The ceremony, hosted by the voice of the Blackhawks for 39 years and Hockey Hall of Famer, Pat Foley, featured the return of several of Chelios’ former teammates, including Brian Noonan, Reid Simpson, Keith Carney, Gary Suter, Denis Savard, Tony Amonte, Eddie Belfour and Jeremy Roenick. Also in attendance were two of the greatest ever to play in the NHL, Wayne Gretzky and Mark Messier, as well as five-time NBA champion, including three straight with the Chicago Bulls, Dennis Rodman.

As for the other major milestone of the night, the Blackhawks welcomed back future Hall of Famer and three-time Stanley Cup winner Patrick Kane to the United Center for the first time since he was dealt to the New York Rangers last spring. On Sunday night, Kane arrived wearing a Red Wings sweater after signing with the team in late November after recovering from off-season hip surgery. Kane entered the game with 11 goals and 26 points in 26 games for Detroit. In net, the Hawks started Petr Mrazek, a former Red Wings draft pick, who faced Detroit’s James Reimer.

First period

Seven minutes into a scoreless game, the Hawks played a video tribute to Kane. With former teammates Patrick Sharp, Marian Hossa, Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook watching from a suite, Kane received a lengthy standing ovation from the sold-out crowd that went so long, he took a second curtain call followed by a third.

With 40.7 seconds left in the first, Robby Fabbri gained the zone and fed Christian Fischer in the slot, who found Daniel Sprong in the right circle and he fired the puck while falling to the ice and past Mrazek to give Detroit a 1–0 lead. Sprong’s 16th of the season would be the lone goal of a fast-paced first period.

Second period

In the second period, MacKenzie Entwistle tied it at 1–1. Kevin Korchinski sent an outlet pass to Reese Johnson, who fired a wrist shot that was stopped by Reimer. Johnson gobbled his own rebound behind the net and tried to bank it off Reimer, but it trickled into the slot and Entwistle fired it in to the open net for his third of the season at 3:29.

mackerrrrrrrrrrrrrrr pic.twitter.com/RQEeq7WVMX

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) February 26, 2024

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The Blackhawks took a 2–1 lead at the 17:52 mark on the power play on Nick Foligno’s 14th of the season. Bedard fired a wrist shot from the top of the right circle and the puck hit Foligno on the way in and went off Reimer and trickled into the net. The Hawks took the one-goal lead into the locker room after 40 minutes.

Bedard and Foligno pic.twitter.com/k46EPH7MT5

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) February 26, 2024

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Third period

With 4:16 left in the third, former Blackhawk winger Alex DeBrincat banked in his 22nd goal of the season to tie the game at 2–2. “The Cat” retrieved the puck on the goal line and fired the puck toward the net and it found its way through between the post and Mrazek’s left leg. Kane also picked up on an assist on DeBrincat’a tally. Sixty minutes were not enough, so the two teams headed to overtime.

In the extra session, in a scene Blackhawks fans have witnessed several times, Kane was sprung loose alone and scored high glove side on Mrazek to win the game for the Red Wings. For Kane, it was his 12th of the season and a fitting way to cap an emotional return to Chicago.

Analysis

Sometimes the story just writes itself. On a night that began with one of the greatest Blackhawks ever having his number retired to the rafters of the United Center, another Hawks legend, and one who will also have his number retired some day, ended the game just like he did so many times during his historic career in the Windy City. The Hawks played a solid defensive game, but a bad late goal given up by Mrazek and then getting caught deep in the offensive zone in overtime cost them the game.

The Blackhawks will be off until Thursday night when they host the Colorado Avalanche at 8 p.m. CST for a nationally televised game on ESPN with the radio call on WGN 720.

The post RECAP: Kane buries OT winner in return on Chelios jersey retirement night appeared first on The Rink.

Davidson had given Kane the option of finishing the season with the Blackhawks or Davidson could try to work out a trade to the team of his choice. Kane decided to be traded and requested the New York Rangers be the destination. The Blackhawks traded Kane to the Rangers on Feb. 28, 2023.

Post-trade statements

At the end of the season, the Blackhawks announced that Toews would not be re-signed to the team. These moves ended the Kane and Toews for with the Blackhawks. Since last season, Kane has been on record that he had not considered returning to the Blackhawks because their rebuilding, while Toews has taken the year off due to his health.

Davidson has been on record on why he chose to move on from Kane and Toews:

“I don’t know if it’s necessarily putting the past behind us,” Davidson said. “It’s moreso clearing the deck to some extent to allow the organic growth for young players into leadership roles and offer this new era of Blackhawks players the same opportunity that Toews, Kane, (Duncan) Keith, (Brent) Seabrook were all offered when they came into the league.”

Young Blackhawks defenseman Alex Vlasic on playing with Kane and Toews: 

“I definitely didn’t feel too comfortable right when I came out of college and signed (in the spring of 2022),” Vlasic said. “Just being in the locker room was weird, I was the youngest guy by far; there weren’t too many guys around my age. I didn’t really feel like I necessarily fit in. But now, with a bunch of young guys, it’s fun. I can talk a little more and be myself, which is always nice.”

Despite all of this, the recurring theme on X (formerly known as Twitter) is that whenever the Blackhawks have any adversity, the solution is bringing back Kane and Toews. While we at The Rink have told people on X multiple times that Kane and Toews are not coming back, these people refuse to believe it and continue to try to push the narrative online.

Kane, Toews and Davidson gave their reasons for not getting the band back together. People continue to refuse to believe in the truth. In case all the other reasons are not enough for you, here is another major reason on why Kane and Toews will not be brought back to the Blackhawks: Neither player is fully healthy.

Toews’ health

Before the 2023–24 season, Toews announced that he was “taking some time away from the game this season,” but did not announce his retirement. This is the third time in the last three years Toews has had to step away from the game due to his health. The first time was when Toews missed the entire 2020–21 season due to suffering from a chronic immune response syndrome in addition to suffering from long Covid. Toews played 71 games in 2021–22, recording the lowest point totals of his career.

Last season with the Hawks, Toews only appeared in 53 games due to feeling the effects of chronic immune response syndrome and long Covid. He recorded career lows in goals and points. Toews appeared in his last game with the Hawks on April 13, 2023.

Even if the Blackhawks decided to re-sign Toews, the probability of him being able to play this season or any seasons in the future has to be very slim. So, from a roster construction standpoint, you want players on your roster that you can somewhat count on to dress. If you want a perfect current example of the lack of this certainty, look no further than Taylor Hall’s disastrous season.

In addition to Toews’ health, based on his statements, he clearly did not embrace the type of rebuild the Hawks were going to undertake. Toews was very outspoken on when Brandon Hagel was traded away for draft picks ahead of the 2022 trade deadline. Toews believed, along with many fans, that Hagel was a peak rebuild player.

Despite the comments, Toews and the Blackhawks appear to be on good terms, as his jersey is still being sold at the United Center.

Kane’s health

While Toews’ health situation is pretty cut and dry, Kane’s situation a little bit murkier. Before being traded, reports had surfaced that Kane was dealing with a hip injury. In the offseason, Kane had hip resurfacing surgery.

While Kane and his agent are reporting that he is healthy and skating again, there are some troubling reports about the procedure. The hip resurfacing surgery has only been had by three other NHL players. Defenseman Ed Jovanovski had the procedure in 2013; he played in 36 games after the surgery before retiring. Ryan Kesler had the procedure done in 2019 and never played again. The most recent example is Nicklas Backstrom. Backstrom had the procedure in 2022 and played in 39 games while rehabbing from the surgery. He has appeared in eight games this season and has now taken an indefinite leave of absence from the team. It is widely believed that Backstrom is done playing hockey.

So, even if Kane comes back this season, there is no guarantee he will be able to play many more NHL games. Despite the uncertainty of his future, Kane has reportedly been interested in signing with the Rangers, Buffalo Sabres and Toronto Maple Leafs. Recently, Larry Brooks of the New York Post ruled out a Kane return to the Rangers, stating the team is not in on the Kane “sweepstakes” this time around, so Kane’s options appear to be dwindling. Despite this, the Blackhawks are still not his radar.

So, I am begging you, please stop saying Kane and Toews should come back or are coming back to the Blackhawks. Both players and the organization have firmly and publicly moved on. It is time for the fans holding on to to false hope to move on as well.

The post ANALYSIS: Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews are not coming back appeared first on The Rink.

Chicago Rinkcast staff members Jeff Osborn, Andrew Bard, Eric Andrews and Sean Fitzgerald discuss the Chicago Blackhawks’ struggles and latest news:

Connor Bedard is red hot!

Philipp Kurashev hitting his stride alongside Bedard.

Lukas Reichel struggle and analysis.

The Goalie situation (Petr Mrazek good, Arvid Soderblom bad)

Corey Crawford’s number to be retired in Rockford.

Possible OT rule change to limit extended possession times.

The Patrick Kane saga.

Watch the entire replay of the Facebook live right here:

Watch the entire replay of the YouTube right here:

Watch the entire replay of the X right here:

#Blackhawks Rinkcast – Season 7, Episode 7 – Getting #Bedarded https://t.co/1KWNFRytwi

— Hockey Rinkcast Channel (@TheRinkcast) November 16, 2023

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You can watch Gate’s segment here:

You can watch the entire program right here (highly encouraged):

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Chicago Rinkcast staff members Andy Campbell, Jeff Osborn, Eric Andrews, Andrew Bard, and Sean (Goldstein) Fitzgerald discuss the exciting news:

Has anyone heard about this draft lottery thing? 

Connor Bedard in a Blackhawks uniform, coming soon. 

Should the Blackhawks dip into the UFA market?

Who else could step in and possibly contribute next season?

Other subjects around the league including Evander Kane and a coaching change in NY?

Watch the entire replay of the Facebook live right here:

Watch the entire replay of the YouTube right here:

Watch the entire replay of the Twitter right here:

Blackhawks Rinkcast: Season 6, Episode 10 – Hawks Win Draft Lottery! Connor Bedard is Windy City Bound https://t.co/1w0sZjs4xC

— Hockey Rinkcast Channel (@TheRinkcast) May 10, 2023

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The post Blackhawks Rinkcast – Season 6, Episode 10 – Hawks Win Draft Lottery! Connor Bedard Chicago Bound appeared first on The Rink.

Chicago Rinkcast staff members Andy Campbell, Jeff Osborn, Eric Andrews, Andrew Bard, Ray Napientek and Sean (Goldstein) Fitzgerald discuss the end of the Patrick Kane era in Chicago:

Thoughts on the Patrick Kane saga and the deal to the New York Rangers

The Jake McCabe and Sam Lafferty trade to Toronto

Is Patrick Kane the best Blackhawks player ever?

What are our greatest Patrick Kane memories?

Watch the entire replay of the Facebook live right here:

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Blackhawks Rinkcast – Season 6, Episode 9 – Goodbye, Patrick Kane https://t.co/EXPHTIzj9c

— Hockey Rinkcast Channel (@TheRinkcast) March 2, 2023

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The post Blackhawks Rinkcast – Season 6, Episode 9 – Goodbye, Patrick Kane appeared first on The Rink.

Ever since June 22, 2007, Patrick Kane has been synonymous with Blackhawks hockey. That changed on Tuesday night, with the official announcement of Kane being dealt to the New York Rangers ahead of Friday’s trade deadline. Joining him en route to the Rangers was defenseman Cooper Zech, with the Blackhawks receiving a conditional 2023 second-round pick, a 2025 fourth-round pick and defensemen Andy Welinski and Vili Saarijarvi in return.

Despite the deal being widely anticipated since the weekend, the reality is still surreal in the aftermath. Gone is a franchise icon, arguably the best Blackhawk of all-time, who headlined the most successful era on the ice in team history, which is no small claim being an Original Six franchise with nearly 100 years of history in the books thus far.

When then-general manager Dale Tallon stepped to the podium on that fateful Friday night in Columbus nearly 16 years ago (and I remember it well, sitting in the 300 level of Nationwide Arena that night), the Blackhawks were a cellar-dwelling team with very little going for it. Chicago largely did not embrace the team or the sport after years of futility. The roar of the old Chicago Stadium a distant memory and the United Center serving as the home of the Chicago Bulls, and some other team that struggled to fill the lower bowl on the best of nights.

Cue a couple of baby-faced teenagers donning the red, white and black in the fall of 2007, and the franchise would change forever. Kane and his longtime running mate Jonathan Toews were starting the process of making Chicago a hockey town. Almost overnight, Chicago rediscovered its love for hockey and the Hawks. The United Center once again became the Madhouse on Madison, filled to the rafters with crazed fans ready to experience a new chapter on the ice. Cue Showtime.

While Kane and Toews showed flashes out of the gate—including Kane winning the Calder Memorial Trophy that season as the NHL’s rookie of the year—the team’s success took a little longer to catch up, as the team failed to qualify for the playoffs in 2008 before ultimately breaking through in 2009 en route to a surprising trip to the Western Conference Final against the powerhouse Detroit Red Wings. Despite falling to their vaunted rivals, the upstart Blackhawks were on the cusp of something special, and that 2009 playoff run provided invaluable experience to the team’s young core.

The summer of 2009 saw the signing of future Hockey Hall of Famer Marian Hossa, and with it, the indisputable reality the Blackhawks would be ascending to the league’s elite in short order, with a well-rounded and deep roster filled with talented youth and complemented nicely with veteran leadership.

Once the 2009–10 season began, it would not take long for the team to show it was capable of anything. On Oct. 12, 2009, just five games into the campaign, the Blackhawks would pull off the comeback of a lifetime. Finding themselves with a 5–0 deficit midway through the first period of their game against the visiting Calgary Flames, the Hawks began chipping away, managing to pull even at 5–5 early in the third period before Brent Seabrook’s game-winner early in overtime. Kane would lead the way in the comeback with a goal and two helpers.

That newfound confidence clearly flipped the switch for the team, as they proved to themselves and the world they were never out of a game. Fast forward to April 24, 2010, and the Blackhawks played comeback kids again, this time when it really mattered. With the Hawks trailing by a goal late in the third and looking for the equalizer, Hossa committed a five-minute major penalty for boarding Nashville’s Dan Hamhuis with just 1:03 remaining in regulation. The veteran, who was coming off of back-to-back losses in the Stanley Cup Final, surely thought he had just doomed his team, with the Predators on the cusp of claiming a 3–2 series lead. Kane had other plans. Despite not being a stereotypical penalty killer, Kane found himself on the ice in dire circumstances, and cashed in big time, scoring the equalizer with 13 seconds left in the game—undoubtedly the biggest goal of Kane’s career, to that point. But Chicago still had four minutes’ worth of Hossa’s penalty to kill off to open overtime, and they found a way through. In magical fashion, Hossa turned the tables by going from scapegoat to overtime hero, coming out of the penalty box and heading straight for the net, where a redirected shot found his stick. Hossa made no mistake from there, and that again gave the Blackhawks the confidence that they were never out of a game.

