Marian Hossa celebrates his second goal with Cam Barker and Jonathan Toews. (AP / Marcio Jose Sanchez)
SAN JOSE, Calif. -- From the moment they took the ice together, it was clear Marian Hossa, Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane were going to be something special together.
Playing in their first game as a line, the trio clicked almost instantly during the Blackhawks' 7-2 shellacking of the San Jose Sharks on Wednesday night. They were the best players on the ice and helped the Hawks control the first period in a hostile environment against the team holding the top spot in the Western Conference.
"I wasn't expecting playing with those two guys clicking right away like that," said Hossa, who scored two goals in his debut with the Hawks after recovering from offseason shoulder surgery. "We did lots of great shifts (and) we cycled really well. It seems like the chemistry is there. It's just the first game. We're just going to try to get better."
That's a scary thought, but Hossa is right: The line can get better. Once Toews and Kane, who have played together many times in their two-plus seasons, learn Hossa's tendencies the line will be even stronger. You can see Hossa's hockey smarts as he found the seams in the Sharks' end and figures to get even better once he gets back into the groove that saw him score 40 goals for the Red Wings last season.
For those who were upset when the Hawks let Martin Havlat go in favor of Hossa and then displayed their angst when Hossa had surgery, look at two key statistics. The Hawks were 15-5-2 without Hossa. And Hossa now has as many goals as Havlat does in 19 games with the Minnesota Wild.
Somewhere, former Hawks general manager Dale Tallon, who signed Hossa to a 12-year, $62.8 million contract, is smiling.
Watch Hossa's two goals against the Sharks:
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Need to know Pitt Martin"s number as a Blackhawk. Does anybody know or remember?
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Chris, were you trash talking to the San Jose media members in the press box?