34 shots in his first game back and stopped every one of them.
Lalime was proud of his accomplishment but also knows the Hawks could be working on trading him.
“It feels good to get the shutout,” Lalime told reporters in Vancouver Wednesday night. “And I understand that I could be part of a trade. That’s fine with me. It’s something like two degrees in Chicago right now. Screw that. Trade me to Florida-hurricanes or no hurricanes.”
Defenseman Adrian Aucoin had the game-winner. He has also been the subject of trade rumors.
“You get used to it,” Aucoin said. “Any time you’re on a struggling team in February all sorts of rumors come out. I heard that the latest offer was me for a bag of pucks, 6 water bottles, and one of the more unattractive Ice Crew members. I think they should take it.”
Number of the Night: 43,546
Times the phrase “get me a beer, eh” was uttered in Vancouver’s stadium last night.