The Hawks would never look back, defeating the Predators, Vancouver Canucks and San Jose Sharks to find themselves in the Stanley Cup Final against the Philadelphia Flyers. After five games, the Blackhawks held a 3–2 series advantage, with a chance to break their historic 49-year Stanley Cup drought in the City of Brotherly Love on June 9, 2010. The Hawks seemed primed to win in regulation, but Scott Hartnell would level the score at 3–3 with four minutes left in the third, ultimately sending the game to overtime. Four minutes into the extra frame, Kane would create the most iconic moment in franchise history, scoring one of the most memorable goals in NHL history. After receiving a pass on the half board from Brian Campbell, Kane danced his way toward the corner around Flyers defenseman Kimmo Timonen and fired a quick shot at the feet of Philadelphia netminder Michael Leighton. Leighton could not get down in time, and Kane’s shot found the underside of the padding in the goal, clinching the Stanley Cup and breaking the longest championship drought in professional sports history at the time. But the goal was not celebrated like a Cup-clinching goal typically would be, as the puck was not visible in the net, which caused confusion throughout the arena. Kane knew (as did I, for the record, as I jumped off my couch once I saw the trajectory of the shot), and immediately began celebrating, but he was one of the very few who realized what had happened, with the majority of players, referees, announcers and fans left trying to figure out where the puck was. After a quick review, Kane’s goal stood and his legacy was officially established.

That legacy would be plenty for the average player. But not for Kane. He was just getting started.

The list of awards and achievements Kane has racked up is nothing short of remarkable: Nine-time NHL all-star, three-time Stanley Cup champion, 2008 Calder Memorial Trophy winner, 2013 Conn Smythe Trophy winner and of course his banner 2015–16 season that saw him win the Art Ross Trophy, Hart Memorial Trophy and Ted Lindsay Award. In 1,161 games with the Blackhawks, Kane posted 446 goals, 779 assists and 1,225 points. In postseason action, Kane registered another 52 goals, 80 assists and 132 points in 136 games. That is an all-time resume, as was evidenced by Kane’s selection to the NHL’s top 100 players of all-time in 2017.

But not only did Kane have the quantity, he also produced countless moments of quality, too. Who can forget his mesmerizing shootout goal in Minnesota against Niklas Backstrom? Backstrom’s jock still dangles from the Xcel Energy Center rafters to this day. Of course there’s the spin-o-rama goals and assists, perhaps none more memorable than his no-look cross-ice helper to a wide-open Hossa against Anaheim in 2011. Or what about his Bobby Orr-esque goal against Montreal in 2016, dancing through the defense before firing the puck home midair? There’s the playoff “OT GWGs” (in the words of the one and only Pat Foley). There’s the iconic top shelf backhand snipes, such as the one against Minnesota in 2014. There’s the hat trick against Los Angeles in the 2013 playoffs, capped by his signature heartbreaker celebration after scoring the double overtime winner to send the Hawks back to the Stanley Cup Final. There’s even the overtime (almost) buzzer-beating slapper in his final home game at the United Center. And yes, then there’s the Cup winner in Philly. Truthfully, there’s too many to list, too many to even remember. The memories will last a lifetime.

Thank you for those countless memories, from your game-winning shootout goal against your boyhood idol Dominik Hasek in your first-ever regular season game in the United Center all the way to your scorching hot streak in your final games wearing the Indian head, making us all reminisce on these 16 marvelous years and feel like we were all back in the glory days.

Will it sting for a while to know Kane’s days in Chicago are over? Absolutely. Did Kane fully earn the ability to determine the next step of his illustrious career? Absolutely. Should Blackhawks fans excitedly watch the rest of Kane’s career unfold and cheer for more Showtime, regardless of the sweater he wears? Absolutely. And I, for one, look forward to it.

Thank you, Kaner.

The post Thank you, Kaner appeared first on The Rink.

Chicago entered Tuesday’s game after a 4–2 loss at the hands of the Anaheim Ducks, finally snapping the Blackhawks’ five-game winning streak. Goaltender Alex Stalock was back in net against the Coyotes after being activated off the injured reserve.

• Chicago looked like a team that just lost its superstar earlier in the day. Andreas Athanasiou scored the one and only goal for the visiting team late in the third. Arizona goaltender Karel Vejmelka stopped 23 shots on his way to victory.
• Former Blackhawk forward Nick Schmaltz scored his 18th goal of the season, extending a four-game goal-scoring streak, to finish off the Coyoes’ scoring. Travis Boyd, Barrett Hayton and Jack McBain also scored, as Chicago trailed 4–0 until the Athanasiou tally.
• Stalock stopped 29 Coyotes shots in his first game back in net after missing 18 contests with a head injury and vision issues. The loss dropped Stalock to 6–6–1 on the season.
• If you are looking for a silver lining from the game, Arizona is also in the hunt for the worst record in the NHL and snagged two points against the hapless Blackhawks. The loss was Chicago’s second straight defeat after winning five straight.

The Blackhawks are back on home ice on Thursday for a 7:30 p.m. CST puck drop against the Dallas Stars.

The post Blackhawks Post-game One-timers — Feb. 28 vs. Arizona Coyotes appeared first on The Rink.

Petr Mrazek made the start in net for the Blackhawks and had one of his best games in a Hawks uniform. He started off shaky, giving up two goals in the first 11 minutes of play, but settled in to save 45 of 48 shots faced, including all three shooters in the shootout. It is nice to see guys that were basically just brought in specifically to lose, do well. They deserve a little happiness this season, too. The Hawks really had no business winning this game. When you give up 48 shots, there should be no way you win.

The big story of the night (other than Kane) was local boy David Gust. Gust grew up in Orland Park, Illinois, played youth hockey for the Orland Fury, went to Ohio State University, won a Calder Cup as a veteran leader with the Chicago Wolves last season and signed an AHL deal with the Rockford IceHogs in a last-ditch effort to play for the team he grew up cheering for. After signing a two-year NHL deal just days prior, Gust scored the first goal of the game, on his first NHL shot, playing his first NHL shift, in his first NHL game. Storybook, folks. Congrats, Dave!

Ha. I worked for Dave Gust’s family in 95ish. I remember him running around the place as a toddler on weekends occasionally. Jesus I’m old. #Blackhawks pic.twitter.com/wTYG3M7GCv

— Puckin Hostile (@PuckinHostile) February 26, 2023

Poor Brett Seney got completely overshadowed, scoring his first NHL goal since Feb. 9, 2019, with the New Jersey Devils. Again, good on him. In a season of almost all negatives, Gust and Seney gave fans something to smile about.

  Whoever decided to schedule a jersey retirement at 9 p.m. CST that ran for an hour needs to have their head examined. Especially for a game between two teams that are circling the drain with 20+ games still remaining. If you stayed up to watch this, there should be a class action lawsuit you can sign up for.

Karlsson continued to enter his name in the trade deadline conversation with a team-leading six shots on net and a game-tying goal late in the third period.

Max Domi has become a fan favorite in Chicago, following trips through several organizations in the league, earning a not-so savory-reputation, he has come in and won many Chicago hearts, including mine. He took a stick to the mouth, which broke some chompers late in the second period. He came out in the third period and scored his 18th goal of the season in his first shift back, temporarily putting the Blackhawks up 3–2.

For those watching the “tank index,” Chicago is currently ranked 30th overall with a .405 points percentage ahead of the Anaheim Ducks (.375) and Columbus Blue Jackets (.364). The Blackhawks are off today but travel to down the coast to face another bottom-dwelling team, the Anaheim Ducks, on Monday. Puck drop is at 9 p.m. CST.

The post Blackhawks Post-game One-timers — Feb. 25 vs. San Jose Sharks appeared first on The Rink.

General Manager Kyle Davidson also acquired veteran Nikita Zaitsev, a 2023 second-round pick and a 2026 fourth-rounder from the Ottawa Senators in exchange for future considerations prior to puck drop. Zaitsev had Chicago on his limited no-trade list of approved teams and Davidson took the advantage to snag another early draft pick. Chicago now has 13 picks in the first three rounds of the upcoming two drafts.

• This team does not quit under Luke Richardson. Richardson has done an excellent job getting his team prepared and playing the style of hockey he wishes. The record does not reflect the job he is doing because of the lack of overall NHL talent on this team, but the Blackhawks showed no quit again tonight after falling behind the pesky Stars 3–0 and firing back with four straight goals.
• Kane and Max Domi both found the back of the net twice tonight. Domi’s goals gave him 17 on the season and Kane’s pair gives him 16, in what has been an excruciating season for Kane. The on-going storyline of whether the future Hall of Fame winger will wave his no-trade clause has become nauseating. With that being said, Domi and Kane are definitely two players Davidson could get a nice return for at the deadline.
• Speaking of Kane, whatever ailment he was working through before the all-star break clearly is in the rearview mirror. Kane can still take over games and an interested Kane is a great Kane. If a team needs a playmaker, he can still drive an offense. At most trade deadlines, playoff teams are looking for scoring depth and/or depth on the blue line; Kane gives a team a top-line threat when playing alongside talent. Do not be fooled by some that show you chart graphics; you are looking at a bored, banged up Kane. Also, a Kane in April, May and June is a different type of Kane. I would not bet against him.
• Dallas entered Wednesday’s contest first in the Central Division and one point behind the Vegas Golden Knights for top points in the Western Conference. You read that correctly fans. Vegas and Dallas are the top two teams in the conference and Chicago beat both on back-to-back nights. With that being said, the Stanley Cup should go through the Eastern Conference this season, as one could make an argument that six or seven teams in the East would outplay Dallas and Vegas in a seven-game series.
• Goaltender Jaxson Stauber gave a solid effort behind a team that played a game that went into overtime last night and finished in a shootout and found themselves getting in to Dallas at 3:30 a.m. last night. With Wednesday’s victory, Stauber now has five wins in six starts and continues to battle each night and is a joy to watch in net as a 23-year-old netminder finding his way in the NHL. Talent will always be the most important part in the crease in the NHL—you cannot fake that—but Stauber brings a calm and fight that you do not see much with such a young goaltender.
• Chicago found some karma for Tuesday night’s Kane disallowed goal in overtime. Dallas appeared to squeak a puck behind Stauber late in the third, but after another long review, there was “insufficient evidence” that the puck crossed the line. The one replay angle showed the puck on edge and the puck could have reasonably trickled over the line, but Stauber’s sweater blocked the view. Not to be outdone, the Hawks avoided disaster again at the horn, as Tyler Seguin appeared to score for Dallas before the goal was waved off for coming after time expired.

Chicago heads out west for a road trip starting with a contest against the inept San Jose Sharks on Saturday with puck drop scheduled for 9 p.m. CST.

The post Blackhawks Post-game One-timers — Feb. 22 vs. Dallas Stars appeared first on The Rink.

Date	The-Rink Division	Outgoing Player/Pick	Opposite Team	Player/Pick Received
2/22/2023		Future Consideration		Nikita Zaitsev '23 2nd Round Pick '26 4th Round Pick
2/23/2023		Josiah Slavin		Hunter Drew
2/26/3023		Jack Johnson		Andreas Englund
2/27/3023		Jake McCabe (50% retained) Sam Lafferty Conditional '24 5th rd pick Conditional '25 5th rd pick		Joey Anderson Pavel Gogolev '25 1st-round pick (top 10 protected) '26 2nd-round pick
2/27/3023	Rockford IceHogs	Future Considerations	Manitoba Moose	Colin Bilek
2/28/3023	Rockford IceHogs	Adam Clendening	Hartford Wolfpack	Zach Jordan
2/28/3023		Patrick Kane (50% retained) Cooper Zech	via	23 2nd Rd Pick (conditional 1st) 4th Rd Pick Vili Saarijarvi Andy Welinski
3/2/3023		Future Considerations		Anders Bjork
3/2/3023	Rockford IceHogs	Carson Gicewicz	Rochester Americans	Future Considerations
3/2/3023		Max Domi Dylan Wells		25 2nd Rd Pick Anton Khudobin
3/2/3023		Dylan Sikura		Max Golod
3/2/3023	Rockford IceHogs	Future Considerations	San Diego Gulls	Rocco Grimaldi Logan Nijhoff
3/3/3023		Future Considerations		Austin Wagner

Trade Analysis/Break Down:

• • • Chicago Blackhawks acquired Nikita Zaitsev, 2023 2nd Round Pick and 2026 4th Round Pick from the Ottawa Senators for future considerations
    • Chicago Blackhawks acquired Hunter Drew from the Anaheim Ducks for Josiah Slavin.
    • Chicago Blackhawks acquired Andreas Englund from The Colorado Avalanche for Jack Johnson
    • Chicago Blackhawks trade Jake McCabe, Sam Lafferty, a conditional 2024 5th-round pick & a conditional 2025 5th-round pick to Toronto for a 2025 1st-round pick (top 10 protected), a 2026 2nd-round pick, Joey Anderson and Pavel Gogolev.
    • The Arizona Coyotes acquired Patrick Kane from the Chicago Blackhawks for Vili Saarijarvi
    • The New York Rangers Acquired Patrick Kane from the Arizona Coyotes for a 2025 conditional 3rd Round Pick
    • The Chicago Blackhawks acquired 2023 conditional 2nd Round Pick, 2025 4th Round Pick and Andy Welinski from the New York Rangers for Cooper Zech
    • The Chicago Blackhawks acquired Anders Bjork from the Buffalo Sabres for future considerations
    • The Dallas Stars acquired Max Domi and Dylan Wells from the Chicago Blackhawks for Anton Khudobin and 2025 2nd Round Pick
    • The Anaheim Ducks acquired Dylan Sikura from the Chicago Blackhawks for Max Golod

Also, be sure to follow the entire The-Rink staff on Twitter for up-to-the-minute updates, as well:

The Rink Official

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The Rinkcast
Jeff Osborn
Andy Campbell
Ray Napientek
Eric Andrews
Sean Fitzgerald
Andrew Bard
Matt Csakai

 

The post The Rink’s Chicago Blackhawks 2023 NHL Trade Deadline Tracker appeared first on The Rink.

— The Blackhawks and Leafs traded chances in the first half of the opening frame, including over four minutes without a whistle. The home team broke through first, as a Blackhawks rush up the ice saw Max Domi drop a pass to Patrick Kane in the right circle and he snapped his 12th of the season over the glove of Leafs goaltender Ilya Samsonov at the 10:44 mark to give Chicago a 1–0 lead.

