With the Chicago Blackhawks having lost to the red-hot Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday, the Hawks’ schedule did not get any easier. The Winnipeg Jets entered Thursday’s game having won eight games in a row.
The Blackhawks were searching for their first road win since October. The Hawks rolled out the same lineup as they did against Edmonton on Tuesday night at the United Center.
First period
In the first period, the Blackhawks held the white-hot Jets scoreless. Petr Mrazek was great, stopping all 10 shots he faced in the period. On offense, the Connor Bedard-less Hawks mustered only six shots of their own. All six were stopped by the Jets’ backup netminder Laurent Brossoit.
Second period
In the second period, Mrazek continued to dazzle the Jets in net, allowing no goals on six shots. On offense, the Blackhawks were able to sneak one by Brossoit, as Connor Murphy got a long wrister to go in.
Lukas Reichel drops it to Connor Murphy, who snaps home his second goal of the season. #Blackhawks pic.twitter.com/QqmXYTx951
— Charlie Roumeliotis (@CRoumeliotis) January 12, 2024
Lukas Reichel “notched” his first point in the last six games. He lasted recorded a point on Dec. 29 against Dallas.
The second period ended with the Hawks up 1–0 on Winnipeg.
Third period
In the third, Mrazek tried his best to steal a road victory for the Blackhawks; however, the Jets were too much for Chicago. Gabriel Vilardi scored his 10th goal of the season to tie the game with less than four remaining in regulation. Mrazek and the Hawks were unable to push this game to overtime, as Nikolaj Ehlers scored his 15th goal of the season with under two minutes left. The Ehlers goal sealed the victory for Winnipeg.
The Jets defeated the Hawks 2–1. Chicago has now lost its last 15 road games this season.
Analysis
Despite getting the loss, Mrazek was named the first star of the game by the scorekeepers. He stopped 26 of 28 shots on net and nearly stole a game from one of the best teams in hockey. Mrazek continues to look strong this season and has assumed the full-time starting role on this team. Barring a trade, Mrazek should be expected the lion’s share of the Blackhawks’ starts from now on.
While Mrazek was a positive in the game, Reichel continued his disappointing season. Reichel has two points in his last 10 games and eights points on the season. While he did record a point, the assist required little skill on his part. If the Blackhawks were not so decimated by injuries, it might be time for Reichel to take a seat this season.
The Blackhawks’ next game is Saturday against the Dallas Stars. Game time is scheduled for 7 p.m. at the United Center.