— The Leafs tied it at 12:52 of the first when their red-hot power play came through again. Morgan Rielly‘s point shot was deflected by John Tavares in front of the net for his 25th of the season. An intense first period would finish with the teams tied at 1–1.

— Despite coming up empty on their 18th straight power play, the Blackhawks broke the tie at even strength. Kane took a feed from Domi in the slot, showed some patience and froze Samsonov before sniping his second of the game and 13th of the season at 7:57 of the second to give Chicago a 2–1 lead.

— At 10:48, Kane completed the hat trick when he banked one in off Samsonov from behind the net. Initially, the call on the ice was no goal, however, after a brief review by the war room in Toronto, the call was overturned and Kane had his 14th of the season to give the Hawks a 3–1 lead.

— The Leafs cut the Hawks lead to 3–2 when Acciari swatted in a rebound from the goal mouth for his 11th of the season and first as a Maple Leaf at the 17:46 mark of the second.

— In the third, the Leafs tied it at 3–3 when Rielly intentionally shot the puck from his own blue line to the left corner, where Mitch Marner, who had a step on Hawks defensemen Jack Johnson, gathered the puck on the carom, skated alone in front of the net, deked Stauber and backhanded the puck in at the 7:38 mark. For Marner, it was his 20th of the season.

— At 11:42, the Hawks regained the lead at 4–3 when Cole Guttman scored his first NHL goal. The University of Denver alum raced in from his own zone on a 2-on-1 and snapped a wrist shot top shelf past the blocker of Samsonov.

— With 1:16 left, Kane capped a four-point night by finding Domi streaking through the neutral zone and into the Toronto end and he fired the puck into the empty net for his 15th to make it 5–3, which was the final tally.

The Hawks return to home ice on Tuesday night when they host the Vegas Golden Knights. Puck drop is at 7:30 p.m. CST.

The post Blackhawks Post-game One-timers — Feb. 19 vs. Toronto Maple Leafs appeared first on The Rink.

Chicago Rinkcast staff members Andy Campbell, Jeff Osborn, and Sean (Goldstein) Fitzgerald discuss the ever-changing Blackhawks’ position for the NHL trade deadline:

— The New York Rangers acquisition of Vladimir Tarasenko

—What is going on with this Patrick Kane/Jonathan Toews situations?

—Thanks to Landon on Youtube and Matt Pyz on Facebook for joining the talk.

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Blackhawks Rinkcast – Season 6, Episode 8 – Is Patrick Kane Staying Put? https://t.co/PpBiXDH9nV

— Hockey Rinkcast Channel (@TheRinkcast) February 11, 2023

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Chicago Rinkcast staff members Andy Campbell, Sean (Goldstein) Fitzgerald, and Andrew Bard discuss recent trade rumors around the lowly Blackhawks, the anticipation of Connor Bedard as the consensus number one overall pick, and a look at Blackhawks’ prospects from the World Junior Tournament.

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Blackhawks Rinkcast – S6Ep7 – Trade Winds, Connor Bedard, and WJC Prospects https://t.co/UyNZNhC4AD

— Hockey Rinkcast Channel (@TheRinkcast) January 6, 2023

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Chicago Rinkcast staff members Andy Campbell, Sean (Goldstein) Fitzgerald, and Andrew Bard to discuss the Blackhawks slide towards the bottom, the re-uniting of Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews on the same line, as well as a look around the NHL.

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Blackhawks Rinkcast – S6Ep5 – The slide is on, Kane/Toews and a look around the league.” https://t.co/mTkRU35SbF

— Hockey Rinkcast Channel (@TheRinkcast) November 30, 2022

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Rinkcast host Andy Campbell is joined by Rink staffers Sean (Goldstein) Fitzgerald, and Andrew Bard to discuss some of the outlandish rumors and silly takes regarding Patrick Kane and the Blackhawks.

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Blackhawks Rinkcast – S6Ep2 – Patrick Kane Trade Rumors https://t.co/zGoEOlQpMH

— Hockey Rinkcast Channel (@TheRinkcast) September 1, 2022

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It is no secret the Blackhawks badly need to replenish their mostly barren cupboards, and the trade deadline will serve as newly minted General Manager Kyle Davidson’s first big opportunity to do so, and is one he needs to take full advantage of since he has a number of assets that should be moved in order to start building toward the future.

Before breaking down each player’s likelihood of being dealt and a potential return for each player, it is important to first analyze what the priority needs to be for the Blackhawks entering the deadline.

Simply put, there needs to be one goal—and one goal only—leading up to March 21: Asset maximization.

What exactly does asset maximization actually mean? That is a great question, and is one Davidson needs to be keenly aware of. Asset maximization means gaining any sort of net positive in a transaction. This can be accomplished in various ways depending on the franchise, so it is important to understand the Blackhawks’ true situation: Needing to build the franchise back up to being a Stanley Cup winner. That is the critical context Davidson needs to be working under moving forward, no matter what that requires in terms of personnel decisions. There are a number of different ways to view maximizing assets, and that largely depends on the asset itself combined with your goal for the asset.

One key component of this rebuild is Davidson cannot afford to be glued to any player for any specific reason. Every player—yes, EVERY player—can be had for the right return. Let’s not forget that the great Wayne Gretzky was traded TWICE in his illustrious career. So yes, even the “sacred cows” and the “rebuild cornerstones” can be moved—if the return is right. Now, that does NOT mean the Blackhawks should or will trade any given player in the organization, but Davidson at least needs to listen and assess any potential deal that comes across his desk, no matter how far-fetched it may seem. Doing his due diligence on transactions is a critical part of his job, and getting the Blackhawks back to Stanley Cup contention—something they are miles from currently—is his ultimate job responsibility.

With that in mind, Davidson needs to accurately determine how every asset in the organization fits into the grand scheme of getting the Blackhawks back to the promised land, and then act accordingly based on his judgements. Of course, there is so much more involved with this process than the average fan would like to admit, such as the fact the team still needs to sell tickets and merchandise, still needs NHL players playing NHL minutes, still needs to meet the salary cap floor and still needs veterans playing in key roles in order to help younger players properly develop. It is not as simple as trading away every established player for future assets and just playing a bunch of “kids” in order to bottom out. That can—and should—be done to an extent, but again, there still needs to be some degree of structure on an NHL team during a rebuild.

So, with the context established, let’s dig through the current NHL roster to realistically assess where each player stands in the short term and long term. While AHL players and prospects could be dealt, the return would likely be marginal at best, so it is not really worth breaking down those players in particular.

Forwards

Henrik Borgstrom — $1 million cap hit through 2022–23

Borgstrom is a player who likely would not have much value at the trade deadline since he would likely not even crack the lineup for a playoff team. Being under contract through the end of next season, expect Borgstrom to be back competing for a full-time spot in the Hawks’ lineup next season, with that likely determining his long-term future with the organization.

Ryan Carpenter — $1 million cap hit, pending unrestricted free agent

Carpenter is the first player on the list seemingly destined to have a new address next week. As a player who knows his role—a defensively responsible fourth-liner capable of winning face-offs—Carpenter is the type of player playoff teams enjoy cheaply adding at the deadline as they gear up for a Cup run. Though the return will not be much, perhaps a sixth-round draft pick at best, Carpenter’s value is highest to the Blackhawks by being dealt at the deadline and hoping that draft pick can turn into a future piece of the rebuild, as he would likely move to greener pastures this summer as a free agent anyway. As such, take what you can get and run.

Ryan Carpenter is likely a player heading out the door at the trade deadline. (Photo by USA Today Sports)

Kirby Dach — $925,000 cap hit, pending restricted free agent

Dach is the first player to fit into the “no sacred cows” category. Frankly, there is little to no chance of him being dealt at the deadline, but he needs to be one of those players who Davidson takes a long look at this summer in order to determine what Dach will truly provide for the franchise down the road. If Dach can become a legitimate top-six NHL player down the road, then he is very likely a piece the team will keep. If there is cause for concern about Dach’s future, it would be extremely wise for Davidson to cash out on the value Dach has in order to maximize the asset. Again, that is not an endorsement for moving him, just a recognition of what the ultimate focus needs to be. All that said, expect Dach back in the fall competing for a permanent top-six role, and hopefully being able to truly and properly fill it.

Alex DeBrincat — $6.4 million cap hit through 2022–23

Another of the “sacred cows,” DeBrincat will very likely not be leaving Chicago any time soon, which is perfectly fine. He is certainly young enough to envision him still being a high-end player by the time the Hawks are back in the playoffs and will likely be one of the main faces of the franchise through the rebuild. But again, the focus during the rebuild needs to be asset maximization. If another team presents a massive haul in return for DeBrincat, Davidson has to strongly consider it. The likelihood of that happening is probably slim, so get used to enjoying DeBrincat for the foreseeable future.

MacKenzie Entwistle — $800,000 cap hit through 2023–24

Entering an extension next season, Entwistle is a player similar to Borgstrom who would not really offer much value to a playoff team at the deadline. Entwistle likely has a bit more safe of a position with the organization moving forward given the two-year contract extension he received, but will likely never be more than a bottom-six role player, which is fine. Entwistle is young enough where he could still be a viable depth option when the team returns to prominence, or he could end up being similar to Carpenter and being flipped for a mid-late draft pick at a future deadline. Regardless, he likely will not be going anywhere soon.

Brandon Hagel — $1.5 million cap hit through 2023–24

Ah, now we are talking. Perhaps the most hotly contested and debated Blackhawks player in terms of the 2022 trade deadline, Hagel is the ultimate question mark in terms of asset maximization. Let me first say that I truly do love Hagel. Originally a sixth-round draft pick of the Buffalo Sabres, the Hawks signed Hagel as an unsigned free agent in 2019 having given up nothing to acquire him. Talk about a return on investment. Hagel has blossomed into a fan favorite capable of doing literally everything for his team—all at a low cap hit—which is exceedingly desirable and valuable for a contending team.

There are certainly two sides of the coin here. One the one hand, Hagel is just 23 years old and has quickly risen through the lineup to be a go-to player, having already lit the lamp 21 times this season. With his youth, one could certainly envision Hagel being another face of the franchise during the rebuild and still being a contributor upon the Hawks rising back to prominence. However, players of his type oftentimes struggle with durability as their careers progress (see: Shaw, Andrew), so that is one thing to take into serious consideration here.

On the flip side, the return for Hagel right now rumored to have already been turned down by the Blackhawks is a first-round pick and a prospect. Based on the return for Tyler Toffoli, that return would seem to be accurate given the market. For a team starving for quality prospects and future assets, that is an extremely difficult return to say no to for a player who would ultimately be a third-liner on a Stanley Cup team. Can you actually turn down two quality future assets for a third-line winger? Can you actually turn down those assets when you realistically should be able to at worst replace Hagel’s value with that late first-round pick? Again, I truly do love Hagel, I really do, but that would be an awfully tough pill to swallow entering a rebuild. It is a tough decision, but that is why Davidson is paid the big bucks. While I do not think the Blackhawks would necessarily regret keeping Hagel, his value will likely never be higher than it is right now. He needs to be a player the team either keeps through his prime or moves now; anything outside of that is poor asset management. Moving Hagel for a quality return is the epitome of asset maximization, though it sounds like the Hawks do plan to keep him in the fold.

Fan favorite Brandon Hagel has drawn plenty of debate leading up to the trade deadline. (Photo by Melissa Tamez / Getty Images)

Tyler Johnson — $5 million cap hit through 2023–24

Back to much simpler answers, Johnson likely will not be going anywhere for the foreseeable future given his contract. Johnson seems destined to be one of those players who will be a veteran to lean on for legitimate NHL minutes through the rebuild, and that is fine. Not much to see here.

Patrick Kane — $10.5 million cap hit through 2022–23

Oh, there is so much to debate here, but the fact of the matter is, right or wrong, Kane will not be going anywhere unless he wants to. Short of something drastically changing in the coming days, Kane will not be dealt at the deadline, which would push his trade window to the draft at the earliest. Of course, moving Kane would be the largest possible pill to swallow for the organization financially, but he is by far the most valuable asset the team has, and again, with the focus on asset maximization, moving Kane within the next year would work wonders toward truly rebuilding the Blackhawks. Some would argue the team cannot truly rebuild without moving him, and it is difficult to disagree. Sure, Kane would likely still be a quality player in four or five years, but by not moving him, the team would be prolonging the rebuild and likely guaranteeing not winning another Cup during Kane’s playing career. It will be tough, but the bullet has to be bitten at some point.

Jujhar Khaira — $975,000 cap hit through 2022–23

Khaira has been injured for much of the season, but is similar to Carpenter in the sense he is a reliable veteran fourth-liner that teams know they can count on come playoff time. Expect Khaira to be next year’s Carpenter, being dealt at the 2023 trade deadline for a late pick. To give Hawks fans a comparable they can relate to, the team acquiring Khaira next year will be looking at their version of the Blackhawks acquiring Andrew Desjardins back in the day.

Dominik Kubalik — $3.7 million cap hit, pending restricted free agent

Kubalik is a prime example of poor asset management. Kubalik’s value was sky high after a wildly successful 30-goal rookie campaign, but has sharply dropped since he has returned back to Earth in the last couple of seasons. Still, Kubalik is a capable goal scorer who can slot into a playoff lineup in a depth role, and depth scoring is critically important for playoff success. As such, Kubalik would be a player fans should expect could be dealt ahead of the deadline. While the Hawks could opt to keep him around for some depth scoring of their own, it seems like Kubalik has fallen out of favor in Chicago, so just cashing out on the asset might make the most sense both in the short and long term. The return will not be nearly what it would have been in the offseason of 2020, but the Hawks should still manage a decent return and are apparently asking for a second-round pick, though I would say a third-round pick for Kubalik is more realistic.

Dominik Kubalik is another player who may be moved ahead of Monday’s trade deadline. (Photo courtesy of NBC Sports Chicago)

Philipp Kurashev — $842,500 cap hit, pending restricted free agent

Kurashev falls into a similar category as Entwistle, being a player with a fairly safe long-term future in Chicago. The Hawks likely hoped Kurashev would take a step forward this season, but it did not come. Still, Kurashev will likely be around for the foreseeable future, likely fitting in the lineup as a reliable two-way third-liner with the ability to slot up higher if needed.

Sam Lafferty — $750,000 cap hit, pending unrestricted free agent

Lafferty is actually an intriguing case. He is a depth forward likely in the prime of his career, but it seems like the Hawks like him and he has actually started heating up a bit of late. While he likely would not bring much of a return, capitalizing on the hot streak might make the most sense from the asset maximization standpoint, especially since Lafferty likely would not be playing a notable role by the time the Blackhawks are through their rebuild. If the team does move on from Lafferty at the deadline, something in the range of a fifth- or sixth-round pick is probably reasonable to expect. Still though, with the team seemingly liking what he offers, do not be surprised if he sticks around past the deadline and re-signs in the offseason.

Dylan Strome — $3 million cap hit, pending restricted free agent

Love him or hate him, Strome has quickly turned around his season with an impressive hot streak entering the deadline, and what perfect timing. The team has reportedly been trying to find a suitor for a year now without luck, but his surge might just change that. However, as time has worn on, it has become evident Strome would hold a different role with the Hawks than he would with a contending team, and the potential problem with that is most teams likely know Strome is not really suited for being a third-line player, which is where he would likely slot in on a contender. He is the type of player who needs to be playing big minutes with quality players in order to produce, and that is probably not something a contending team could provide him. The Blackhawks are reportedly asking for a second-round pick in return for Strome, though a third-round pick is probably more realistic. But given that, is it even worth it to move him for that type of return? If Strome can be an affordable top-six guy during the rebuild, that might not be the worst thing to just keep him, especially with his obvious chemistry with DeBrincat and Kane. Again, the Hawks need NHL players playing NHL minutes during the rebuild, and that is something Strome could provide. But, if they do find a suitor and move him, you will not find anyone complaining here.

Dylan Strome’s time in Chicago may be coming to an end, or, it could just be beginning. (Photo by Paul Sancya / Associated Press)

Jonathan Toews — $10.5 million cap hit through 2022–23

Toews’ situation is similar to Kane’s in the sense he will not be going anywhere unless he wants to, plain and simple. Also similar to Kane, a deal would likely not happen until the draft at the earliest. But, unlike Kane, there would not be nearly as big of a market for Toews should he want to move on. His health concerns are very legitimate, and that does not even begin to factor in the monstrous cap hit. Even at half retained, there likely would not be a huge return coming Chicago’s way given he would probably be a third-line center on a contending team. While it is possible Toews could move on one day, it is probably more realistic for Toews to finish his esteemed career as a Blackhawk, whenever that might be, and it could very well be sooner rather than later.

Defensemen

Calvin de Haan — $4.55 million cap hit, pending unrestricted free agent

This might be among the easier decisions Davidson has at the deadline. Similar to Carpenter, de Haan is the type of player contending teams crave at the deadline. De Haan is a reliable, defense-first defenseman who is willing to put his body on the line to get the job done, something every Cup team needs. It is highly likely de Haan would not re-sign with the team, so cashing out on him now is the only rational choice here. While it may require the Hawks to retain some of his cap hit in order to receive a quality return, that is something they should eagerly welcome. The reported ask is a second-round pick, and that could feasibly happen if the Blackhawks did retain half of his cap hit, but expecting a third-round pick is probably more realistic for the veteran blueliner.

Calvin de Haan is one player most people expect to be dealt ahead of Monday’s trade deadline. (Photo courtesy of The Fourth Period)

Erik Gustafsson — $800,000 cap hit, pending unrestricted free agent

The Blackhawks managed to deal Gustafsson at the trade deadline once before. If another team is willing to give the Hawks literally anything for him this time around, Davidson needs to accept and hang up the phone before the other team changes their mind. It is either sayonara now or in the offseason, so if an asset can be had, great. Don’t let the door hit you on the way out, again.

Caleb Jones — $850,000 cap hit, pending restricted free agent

The younger Jones is likely a player the Blackhawks plan to have around for a while, which is fine. He is a young, serviceable bottom-pairing guy at a cheap cap hit. Nothing wrong with that, but not much to see here, either.

Seth Jones — $9.5 million cap hit through 2029–30

The elder Jones has been solid for the Hawks this season, but will always be judged in light of the gargantuan package then-general manager Stan Bowman gave up to acquire him at the 2021 NHL Entry Draft. Yes, the Blackhawks badly needed a No. 1 defenseman, but mortgaging the future entering a rebuild to acquire one was not the way to do it. Jones will be a valuable piece for the Hawks for many years to come, but they had better hope they will be back to contending while Jones is still playing at a high level.

Jake McCabe — $4 million cap hit through 2024–25

McCabe is one of those players where you kind of just throw your hands up and ask “Why?” because you just are not sure what to make of him. As has been said earlier, the Blackhawks will need NHL players playing NHL minutes during the rebuild, and that is precisely what he will do.

Connor Murphy — $4.4 million cap hit through 2025–26

Murphy has developed into a quality blueliner for the Hawks, though like Jones, he will always be tied to the trade made to acquire him. Despite that, Murphy will be another quality piece moving forward. It seems likely he will be in Chicago for a while, though entertaining the idea of cashing out on him sometime in the next couple of years might not be the worst thing, either. He would certainly be on the decline by the time the Hawks are regular playoff contenders, so in the name of asset maximization, it would make sense to move him eventually.

Riley Stillman — $1.35 million cap hit through 2023–24

Stillman is similar to Caleb Jones in the sense he is also a cheap 24-year-old bottom-pairing defender. The Blackhawks seem to like Stillman, so do not expect him to be leaving the organization any time soon. Not much to see here.

Alex Vlasic — $824,167 cap hit through 2023–24

The newest member of the Hawks is just getting his professional career started, so there is no reason to think he will be heading out the door in the near future. A physically imposing blueliner, it will be enjoyable to see if Vlasic can reach his potential and develop into a top-four defenseman capable of doing a bit of everything. If you want to read a bit more about Vlasic, check out my piece about his signing.

Goaltenders

Marc-Andre Fleury — $7 million cap hit, pending unrestricted free agent

Another hot-button topic leading up to the deadline is what will happen with the legendary netminder. You might be disappointed, but I am not going to waste much time here. A promise was made to Fleury that it would be his decision regarding a potential move at the deadline and the team intends to keep that promise. Right or wrong, that is the reality of the situation. Yell at clouds all you want, like our own Jeff Osborn has been doing. Obviously yes, from a rebuilding standpoint, moving Fleury and getting a solid return—such as, say, a first-round pick—would be hugely beneficial for the Blackhawks. If Fleury wants to stay for the rest of the season, that’s fine, too. The team got a year out of a legendary player and person, and there is value in that. Even though this is The Rink, not everything needs to be negative. If Fleury wants to move to a contender and the Hawks get some assets in return, wonderful. If he wants to stay for the homestretch, enjoy it. Simple as that.

Marc-Andre Fleury holds the cards in any potential deal involving him leading up to the trade deadline. Fleury’s decision will have a defining impact on the outcome of the Chicago Blackhawks’ deadline dealings. (Photo courtesy of The Athletic)

Kevin Lankinen — $800,000 cap hit, pending unrestricted free agent

Like Lafferty, Lankinen might be an underrated name heading into the deadline, especially if Fleury wants to stay in Chicago. With teams looking for goaltending help, a dirt-cheap option like Lankinen might actually prove to be quite appealing at the deadline. Lankinen can provide NHL minutes both now and in the future for whichever team he finds himself on come March 22. If it is with the Hawks, he can likely be a tandem goalie through the rebuild, which is perfectly fine and good. If he is dealt, he might fetch the Hawks a mid-round pick, which, hey, that is more than what they gave up to get him (hint: nothing). Lankinen is very replaceable, so if the Hawks do have an offer of note for him at the deadline, they might as well pull the trigger and ensure they get something for him since he could theoretically walk this summer.

Recap

That was a lot of information, so let’s summarize. The players to really keep an eye on ahead of Monday’s trade deadline are the following: Carpenter, de Haan, Fleury and Kubalik. Maybe add in the likes of Hagel and Strome, too. And for those sneaky trade chips, maybe Lafferty and Lankinen. And Gustafsson, if anyone actually wants him. Outside of those names, everyone else is likely safe, at least for now. And that is not to say all of those players will be dealt; quite the contrary. If even half of those players are moved, it will have been an eventful deadline for Davidson and the Blackhawks.

Of course, being able to move some of those bigger chips and acquire some quality pieces for the future has to be the goal, and if a first-round pick for this year’s draft can be recouped, even better. Realistically, let’s hope for maybe a second-round pick and some mid-round picks. But regardless of the outcome, how Davidson handles this weekend will likely start to paint a picture of the future of the franchise, both for the short and long term, and that is certainly something Blackhawks fans can look forward to.

The post Setting realistic expectations for the Chicago Blackhawks’ trade deadline appeared first on The Rink.

Last time there was a double hat trick for the Hawks:

– Patrick Kane was suiting up for the Buffalo Saints 14U AAA team
– Brandon Hagel was four pic.twitter.com/CZrkzEK1cZ

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) February 26, 2022

I know what you are thinking. The time is now to move Hagel because his value may very will be at its peak. Time and time again he is proving he can be a solid top-nine player. And, if the rumors are true that the Blackhawks are being offered a first-round pick and more, many would say to take the money and run. If the Blackhawks were ready to win, Hagel could be given a red carpet to walk on every night. Unfortunately, reality says the Blackhawks need a lot more quality assets in order to climb back to the top. While we still do not know who the Blackhawks’ general manager will be, March 21 will be here in the blink of an eye.

Overshadowed in the Blackhawks’ pair of hat tricks were other standout performances. Ryan Carpenter was credited with the game-winning goal, his second of the season. Seth Jones picked up three assists, now having 31 on the year. Kirby Dach KEPT the puck on a 2-on-1 and buried it in the back of the net for his eighth of the season on a nifty forehand-backhand power move around Devils goaltender Jon Gillies. There were a lot of names on the stat sheet for a thrilling game.

A controversy to come out of Friday’s win was what happened on Hagel’s empty-net goal. Devils defensemen P.K. Subban tripped Hagel with a slew foot as he was skating toward the net and a scuffle ensued. It should be no surprise to anyone that Subban did something to cause pushing and shoving. Hagel’s comments after the game were warranted, and Subban’s image to the everyday hockey fan is not a good one.

Hagel on PK Subban's trip: "There's a reason the guy slew-foots everyone and gets these dirty fines… I have a clear-cut breakaway. What are going to do? It's just a dirty play. It is what it is. He can do what he wants but it's not going to get him very liked around the league"

— Ben Pope (@BenPopeCST) February 26, 2022

Friday night’s home victory marked their only of this month. The Blackhawks have two more, Sunday against the St. Louis Blues and Thursday against the Edmonton Oilers left on the homestand. In a season where it is hard to find many positives, you can chalk Friday up as one that reminds you of the joy of hockey and being at the rink.

The post Two Blackhawks earn hat tricks in 8–5 win over New Jersey appeared first on The Rink.

Rinkcast host Andy Campbell is joined by Rink staffers Eric Andrews, Sean Fitzgerald and special guest Christian Deme (aka StacheESQ) to discuss trade rumors surrounding the Chicago Blackhawks.

• Why is Brandon Hagel deemed untouchable?
• Is Marc-Andre Fleury the first chip to fall?
• Is the idea of Patrick Kane being dealt too bold to consider?

Watch the entire replay of the Facebook live right here:

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Watch the entire replay of the Twitter right here:

Blackhawks Rinkcast – Season 5, Episode 15 – @StacheESQ has entered the chat https://t.co/rO5CRXrQHj

— Chicago Blackhawks Rinkcast (@TheRinkcast) February 24, 2022

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The Blackhawks may not be a playoff team but it does not discount their efforts of late. They are playing fine hockey and capitalizing on their chances. 

The first period was uneventful in the scoring category. Multiple chances from both teams early were kicked away by solid goaltending. Given the Blackhawks ranking toward the bottom of the league in scoring, being able to jump out to an early lead would be beneficial. And that came in the second period with a goal from fan-favorite Brandon Hagel. 

THIS SEQUENCE HAS EVERYTHING pic.twitter.com/F4tVLb2vsH

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) January 16, 2022

This was a crazy sequence leading to Chelsea Dagger for the Blackhawks. It is something you do not see every day and it makes for great highlight reel material. 

The Blackhawks would score their second and third goals in the third period to seal the deal. Kane scored on the powerplay and Kubalik tallied an empty net with minutes remaining.

THIS DUO pic.twitter.com/7in1jUd3Pd

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) January 16, 2022

Fleury stopped 37 shots and one helmet removal of a Ducks player. He has been a joy to watch. He has been the backbone of the win streak and when there is a big save to be made, he shows up again and again. 

STAT OF THE GAME

#Blackhawks have 15 high-danger chances at 5-on-5, per @NatStatTrick. That’s a new season-high.

— Charlie Roumeliotis (@CRoumeliotis) January 16, 2022

This is nice to see. Like Eddie Olczyk always says, get pucks and people to the blue paint and good things will happen. The Blackhawks have to fight for those “greasy goals” because a lot of the time, they are outmanned in the offensive skill department.

The Blackhawks have a 4 p.m. CST puck drop in Seattle on Monday before a home-and-home matchup with the Minnesota Wild this weekend. 

The post Blackhawks shutout Ducks 3-0 to extend the win streak appeared first on The Rink.

Chicago did get a bit of good news before the game, as Patrick Kane returned to the lineup for the first time in a week. Kane had been out in the COVID-19 protocol.

The Senators came into Chicago after defeating the Dallas Stars in a 4–1 victory on Friday. In a battle of former Pittsburgh goalies, it was new Blackhawks goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury that bested his old teammate, Matt Murray.

First period

In the first period, the Senators controlled the play early. At a point during the period, the Senators had generated 11 shots on net with four quality chances, while the Blackhawks had only three shots on net and no quality chances. Despite being outshot early, Fleury was able to hold Ottawa scoreless. Fleury not only was stopping shots, but he was directing rebounds to the corners, a great sign for the struggling netminder.

With less than a minute to go in the period, Brandon Hagel broke open the scoreless affair. Kane took a shot from the left circle that deflected off a Senators defenseman right into Hagel’s wheelhouse. Hagel buried the shot past Murray for the Blackhawks’ second lead of the season at 1–0, which would be the score at the end of the frame.

Second period

In the second period, Ottawa’s Drake Batherson was caught holding Connor Murphy for the Blackhawks’ first power play of the game. While the Blackhawks have struggled 5-on-5 this season, they have excelled on special teams. On the man advantage, Jonathan Toews fed Ryan Carpenter in the slot. Carpenter’s wrister was fought off by Murray, but the rebound found the stick of Kane. Kane flicked the backhanded shot into the net for his 406th career goal and the second Blackhawks goal of the game, doubling Chicago’s advantage to 2–0.

The tally tied Kane with Steve Larmer for third in goals scored with the Blackhawks.

After two periods, the Blackhawks were fully in control with a two-goal lead.

Third period

In the third period, the Blackhawks dropped the hammer on the Senators. Less than one minute into the third period, Hagel shot a puck from the point past Murray for this second goal the night and a 3–0 Chicago lead. The Hagel goal was aided by a screen from Carpenter.

Less than a minute later, Kane took sole possession of third place on the franchise goal scoring list with his second goal of the game. Kane got a pass from Erik Gustafsson, who flew up the wing and fed it across to Kane, who made no mistake firing the feed into the back of the net for a lopsided 4–0 lead. Next up on the franchise goal scoring list for Kane to catch is the late great Stan Mikita at 541 goals.

With the Blackhawks firmly in control, the only blemish on the evening was an Alex Formenton goal just 19 seconds after Kane’s strike. However, Kane and the Hawks would get the last laugh, as Kane capped his historic night with another goal for his seventh career regular season hat trick.

When the final horn sounded, the Blackhawks won big 5–1 and had finally earned their first win of the season.

Analysis

It was all good for the Blackhawks on Monday. After sustaining an early onslaught from the Senators in the first period, the team was able to settle in and score plenty of goals.

Patrick Kane

Kane recorded his seventh regular season hat trick and passed Steve Larmer on the Blackhawks all-time goals list to gain sole possession of third place. He also passed Denis Savard for third in points for the Blackhawks. Kane had four points on the night and now has 1,097 career points.

Brandon Hagel

Hagel recorded his first two-goal outing of the season. Hagel has been the Jeremy Colliton Swiss Army knife, playing on multiple lines this season and sometimes multiples lines within a period. Hagel continues to bring energy to any line he plays on.

Marc-Andre Fleury

Fluery had been struggling coming into St. Louis on Saturday night, but after allowing only one goal on 37 shots, his confidence seemed to be restored. In Monday’s victory, Fleury allowed one goal on 24 shots. Those two contests have been the only games the Blackhawks have allowed less than three goals in a game. Needless to say, it would appear as though the reigning Vezina Trophy winner is finally gaining his footing in Chicago.

The Blackhawks swing back into action on Wednesday at 7 p.m. at the United Center, hosting the spotless 8–0–0 Carolina Hurricanes.

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With the moves, the Blackhawks cemented their true roster, as the initial 23-man roster submitted for the NHL’s opening day deadline was done to maximize cap space and flexibility, as many teams opt to do.

As such, the Hawks’ roster heading into the team’s first game is as follows:

Forwards
Henrik Borgstrom
Ryan Carpenter
Kirby Dach
Alex DeBrincat
MacKenzie Entwistle
Adam Gaudette
Brandon Hagel
Tyler Johnson
Patrick Kane
Jujhar Khaira
Dominik Kubalik
Philipp Kurashev
Dylan Strome
Jonathan Toews

Defensemen
Calvin de Haan
Erik Gustafsson
Seth Jones
Jake McCabe
Ian Mitchell
Connor Murphy
Riley Stillman

Goaltenders
Marc-Andre Fleury
Kevin Lankinen

Injured reserve
Alec Regula

Long-term injured reserve
Caleb Jones
Wyatt Kalynuk

Additionally, the Blackhawks announced their leadership group on Tuesday. Toews of course remains as captain of the team, while Kane, DeBrincat and Murphy join him as alternate captains for the season. Kane will be a permanent alternate captain throughout the season, while DeBrincat will serve as an alternate and home and Murphy on the road.

Our alternate captains. pic.twitter.com/MBRl1kwbd1

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) October 12, 2021

The team also placed minor-league forward Matej Chalupa on unconditional waivers on Tuesday for purposes of a buyout. Chalupa, who had been in training camp with the IceHogs, is expected to return to Europe.

The Blackhawks will open their regular season on Wednesday, traveling to face the Colorado Avalanche in a Central Division battle. Puck drop for the contest is scheduled for 9 p.m. CDT.

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THE FIRST THREE @88PKane@AM34@seth_jones3#TeamUSA | #WinterOlympics

— USA Hockey (@usahockey) October 7, 2021

The Olympic stage is nothing new for Kane, as it will be his third time representing the United States on the world’s biggest sports stage, donning the red, white and blue in both 2010 and 2014. Additionally, Kane has represented his country in nearly every major international setting, including the Under-17 World Junior Championships, Under-18 World Junior Championships, the World Junior Championships, the World Championships and the World Cup. Kane served as his team’s captain at both the 2018 and 2019 World Championships. Kane has tallied 82 points (29 goals, 53 assists) in 58 games played at the international events listed above throughout his career.

Conversely, 2022 will be the first Olympic experience for Jones, who was a rookie the last time NHL players were allowed to compete in the Olympics. However, like Kane, Jones is in no way a stranger to the international stage, including competing at the Under-17 World Junior Championships, Under-18 World Junior Championships, the World Junior Championships and the World Championships. In 43 contests in the events listed, Jones has amassed 35 points (eight goals, 27 assists). Jones also competed in the 2016 World Cup, but was representing the North American Under-23 team.

Toronto’s Auston Matthews rounded out the trio of provisional players named to the squad. The rest of the 25-man roster will be announced in January, and fellow Blackhawks teammate Alex DeBrincat is expected to join Kane and Jones on the final roster.

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You can watch Gate’s segment here:

You can watch the entire program right here (highly encouraged):

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It was an evenly matched first period with the Sharks getting the slight edge via a power play goal. Two Blackhawks penalties back to back set up the early deficit. Dylan Strome got two minutes for tripping Evander Kane and 15 seconds into that power play, Ryan Carpenter got called for high sticking Joe Thornton. The Blackhawks were tied for seventh in the NHL on the penalty kill with an 82.3% success rate and they were a mere six seconds away from getting a player back before Kane and Thornton would get their revenge. Thornton hit Kane with a solid pass to Crawford’s side and Kane buried his 26th goal on the season.

The Sharks had 15 shots on net compared to the Blackhawks 14, but San Jose had the one that counted.  Nevertheless, Sharks led 1-0.

The #Blackhawks trail 1-0 after one frame in Chicago.#CHIvsSJS pic.twitter.com/11MwTwrrDX

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) March 12, 2020

The second period saw the Blackhawks as the beneficiary of the power play as they scored three goals, two of which were with the man advantage. That simple fact is important for several reasons: In the last five games, the Blackhawks were 0–14 on power play chances and the Sharks boasted the number one penalty kill in the league. Despite their elite penalty kill Sharks will probably not make the playoffs this season.

Hockey is weird.

Antti Suomela got called for hooking and the Blackhawks took advantage of the man advantage with some great teamwork from Kirby Dach and Duncan Keith. Dach set a tremendous screen in front of goalie Aaron Dell which allowed Keith to fire a shot a few feet from the blue line for only his third on the season, but the 101st goal of his career. Jonathan Toews and Alex DeBrincat both got an assist on the goal. What is important to know about that goal is Dach may not be filling the stat sheet and is not in a lot of box scores, but he is playing some fantastic hockey this season. He is winning a lot of face-offs and it is not going unnoticed. Hawks tied the game 1–1.

POWER. PLAY. PARTY.

The @NHLBlackhawks find the EQUALIZER. pic.twitter.com/sIrAF34hHM

— NHL on NBC (@NHLonNBCSports) March 12, 2020

The Blackhawks got another shot at the power play when Evander Kane got two minutes for holding Dylan Strome and Strome got a nice chance in the middle of the ice to break the tie, but Dell made a quick glove save to keep the score even.

Towards the end of the second period was when the Blackhawks started to get hot though. Brent Burns got two minutes for roughing Brandon Hagel, who was making his NHL debut, as Burns caught him with an elbow. Thirty seconds later, DeBrincat and Patrick Kane made the Sharks pay.

DeBrincat came down the right side of the ice on the power play and found Kane in motion to the goal for his 32nd on the season. Dell did not see Kane until it was too late. It is always good to see DeBrincat on the box score after he has been having a down season. Alex and Duncan Keith got an assist on the goal.

12 + 88 =

Watch live on the #MyTeams App: https://t.co/mfQ1ZBTGTC pic.twitter.com/BwqlkkT5bt

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) March 12, 2020

The Blackhawks tallied ANOTHER goal 90 seconds later from Brandon Saad for his 21st goal of the season with an assist from Toews and DeBrincat. The Blackhawks were a lot quicker and more effective in the second period and were showing that previously mentioned flash of greatness many have speculated about. Home team was up 3–1 heading into the third period.

Saad making everyone in the UC happy

Watch live on the #MyTeams App: https://t.co/mfQ1ZBTGTC pic.twitter.com/BZ086ttkoz

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) March 12, 2020

The third period, much like the second, was all Blackhawks. Alexander Nylander got his skates wet in the scoring pool when he converted a wrister from Strome for his 10th on the season to give the Hawks a 4–1 lead.

Cue Chelsea! Alex Nylander gets in on the fun pic.twitter.com/gvfeFbnjMn

— Blackhawks Talk (@NBCSBlackhawks) March 12, 2020

Timo Meier converted on an assist from Evander Kane from the neutral zone to cut the lead back to two, but it would be the last time the Sharks would get on the board. Despite the Sharks pulling within two (4–2), from then on, it was simply all Blackhawks. Patrick Kane got his second of the game and 33rd on the season on an assist from Slater Koekkoek and Nylander. Blackhawks were now up 5–2.

Kane you believe?! 5-2!#CHIvsSJS pic.twitter.com/Dm7kLFnizp

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) March 12, 2020

Then, rookie sensation Dominik Kubalik got his 30th goal on the season fed by a nice drop pass by Dach which Kubalik sniped over Dell’s glove hand.

Goal No. 30 for rookie Dominik Kubalik!#Blackhawks pic.twitter.com/HC6pRjs3bD

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) March 12, 2020

Blackhawks won easily 6–2 and the game never seemed in jeopardy. Crawford stopped 34 of 36 shots and earned his 15th win of the season.

The Sharks announced earlier in the day that they would play the remainder of their home games this season without fans in the arena. The Columbus Blue Jackets followed suit and the NHL could make an official announcement after the game or as early as this morning to suspend all play with the NBA suspending their season, following a player on the Utah Jazz tested positive for the Coronavirus. Very scary things going on that surpass the game of hockey. If the virus panic does not do away with the season altogether, the Blackhawks will be playing Friday at 7:30 p.m. CDT at the United Center against the Ottawa Senators.

Whether it be in front of a home crowd is another story as the teams could end up playing with no spectators.

Duncan Keith: “It’s tough to imagine playing games in an empty building. The fans are what make the game… I guess we’ll wait and find out.” #Blackhawks

— Eric Lear (@BHTVeric) March 12, 2020

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The Blackhawks were very shorthanded on the backend for Friday’s game. After news surfaced that Lucas Carlsson had entered concussion protocol after taking a puck to the head in Thursday’s game, Dennis Gilbert was recalled from Rockford. Initially, it seems like Gilbert was merely an insurance policy, as Nick Seeler was slotted to join the lineup instead of Gilbert. However, just before puck drop, it was announced that Adam Boqvist would not play due to a wrist injury, so Gilbert indeed drew into the lineup in place of the young Swede.

Another interesting note ahead of Friday’s game was Corey Crawford getting the start again in net. It is rare for a goalie to play both games of a back-to-back, but Chicago head coach Jeremy Colliton went with the veteran netminder over giving newly acquired Malcolm Subban a chance in net against the league’s worst team.

The first period began well for the Blackhawks, especially for hometown boy DeBrincat. Just over a minute into the game, DeBrincat and Drake Caggiula had a two-on-one opportunity and DeBrincat, who was ultimately the trigger man, was robbed by Red Wings goaltender Jonathan Bernier.

The first period would not yield much else for either side and both teams went into the dressing room with no scoring in the first.

Just 20 seconds into the middle frame, the home team struck. After the puck was being played on the left-wing boards, Dylan Larkin found the puck and dished it from the boards to Tyler Bertuzzi, who was sitting just off to Crawford’s opposite side in the slot. Bertuzzi wasted no time and fired the puck past Crawford for his 19th of the season and a 1–0 Red Wings advantage.

Bert getting the party started! #LGRW pic.twitter.com/wwCGBBt2uA

— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) March 7, 2020

The Hawks had two two-on-one opportunities following the Detroit goal, however neither worked out after a bit of a missed pass from Brandon Saad to Jonathan Toews and a quality save on Dylan Strome by Bernier.

Around the midway point of the second period, the Red Wings found themselves on the power play. Just after the 10-minute mark, there was a huge board battle in the left wing corner of the ice, occupying most of the Blackhawks’ penalty killers. After the puck was freed by Frans Nielsen, Gustav Lindstrom found Robby Fabbri and, with the puck on a silver platter, Fabbri found the back of the net on the one-timer to give the Red Wings a 2–0 lead.

Robby Fabbri.

WHAT. A. LASER. pic.twitter.com/8kSBkkwZK2

— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) March 7, 2020

Both goals were excellent one-time chances for the home club. It is safe to say Corey Crawford did not stand much of a chance on either play. However, on the second goal, Fabbri’s shot actually deflected off of Gilbert, who dove in front of the shot to block it. Gilbert’s attempt changed the angle of the shot on Crawford and made the shot increasingly more difficult to stop.

The Blackhawks almost beat Bernier with around eight minutes remaining, as Kirby Dach thought he put the puck behind the Red Wings goaltender on a DeBrincat shot rebound. However, the puck clanked the post and danced along the line, but never crossed, and play continued.

It took the remainder of the period and a bit of line blending before the Hawks could beat Bernier. With just over a minute left in the period, Colliton threw Toews and Saad out with Patrick Kane to get something going. On their rush up the ice, Saad initially found Toews, but he lost the puck and it dribbled behind Detroit’s net. Toews regained possession and found Saad in front of Bernier. Without missing a beat, Saad quickly moved the puck to Kane, who was backdoor, and he potted his 31st goal of the season to cut the Wings’ lead in half at 2–1.

Toews Saad Kane

That's more like it! pic.twitter.com/0h2oHf54Qg

— Blackhawks Talk (@NBCSBlackhawks) March 7, 2020

However, despite some good chances in the third period, the Blackhawks could not crack Bernier the rest of the way and saw their winning streak come to a screeching halt, as the Blackhawks dropped Friday’s contest 2–1 in Detroit.

Along the Boards

It is sad when the worst team in the league handles you as if it is nothing. Yes, the Blackhawks had some quality chances throughout the game, such as DeBrincat’s two-on-one snipe, Dach’s rebound chance and Kane’s goal, but this team never sustained any meaningful pressure on the Red Wings for much of the game. It is tough to beat a team on a back-to-back, but this Blackhawks team had a lot of success in the second half of back-to-backs this season.

Now, a big reason for that success was the goaltending duo of Crawford and recently traded Robin Lehner. Lehner started the first half of most back-to-backs and a healthy, strong Crawford cleaned up the second half. It was a sensational combination. However, fast forward to now, Lehner is gone, Malcolm Subban is now the Blackhawks’ backup goalie to Crawford, and this coaching staff refuses to play the new netminder.

Subban may have struggled this season in his time with Vegas, but you would think the young goalie would get a chance against the league’s worst team, right? Wrong. Subban once again watched from the visitor’s bench in Detroit, as Crawford took his second game in two days after helping the Blackhawks defeat the Edmonton Oilers on Thursday night at the United Center.

It is also worth mentioning that Boqvist’s wrist injury really hurt the Blackhawks defensively, as did Carlsson’s injury. The two young defensemen were playing very well, and Boqvist was finding his touch as the offensive playmaker fans hoped he would become when the Hawks drafted him eighth overall in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft. Due to the injuries, enter Seeler and Gilbert, who both played an average game at best. Gilbert turned the puck over quite a bit and there were a few chances where Crawford bailed out his young defenseman.

It would be easy to blame Friday’s loss on the lack of defensive depth, but it really seemed that this team just looked tired. Fortunately for the Hawks, Friday’s game was only one of four road contests in the entire month of March. The Blackhawks get plenty of home cooking in March, restarting that trend on Sunday night when they welcome the Western Conference leading St. Louis Blues to town.

The Blackhawks are still mathematically in the playoff picture. However, I am going to be the pin that pricks the balloon. This team is not making the playoffs. They do not have enough depth right now to make a meaningful push. If Lehner was still in Chicago, Calvin de Haan and Brent Seabrook were healthy and the Hawks were at full strength coming down the stretch, I’d say there is a chance. However, Lehner is now in Las Vegas, de Haan and Seabrook are done for the year, along with Andrew Shaw and Zack Smith, and this team looks tired because of that lack of depth. They may hang in there down the stretch, but they will likely be picking in the top 10 of June’s draft if the standings stay the way they are. Now, this could be a good thing if the Hawks add another piece such as Boqvist or Dach, who were both top-10 picks over the last two years, but that will be up to Stan Bowman, or whoever the general manager is come June, to make a very meaningful decision for this team’s future.

News

Just before the submission of this recap, the Blackhawks reassigned Gilbert back to the Rockford IceHogs. This may indicate that Boqvist is healthy and will play Sunday since it was confirmed that Carlsson has a concussion.

ROSTER MOVE: Defenseman Dennis Gilbert has been reassigned to Rockford. #Blackhawks https://t.co/qbB18HIbVW

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) March 7, 2020

The Blackhawks return to action on Sunday against the St. Louis Blues. Puck drop is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. CDT at the United Center.

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If the Blackhawks wanted to beat the Ducks, they would need to do what they do best and that is to score, preferably first. They did exactly that when Kirby Dach skated to the front of the net and dished the puck of to Adam Boqvist, who found Drake Caggiula to the side of Ducks goalie John Gibson for his ninth goal of the season. Of note, it was the first goal in NHL history involving two players born in the 2000s in Boqvist and Dach, who recorded the assists. The Blackhawks ended the first period up 1–0.

Pass that thing and watch me flex
Behind my back, you know what’s next

Watch #CHIvsANA live on the #MyTeams App: https://t.co/mfQ1ZBTGTC pic.twitter.com/5kvPz80JL0

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) March 4, 2020

Most people thought the Blackhawks traded the wrong goalie at the deadline and there is evidence on both sides of the argument, but to Crawford’s credit, if the Hawks do by some miracle somehow sneak into the playoffs, it would be in part to his willingness to sacrifice his whole body to keep his teammates in the game. For a goalie that has missed a lot of time the past two seasons due to injury, he gave the Blackhawks everything he had in the first period.

Crawford’s numbers this season only tell one side of the story. The Blackhawks’ defense has been terrible this season so the goalies are saving more shots. The more shots there are, the more likely the opposing team scores. Simple percentages. The home team may have scored the lone goal of the opening period, but the Ducks out shot them 16–6 and were taking better shots due to the Blackhawks’ mismanagement of the puck, a story that has had many chapters this season.

The Blackhawks came out for the second period with a lot more energy and fast-paced play almost as if they knew they were lucky to escape the first period with a lead. A deflected shot off the stick of Duncan Keith took a fortunate bounce off the end boards, right in front of Dylan Strome, who fired it past Gibson’s right side for his 11th of the season for a 2–0 Blackhawks advantage.

Dylan Strome ends a 14-game goal drought and records his 100th career NHL point. #Blackhawks pic.twitter.com/0PDWMd7lKP

— Charlie Roumeliotis (@CRoumeliotis) March 4, 2020

Shortly after, however, Christian Djoos fooled everyone, including Crawford, into thinking he was taking a shot and he drew the Blackhawks defenders all away from the net in time to pass it to Danton Heinen, who shot it in the gaping net for his ninth goal of the season. The Blackhawks’ lead was down to just one goal, once again, at 2–1.

Crawford continued his fancy footwork when Adam Henrique had a prime scoring opportunity, but the goaltender stretched wide and got his left leg pad in front of the shot. Henrique had about two or three opportunities before the whistle.

The Blackhawks had two good shorthanded chances from Brandon Saad on a breakaway and later Caggiula, but Gibson was there to hold the deficit at one. That was when the Blackhawks’ best puck handler, Patrick Kane, got just past the Ducks’ blue line and fired a pin-point pass to Strome in stride, who redirected the puck past Gibson for his second goal of the game and 12th overall for a 3–1 Chicago lead. Lucas Carlsson got his first career point on the goal, as he set Kane up with an exquisite lead pass to start the play, as well.

Patrick Kane finds Dylan Strome for his 2nd goal of the night! pic.twitter.com/Y43wDqq4fR

— BlackhaWWWks Talk (@NBCSBlackhawks) March 4, 2020

The Blackhawks would waste little time in queuing Chelsea Dagger again in the second period. Heinen went for a backhand shot on goal on a breakaway, but Boqvist scurried back and got his stick in the way to disrupt Heinen’s attempt. The Hawks quickly transitioned the puck for a three-on-one the other way and Alexander Nylander capitalized. Nylander toyed with Gibson by going forehand, backhand, then short side into the back of the net for his ninth goal of the season, pushing the Blackhawk advantage to 4–1.

Alex Nylander with a pretty move for his 9th goal of the season. #Blackhawks pic.twitter.com/CMoQTUZhDt

— Charlie Roumeliotis (@CRoumeliotis) March 4, 2020

Just 15 seconds later, Nylander would get another point this time on an assist to Kane in front of the goal. This was Kane’s 29th goal of the season. The Blackhawks scored four goals on 18 shots while the Ducks mustered only one goal on 13 shots. This was a very different Blackhawks team in the second period, a team that played both sides of the ice and with a purpose, finishing the second period up 5–1.

Patrick Kane scores 15 seconds after Alex Nylander for his 29th goal of the season. #Blackhawks pic.twitter.com/yfVbs1bosV

— Charlie Roumeliotis (@CRoumeliotis) March 4, 2020

The third period opened with a scary moment, as Ryan Getzlaf tried to avoid Crawford after he stopped a shot and accidentally kneed the goaltender in the head. The medical staff and concussion spotter must have seen something they did not like because they brought Crawford to the bench and he was replaced by Malcolm Subban, who was making his Blackhawks debut. It ended up being short lived, however, as Crawford only missed little more than a minute of play and came right back in to guard the net. Crawford, despite a history of numerous head and neck injuries in his career, came back into a game where his team was up late by four goals and in control of the game.

Alrighty then.

Corey Crawford re-enters the game, after originally being pulled by the concussion spotter. pic.twitter.com/Op5TmD3O1z

— BlackhaWWWks Talk (@NBCSBlackhawks) March 4, 2020

Just a few minutes later, he got a wellness check on a redirected shot from Carter Rowney and Crawford missed it for the Ducks’ second goal of the game, cutting the gap to 5–2 with Rowney’s seventh goal of the season. The Blackhawks, however, would add one more goal for good measure when Matthew Highmore hit David Kampf for his eighth of the season and a 6–2 lead on Anaheim goalie Ryan Miller, who replaced Gibson for the third period.

What a pass by Matthew Highmore, who connects with David Kampf for team’s 6th goal tonight. #Blackhawks pic.twitter.com/15ViKUGcGI

— Charlie Roumeliotis (@CRoumeliotis) March 4, 2020

Crawford allowed two goals on 39 shots and the line of Strome, Kane and Nylander had a combined for 13 shots, four goals and three assists. Not a bad day at the office for the Blackhawks, as they took the 6–2 victory and they would hope the rest of the dominoes in front of them would fall their way.

The Blackhawks get the Edmonton Oilers on Thursday at the United Center and puck drop is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Do not be surprised if Crawford is not in net for that one and Subban makes his “unofficial” Blackhawks debut. With the season likely lost at this point, there really is no need to push a possibly injured Crawford into his seventh start in a row unless they must. Whoever is scheduled in goal probably wishes they were not, as the Oilers are first place in the Pacific Division and show zero signs of slowing down.

The post Along the Boards: Blackhawks take down the Anaheim Ducks 6–2 on the back of Corey Crawford appeared first on The Rink.

Live look at the Tampa Bay Lightning pic.twitter.com/YDCHRxEyBW

— MikeB (@TB_MikeB) February 27, 2020

First period

The game started off with some back and forth, with both teams getting some quality chances in front of each others’ nets before Connor Murphy got called for hooking, which gave the Lightning their first power play of the evening. The Blackhawks killed that off thanks to some good shot blocks and good saves by Crawford. Then, shortly thereafter, the Blackhawks got their first power play of the night on a Yanni Gourde tripping call. Chicago was entirely unsuccessful on the man advantage, not getting many chances on net and giving up another power play to the Lightning on a Patrick Kane hook. That penalty was also killed off, giving way to more even-strength back and forth.

The Blackhawks got another opportunity on the power play with just under seven minutes to go, but once again, the Lightning were able to kill that one off. Sounding like a broken record, the Blackhawks went on the penalty kill right after that when Brandon Saad got his stick up high on Zach Bogosian. The Blackhawks killed that off, and then got their third man advantage of the period on an Alex Killorn trip. The Blackhawks would not score on that power play, but it would carry over to the second period. This period of penalties would end with the same 0–0 tie that we started off with.

Second period

The Blackhawks’ power play again failed to generate a goal, although they did get the best shot on Curtis McElhinney they had to that point, but could not do anything with it. The Blackhawks picked up a gift power play shortly after, as the Lightning picked up a too-many-men-on-the-ice call at the 6:20 mark of the period. Chicago seemed to have the mindset of passing instead of shooting the puck on goal, as their pass total was greater than their shots on goal for all four of their power plays to that point.

This period was not very exciting to watch, as there ended up being more turnovers of the puck than actual chances on net for either side. At the 10:42 mark there was, yes, another penalty called (surprise, surprise), this time on Connor Murphy for tripping, giving the Lightning their next man advantage of the game. Tampa Bay failed to convert on that one due to some great saves by Crawford, leaving the game still knotted at a 0–0 tie.

Then, the Lightning finally broke through, as Brayden Point skated around the defense and let go of a wrister from between the circles that got past Crawford and gave Tampa Bay a 1–0 lead. That is how the period would end, with the Lightning outshooting the Blackhawks by a wide margin, and as a result, taking the lead.

Third period

Things started off roughly for the visitors, as the Lightning doubled their lead on a Nikita Kucherov tap-in goal to make the score 2–0 Lightning just 17 seconds into the frame. At the 2:28 mark of the period, Luke Schenn took an interference penalty that gave the Blackhawks another chance to get the powerless play out on the ice. They did not look good again, but surprisingly were able to keep possession in the offensive zone, which led to Saad getting the puck in front and getting the Blackhawks to within one at 2–1.

Just 26 ticks later, Duncan Keith took a big hit to make a play, getting the puck to Patrick Kane who got it to Dominik Kubalik, who scored on his own rebound, tying the game at 2–2. Slater Koekkoek took an interference call after that, giving the Lightning another power play opportunity. The Blackhawks killed that off and a little while later, the very same Koekkoek got the puck out at the point, skated to the middle and wristed the puck through a sea of legs and into the back of the net, giving the Blackhawks a 3–2 lead.

Once again, the Blackhawks got back on the man advantage on a Kucherov slash on Kane. The puck found its way to the rookie sensation once again, and Kubalik slapped a top-shelf bullet past McElhinney to make the score 4–2 Blackhawks.

The Lightning tried to get back into the game by getting an extra attacker, but that gave Kubalik his third goal of the night for the hat trick, making the score 5–2 Blackhawks. The Blackhawks showed some fight throughout the third period until the end, even getting into some extracurriculars toward the end of things, and pulled out the comeback victory after scoring five third-period goals.

Let’s go along the boards and see what was being talked about during tonight’s action.

I think Stan&Co finally acknowledged it's time to start tearing it down. Problem is all the no move clauses and those predisposed to injury… Not going to be an overnight fix. https://t.co/fATdsno9KT

— Rocky Top Out (@rtopout) February 28, 2020

I agree that it definitely is not going to be an overnight fix at all. There is much work to be done in the offseason, and to start with, I would say this front office and coaching staff need to go. They are not doing anything to get this team turned around and moving in a positive direction. Sitting on your trade chips for too long and barely getting two trades that needed to happen done is inexcusable. I also am someone who sees Jeremy Colliton as a good assistant coach in the league, but definitely is not cut out to be a head coach at this point. There is no fight from him, and that clearly shows with the way the team in front of him plays night by night.

Stats/Takeaways from the 2nd period:

• Corey Crawford with 16 saves in that second period to keep the game 1-0. He’s got 26 on the night.
• Duncan Keith’s already up to 20:21 TOI to lead the #Blackhawks.
• Connor Murphy now has 3 penalties in the last 5 periods. #CHIvsTB

— Talkin’ Hawkey (@TalkinHawkey) February 28, 2020

Crawford looked good in this game. He made some good saves on some crazy Lightning shots and did everything he could to keep his team in this game. He controlled rebounds well, and was great at keeping the puck away from the opposition. Murphy…yikes; that is not a pretty stat to see.

Enjoyed the Broadcast, the Outcome = Happy Human #Blackhawks

— Jet7111 (@jet7111) February 28, 2020

As did all Blackhawks fans, my friend. A pleasant surprise in what has been a difficult season to watch.

The Blackhawks are back in action on Saturday against the Florida Panthers. The game will start at 5 p.m. CST on NBC Sports Chicago.

The post Along the Boards: Blackhawks take over in third, beat Lightning 5–2 appeared first on The Rink.

First period:

This game already started off rough, with Connor Murphy taking a tripping penalty with just eleven seconds gone in the game. The Blues made quick work of that, putting one past Corey Crawford thirty three seconds into the game to make the score 1–0 Blues. Then, the Blackhawks took another penalty to give the Blues another chance with a man advantage. Chicago killed that one off thanks to some great saves by Crawford and some help from a friendly post.

The Blackhawks got a power play of their own when Marco Scandella got the stick up high on Brandon Saad, putting the Chicago up a man. They also made very quick work of their advantage, with Jonathan Toews winning the faceoff cleanly right back to Duncan Keith, who put his one-hundredth goal in his career past Jordan Binnington to knot the score up at 1–1.

Then, with just under six minutes to play in the period, Toews won another faceoff back to a defenseman, getting it back to Connor Murphy who put a wrister past Binnington to make it 2–1 Blackhawks. After some more stops from Crawford, the Blackhawks got another powerplay that would carry over into the second period when Murphy took a high stick after giving up a powerplay earlier in the period. Things would end at a score of 2–1 Blackhawks after one.

Second period:

The Blackhawks started the period with the powerplay that was carried over from period one, and they made use of the opportunity after passing the puck around and getting some shots on net, the puck found its way to Patrick Kane who wristed a beautiful shot off of the post and in to make it 3–1 Blackhawks.

After getting a lot of pressure on the Blues’ net, the Blackhawks allowed the Blues to put the same amount of pressure on their goal with the puck eventually finding Robert Thomas, who was able to put the puck over the shoulder of Crawford to make it 3–2 Blackhawks.

The next few minutes involved a lot of back and forth chances, with Ryan O’Reilly getting a great chance that he put through the blue paint and the Blackhawks having a flurry of chances down on the other end as well. They killed off a Slater Koekkoek delay of game penalty in the last couple of minutes of the period to keep the score 3–2 Blackhawks at the end of the period.

Third period:

The period started off with a scare, as a Colton Parayko slapshot was stopped by Crawford, with O’Reilly appearing to put the rebound in. Fortunately, he batted it in with his hand, and the goal didn’t count. Then, Brayden Schenn found a streaking O’Reilly, who put the puck past Crawford to make it 3–3. Very shortly thereafter, Zach Sanford put the puck past Crawford again to make it 4–3 Blues and put the Blackhawks down for the first time since the first minutes of the game.

A couple of minutes later, Keith put the puck on net, which then bounced around to Matthew Highmore who put the puck into the back of the net and tie the game up again at 4–4. In what continued to be a back and forth period, the Blackhawks re-took the lead on the powerplay on a quick released shot from Saad out in front to make it 5–4 Blackhawks. Then, the Blues came back down to the other end, and Justin Faulk put a shot from the point into the back of the Blackhawks’ net to tie this crazy game at 5 all. Kirby Dach got called for hooking, which gave the Blues another powerplay in the game.

After a crazy sequence in front of the Chicago net, Sanford potted his second goal of the night to make it 6–5 Blues. Adam Boqvist got taken down driving to the net, setting up yet another Blackhawks powerplay, and giving them a chance to tie the game. They didn’t get a lot of good chances on goal, though, and weren’t able to convert for the first time all night. The game would end with a 6–5 Blues victory, putting to rest any last hopes that may have been remaining for the Blackhawks going on a tear and getting into the playoffs.

Now let’s go along the boards to see what was being talked about during this game:

Jonathan Toews wins the faceoff. Goes straight to the net. Takes away the eyes of Jordan Binnington. And Connor Murphy’s blast goes in.

Play started and ended with No. 19. #Blackhawks pic.twitter.com/xkuXQTUIAF

— Charlie Roumeliotis (@CRoumeliotis) February 26, 2020

The first two Blackhawks goals went this exact same way: Jonathan Toews won a faceoff back to the point and the defenseman put a shot on net that went through because of a screen out in front.

Robin Lehner was only with the Blackhawks for a short time, but he made a huge impact.

He motivated Jonathan Toews. He mentored Alex Nylander. He filled the locker room with a booming voice and honest thoughts.

Without him, the bee has lost its buzz. https://t.co/TO54GtEKgW

— Ben Pope (@BenPopeCST) February 25, 2020

I couldn’t agree more with this. Robin Lehner had such an impact on us as fans as well, and we greatly respect his courage to share his story and to be willing to share what he’s gone through with mental health struggles. He’s an inspiration and such a great guy who will be sorely missed in this organization.

The Blackhawks are back in action on Thursday night versus Tampa Bay. That game starts at 6:00 PM central on NBC Sports Chicago.

The post Along the boards: Blackhawks drop a roller coaster, lose to Blues 6–5 appeared first on The Rink.

In the first period, the Blackhawks came out fast and furious after a late-night game in Calgary on Saturday. On the other side of the ice, the Winnipeg Jets seemed to come out sluggish. The Jets eventually gained their footing and were able to match the Blackhawks’ level of intensity for most of the first period.

With under five minutes remaining in the first period, Patrick Kane was sprung on a pass in the Jets’ zone. Kane was able to backhand a pass to Ryan Carpenter. Carpenter redirected the beautiful Kane pass under the crossbar for the lone goal of the period and a 1–0 Hawks lead.

Great feed from Patrick Kane and finish by Ryan Carpenter, who scores his third goal of the season. #Blackhawks pic.twitter.com/2ExfOvD28l

— Charlie Roumeliotis (@CRoumeliotis) February 17, 2020

In the second period, the adrenaline wore off for Chicago, and Winnipeg started to impose its will. After winning a significant number of board battles in the first period, the Blackhawks were being beaten consistently on the boards in the second period.

Despite some heroics from Corey Crawford, the Jets eventually broke through with a goal of their own to tie the game at 1–1.

Jets finally get one past Corey Crawford on their 22nd shot of the game. #Blackhawks pic.twitter.com/L35j3czx4z

— Charlie Roumeliotis (@CRoumeliotis) February 17, 2020

After a conversational non-goal from Winnipeg, the Jets struck again from the point. This time it was Jack Roslovic delivering a rocket near the blue line for a 2–1 Winnipeg advantage.

Roslovic gives the Jets the lead in the 2nd. pic.twitter.com/WjiNpgUU7d

— Blackhawks Talk (@NBCSBlackhawks) February 17, 2020

After the Roslovic goal, it appeared the Jets would have a one-goal lead after two periods, but with one minute remaining in the second period, the Blackhawks drew even. Jeremy Colliton loaded up a line with Kane, Jonathan Toews and Dominik Kubalik. Toews served Kane a pass on a silver platter in front of a yawning Winnipeg cage and Kane buried it for the 2–2 equalizer late in the second period.

This was a thing of beauty pic.twitter.com/YJ7u9o67mN

— Blackhawks Talk (@NBCSBlackhawks) February 17, 2020

Despite tying the game late in the second frame, the third period began with the Jets taking the play to the Blackhawks. After Crawford stopped several golden opportunities, Patrik Laine blasted a shot past Crawford from the point to again give the Jets the lead at 3–2.

After the Laine goal, fatigue set in big time for the Blackhawks. The team looked like they were in a slow-mo video from an iPhone late in the third period. With two minutes remaining, Chicago pulled Crawford for a sixth attacker, but was unable to generate one shot on a goal.

When the final horn sounded, the Blackhawks fell to the Jets 3–2. With the loss, Chicago is now six points out of the final wild card playoff spot.

The Blackhawks return to action on Wednesday night against the New York Rangers in Chicago. Puck drop is scheduled for 7 p.m. CST at the United Center.

The post Along the boards: Blackhawks succumb to fatigue and the Winnipeg Jets appeared first on The Rink.

Notably, Adam Boqvist did not dress for the game. Although he was able to practice late in the week after leaving Wednesday’s game early, Head Coach Jeremy Colliton decided to sit the young Swede and allow newly claimed Nick Seeler to make his Blackhawks debut.

The Hawks came out strong to start. After three days off, it was expected they would look well-rested and play hard in the opening period.

Not only did they come out strong, but the Blackhawks also didn’t waste any time finding the back of the net either. Just 15 seconds into the game, after a missed shot, Jonathan Toews found Drake Caggiula who had an excellent look at the net. After being denied, Caggiula slid the puck back to Dominik Kubalik in the slot and he fired home his 22^nd goal of the season.

Did someone order a good start?

This one took just 15 seconds pic.twitter.com/Mtxv4mOVM1

— Blackhawks Talk (@NBCSBlackhawks) February 10, 2020

Not only did the goal give the Hawks the 1–0 lead early, Toews also recorded his 800^th career point in his hometown of Winnipeg.

O CAPTAIN!

With an assist on Kubalik's tally, Jonathan Toews has recorded his 800th @NHL point! #Blackhawks pic.twitter.com/wDohGxbQQH

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) February 10, 2020

#1 #800 for Jonathan Toews pic.twitter.com/oERc9cGq15

— Blackhawks Talk (@NBCSBlackhawks) February 10, 2020

The Captain continues to add to his Hall of Fame worthy career with his 800^th point. He is now the fourth player from the 2006 draft class to record 800 points.

Jonathan Toews is the fourth member of the 2006 draft class to reach 800 career points, joining Nicklas Backstrom (915), Phil Kessel (855) and Claude Giroux (800). #Blackhawks

— Carter Baum (@CarterBaum) February 10, 2020

The Blackhawks continued to push and played a strong first period. Winnipeg definitely looked like a team who played the day before. Although the Hawks had some great chances, Connor Hellebuyck made some great saves to keep the visitors from extending their lead.

Despite the great goaltending of Hellebuyck, the second line for the Hawks capitalized on an opportunity. Nick Seeler fired a shot toward the net, which completely missed the cage. The puck bounced off the boards behind the net and right to Patrick Kane who was waiting on the right wing red line. Kane made a quick move and dished the puck to the front of the net where the red hot Brandon Saad tipped home his 16^th of the year.

Welcome to the @NHLBlackhawks, Nick Seeler!

The newest member of the squad gets an assist in his first game, on Brandon Saad's goal pic.twitter.com/z26mr5Sjx6

— Blackhawks Talk (@NBCSBlackhawks) February 10, 2020

Corey Crawford was also excellent. He made two massive saves in the second half of the period to deny the Jets from getting on the board. The first was a great save on Scheifele in the slot and the other was a robbery on Nikolaj Ehlers, who could only look to the heavens after missing on his back-door opportunity.

CROW. MY. GOSH pic.twitter.com/CSSNIYRXIB

— Blackhawks Talk (@NBCSBlackhawks) February 10, 2020

As the middle frame opened, the momentum did a full 180. The Jets came out as a team with a purpose in the second period, looking to catch up with the visitors.

Although the Blackhawks were on a power play, the Jets got the better of the man advantage situation. Shorthanded, Andrew Copp made a sensational saucer pass to Kyle Connor who effortlessly lifted the shot over Crawford. Connor’s 27^th of the year cut the Hawks’ lead to just one.

Jets get on the board in the 2nd. pic.twitter.com/LgLAdXtSiu

— Blackhawks Talk (@NBCSBlackhawks) February 10, 2020

The rest of the period was much of the same. The Jets had multiple short-handed opportunities against the Hawks, but Crawford continued to bail out his teammates in front of him. The Hawks looked lackadaisical and were badly outplayed by the Jets. However, they somehow managed to escape the period without any additional damage and held on to the lead.

The third period unfortunately spelled doom for the Blackhawks. The Jets scored four unanswered goals in the third period, two being empty netters, to knock off the Hawks 5–2.

The key to the collapse was a lack of pace. The Hawks couldn’t do anything after their sensational first ten minutes. They could not do anything to outplay the Jets and the Jets took full advantage of the Hawks tonight.

Along the boards

The Hawks looked brutal for the last 50 minutes of the game. They had no urgency, no pace, and no energy. If the Hawks continue to play that way, the “p” word is not going to be in the Hawks’ future at this pace.

This season has been concerning for Alex DeBrincat. It was fair to expect a bit of a slide, as Toews and Kane are both on pace for lower numbers than last season, but still will have good numbers. Saad is on pace for over 20 goals and Kubalik may get to 50 points. The largest drop off is Alex DeBrincat. Just see the following:

Some #Blackhawks numbers coming at you……

Alex Debrincat is on pace for a 20 point slide from last season.

From 41-35-76 to 19-37-56

— Puckin Hostile (@PuckinHostile.bsky.social) (@PuckinHostile) January 30, 2020

That is a large drop-off for a player who just was rewarded a 3 year, $6.4 million AAV deal at the start of the year. A big pickup for the team’s offense would be to get more production out of their young winger.

I continue to be pleasantly surprised by Kirby Dach’s play. He has had a good season, although the offensive numbers aren’t where most would like them to be for a third overall pick. However, guys take time to develop and Dach is developing very nicely. If he continues to develop and get stronger, he’ll be a very good forward for a long time in the NHL.

I’m so excited to see Dach once he starts adding muscle to that huge frame. He’s already solid defensively and shows the offensive flash, just wait until he can start bullying people. #Blackhawks

— Ron Luce (@LuceOnTap) February 10, 2020

One fun note, Seeler was fun to watch tonight. His fight was his highlight of the night, but he played a decent game in his debut.

We like this kid. pic.twitter.com/W8p5qv3Lgm

— Blackhawks Talk (@NBCSBlackhawks) February 10, 2020

The Blackhawks return to play on Tuesday, February 11 as they take on Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers in Edmonton. Puck drop is scheduled for 8:00 p.m. CST.

The post Along the boards: Jets soar, comeback to defeat Blackhawks 5–2 appeared first on The Rink.

First period

There was a good amount of back and forth to begin the period, with the Panthers getting some good chances in on Robin Lehner with their fourth line in particular putting good pressure on. Brian Boyle generated a couple of good shots on goal in the frame, and defenseman Mark Pysyk, playing on that line as well, also made some noise for Florida. The Blackhawks had a few good chances of their own, getting guys in front of the net and getting pucks there. Just when it looked like the Blackhawks may get a power play because the Panthers had too many men on the ice, Adam Boqvist put the puck right into the crowd, putting the Blackhawks on the penalty kill instead. They killed it off with relative ease, with players like Ryan Carpenter and Zack Smith laying out to block shots and get the puck back out of the zone. The period would end just as it started, with no score but a lot of action.

Second period

The second period began with a lot more action down on the Panthers’ side of the ice with the Blackhawks controlling the play for much of the first few minutes. It eventually swung the other way, with the Panthers getting more and more opportunities on the Blackhawks’ net. This eventually led to two quick goals for the Panthers, with Evgenii Dadonov managing to sneak one past Lehner to make it 1–0 Panthers. Then, a minute and a half later, Frank Vatrano put a wrister right past the glove side of Lehner on a good feed from behind the net to make it 2–0 Panthers. The Blackhawks got a power play when Dominik Kubalik was tripped up taking the puck up the ice. Chicago was unable to put the puck in the net, but did get some good opportunities even still. As soon as the Panthers had killed off the power play, Aaron Ekblad came out of the box and took a pass from a teammate, finding Vatrano again streaking up the wing. He skated in an wristed the puck five hole on Lehner to make it 3–0 Florida. Just over three minutes later, Kirby Dach, celebrating his 19th birthday, took a pass from Alex DeBrincat, skated in and put a backhander over the shoulder of Sergei Bobrovsky in Kane-esque fashion, drawing the Blackhawks within two and making the score 3–1 Panthers. Late in the period, DeBrincat got called for a trip, putting the Blackhawks back on the penalty kill again. After several good sequences for the Blackhawks, the Panthers took advantage of a failed clear by Carpenter, making the score 4–1 Panthers and giving Vatrano the hat trick, as the puck went off of him in front of the net before going in. That is how the period would end, with the Panthers getting out to a big lead.

Third period

The period started off well for the Blackhawks, gaining a power play with just over two minutes gone by in the period on a Keith Yandle hold. Erik Gustafsson put a one-timer on net late in the power play and Drake Caggiula got a tip out in front to put it past Bobrovsky, cutting the score to 4–2 Panthers. After a couple more good Blackhawks chances, David Kampf got taken down by Noel Acciari to give the Blackhawks another man advantage in the period. They got some good opportunities, along with a Brandon Saad shot after, but they were not able to put anything past Bobrovsky. With five minutes left, the Blackhawks got yet another power play on a high stick from Mike Hoffman. Chicago was unable to generate much offense and needed more puck movement to try to get things going. With just over two minutes left in the game, the Blackhawks pulled Lehner, hoping to spark something and mount a comeback. They did, with Kane scoring his 25th goal of the year on a nifty cross-ice pass from Dach to get within one and make the score 4–3 Panthers. However, the Panthers got a power play again in the last 30 seconds of the game and just played keep away to get the win. Let’s go along the boards and see what was being talked about this game.

One more 'Thank Q'.

Full tribute to Joel Quenneville from the #Blackhawks and the fans at the United Center pic.twitter.com/HNW57tuahf

— Blackhawks Talk (@NBCSBlackhawks) January 22, 2020

This was a cool thing to see. Not only did the Blackhawks put up a tribute to Kane for his 1,000-point milestone, but they also welcomed “Coach Q” back with a montage as well. Some would argue that Quenneville never should have been let go, but hey, that may just be me.

Joel Quenneville is all of us during Patrick Kane’s 1,000th point celebration. #Blackhawks pic.twitter.com/3DFEOlNm9X

— Paul Roumeliotis (@PaulRoumel) January 22, 2020

Yeah, that beam was a mile wide. And it definitely was for all Blackhawks fans who were able to watch Kane score point No. 1,000 on Sunday night. What a special moment, and who better to share it with than the coach who was with him to score so many of his 1,000 points.

Patrick Kane extends his point streak to 11 games and picks up career point No. 1,001. #Blackhawks pic.twitter.com/J7DyLWWThl

— Charlie Roumeliotis (@CRoumeliotis) January 22, 2020

Sadly, it was too little, too late. The Hawks did not look good tonight and gave up too many opportunities from turnovers, with bad passes and poor decisions, along with Lehner not playing up to his usual standard.

The Blackhawks now have a week and a half off until Feb. 1 when they are back in action against the Arizona Coyotes. That game will be at 7 p.m. CST on NBC Sports Chicago.

The post Along the boards: Blackhawks drop last game before break, lose to Panthers 4–3 appeared first on The Rink.

Good ole Eddie Olczyk said the player to watch was Drake Caggiula and within 20 seconds of play, he proved why that was the case. Caggiula scored his fifth goal of the season with an assist from Dominik Kubalik (11) and Connor Murphy (9) and just like that the Hawks were already humming Chelsea Dagger. They would do so two more times in the first period thanks to Toews with his 13th (he would add his 14th in the second period) and Brandon Saad with his 12th, in his first game back in a month. Saad injured his right ankle on December 19th in the 4–1 victory over the Winnipeg Jets. Patrick Kane got his 999th point with the assist, but alas the 1000th point will have to wait another day.

Drake Caggiula scores 21 seconds into the game and #Blackhawks-Maple Leafs is officially underway. pic.twitter.com/NGO6festN2

— Charlie Roumeliotis (@CRoumeliotis) January 19, 2020

The Hawks took a 3–0 lead into the second period, but a late penalty by Kane for hooking (18:48) in the first had the Maple Leafs with a one-man advantage and William Nylander scores his 11th goal in 14 games. He ties his career-high 22 and he looks to be a real threat at only 23 years of age. As stated previously, the cornerstone of the Hawks Jonathan Toews says that is cool kid, but I am still here and scores his second of the night to put the Hawks up 4–1. Toronto netminder Frederik Andersen is really having trouble keeping the puck in front of him. Around the 9:02 mark, Kubalik puts the Hawks up 5–1 on the assist from the captain for his third point of the game. Spoiler alert: Toews and Dom will appear in the same paragraph again soon enough.

Toronto pulled within three with a 4:43 goal from Pierre Engvall for his eighth of the season. Alexander Kerfoot dod a great job of using Hawks Adam Boqvist to block Corey Crawford’s view and set Engvall up for the blind goal.

But we are not here for Maple Leaf highlights folks. Come to think of it, this next one might need even be a HOCKEY highlight. Roll footage!

Where did this come from, Dominik Kubalik!? pic.twitter.com/RkImg1UJfG

— NHL (@NHL) January 19, 2020

I TOLD YOU THESE TWO WOULD SHOW UP AGAIN! With a little over two minutes remaining in the second period, Toews hit Kubalik with a line drive pass and Dom did not miss this one. Kubalik makes his best case to play in the MLB and not the NHL as he teed off on this one in midair right into the back of the net. Does anybody have the Cubs phone number?! Eddie Olczyk says it is the goal of the night and who am I not to believe the man. No sign-stealing required to set up this dinger.

Hawks headed into the third period up 6–2 and that is the way it stayed. A quiet third for both teams, but Toronto was averaging 3.6 goals a game and Crawford keeps them to only two goal.  Not a bad day at the office for the away team. Crawford saw 33 shots and saves 31 of them so, again, no complaints from the Blackhawks faithful. He improves to 9–13–2 and drops his goal average just hair below 3.00.

Small side note: If you happen to catch the postgame interview with Toews, he has nothing, but respect for every player on his team. He is a man very much aware of his role on the team, but also aware of how important it is to promote and showcase the younger players behind him. Here is what he said regarding his pass to Kubalik in the second: “I was trying to get the puck a foot or two lower on the ice and that was my intention, but I just kind of floated one in there and you know as they say you can’t give a good player a bad pass and I tried my best on that one and he still found a way to get his stick on it.” A veteran who gives credit to the younger players while also remaining a star himself. Have yourself a day, Jon boy.

Like the cult 1993 Disney classic, the Hawks are homeward bound to take on division rival Winnipeg Jets at 4 p.m. Sunday at the Madhouse on Madison. Maybe it will be Saad’s revenge game. Who knows? Hawks have won three in a row and go into Sunday 22–20–6, which is good for fifth in the Western Division. Never say never on a playoff run. Let us know what you think below.

The post Around the Boards: Blackhawks trounce the Leafs 6–2 with Kane stuck at 999 appeared first on The Rink.

News broke on Friday that both Duncan Keith and Andrew Shaw were sent to the IR, retroactively. What does that mean? It means that Keith could technically return any day now, and Shaw can return after Friday’s game. It ultimately frees a roster spot if they can make the cap situation work.

With the aforementioned injuries, the Blackhawks trotted out the following lines against the Devils.

Saad – Toews – Nylander

DeBrincat – Strome – Kane

Kubalik – Kampf – Wedin

Smith – Dach – Carpenter

Koekkoek – Murphy

de Haan – Seabrook

Gilbert – Gustafsson

Crawford

First period

The opening frame as a whole was a quiet one. Neither team was truly able to get too much working in their favor early on. 

The first action occurred with about 13 minutes remaining in the period. Dennis Gilbert, playing his second game in a row due to Olli Maatta’s illness, laid a big hit on prized rookie and first overall pick Jack Hughes. The hit sparked Wayne Simmonds to respond, as he and Gilbert squared off. 

Dennis Gilbert lays a big hit on Jack Hughes then scraps with Wayne Simmonds. #Blackhawks pic.twitter.com/yDRdsvDZ9g

— Charlie Roumeliotis (@CRoumeliotis) December 7, 2019

The biggest mistake of the first period for the Hawks was a lack of discipline. With just over seven minutes remaining, Zack Smith was called for an elbowing penalty against Nikita Gusev. 

On the powerplay, the Devils cycled the puck around the point and circles in the offensive zone. After Sami Vatanen passed the puck to Gusev on the left circle, he returned the puck to Vatanen at the point. Vatanen delivered the exact same pass, this time to Taylor Hall on the opposite circle and the former MVP fired a wicked shot past Crawford to give the Devils the lead. 

https://twitter.com/NJDevils/status/1203111446151872512

The most notable chance of the period for the visitors was a Kirby Dach grade-A chance that he simply missed on. It’s safe to say he knew it too, given his reaction on the play, as he looked to the sky in disbelief. 

The Devils took their 1-0 lead into the first intermission at home. The Devils outshot the Blackhawks 10-7 in the opening frame.

Second period

The second period began in a similar fashion to the first. There were not a ton of scoring opportunities for either side, but a few decent missed chances were exchanged. 

However, fortunes changed for the visitors. A Sami Vatanen hooking penalty on Patrick Kane sent the Blackhawks to a much needed powerplay. 

On the powerplay, the Blackhawks generated a grade-A chance after Dylan Strome found Patrick Kane. Kane’s bid was initially stopped, but the puck was still free. The rebound bounced to the left wing side of the ice and Alex DeBrincat, for the second game in a row, buried the rebound to tie the game.

We'll take it!#Blackhawks pic.twitter.com/RxZXBVDdrC

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) December 7, 2019

The last great chance of the period came on a Devils breakaway. However, Crawford made a huge save and kept the game tied as the game entered the second intermission. 

Third period

The third period was fast, but quiet. Both teams had some chances, as the Hawks had a power play, but could not capitalize on the chance. The Devils had some chances as well, but neither team could crack the other’s goaltender. 

Neither team could convert on their chances and the third period ended the way it began, with both teams tied at one after 60 minutes of play. 

Overtime

Talk about chances. The Hawks had numerous chances, as did the Devils. Both goalies stood tall as their teams needed and kept the other team from capitalizing in the 3-on-3 overtime period. 

However, the game would require a shootout as neither team could convert.

Shootout

In the shootout, the first four shooters scored. Kane and Toews both scored for the Blackhawks and Nikita Gusev and Jesper Boqvist scores for the Devils.

After that, the goalies stood tall and sent the shootout to sudden death.

In the fifth round, the Blackhawks sent Kirby Dach to shoot. Dach converted on his first ever NHL shootout attempt and put the Hawks up 3-2.

This Kirby Dach (@kdach77) fellow is good at hockey. pic.twitter.com/5DC2fQLez6

— NHL (@NHL) December 7, 2019

On the other side, number one pick Jack Hughes took the 5th attempt for the Devils, but was denied by Corey Crawford, sealing the win for the Blackhawks. The Hawks won in the shootout 2-1.

Quick hits

• 250 for Crow: Friday’s game marked the 250th career victory for Corey Crawford in the NHL. Given the number of goaltenders to accomplish that in NHL history, dare I say it could be a topic of discussion for Corey Crawford to be a hall of famer. 
• The youngster: Kirby Dach converted on his first ever NHL shootout attempt. It makes a lot of sense that Dach would be successful given his skillset. He has great hands, works well in tight on goaltenders, and normally scores out in front of the net. He did an excellent job to help the Blackhawks get a much needed victory in New Jersey. Also, how about the reaction from the youngster’s mom?

This is the purest gif we have ever shared on twitter dot com

Mama Dach watching her rookie win it in the shootout! #Blackhawks pic.twitter.com/yjs4zNYnSH

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) December 7, 2019

The Blackhawks will play host to the pacific leading Arizona Coyotes on Sunday night at the United Center. Puck drop is scheduled for “one of those great six o’clock starts” as the great Eddie Olcyzk would say.

The post RECAP: Blackhawks edge Devils in the shootout, 2–1 appeared first on The Rink.

Saad—Toews—Shaw

DeBrincat—Carpenter—Kane

Kubalik—Smith—Dach

Nylander—Kampf—Wedin

Murphy—Maatta

de Haan—Seabrook

Koekkoek—Gustafsson

Lehner

First period: The game got off to a rough start for the Blackhawks, with Jonathan Toews taking a penalty less than thirty seconds into the game on a slash on Joonas Donskoi. Zack Smith took a steal up ice in a two-on-one and fed it across to Brandon Saad who put it past Phillip Grubauer to make it 1—0 Blackhawks on a shorthanded goal.

Kneel. Before. Saad.

Good guys strike first. Stream: https://t.co/mRcXCKrtKj pic.twitter.com/nMDIhqn2RW

— Blackhawks Talk (@NBCSBlackhawks) December 1, 2019

Then, a minute later, Saad took the puck into the zone on a pass from Patrick Kane and put it off of the post, beating Grubauer again. The Avs got a great chance to drive to the net, but Andrew Shaw came across and got his stick in the way, not allowing a shot on goal. Wedin got called for a holding call at the 7:22 mark of the period, putting the Blackhawks shorthanded yet again. The Avs struck gold on this one, with Nazem Kadri getting a pass in front that he was able to put past Robin Lehner to tie the game at 1—1. A few minutes later, the Avalanche picked apart the Blackhawks defense, with the puck eventually ending up on Kadri’s stick yet again, who made the score 2—1 Avalanche. Then, the Blackhawks absolutely imploded defensively, allowing Nathan MacKinnon to put a Mikko Rantanen pass past Lehner again, making it 3—1 Avalanche. The Blackhawks were just getting run around the ice for most of the rest of the period, not making great plays and playing some very sloppy hockey. Their best chance came from a Toews drive to the net in which he looked like he was shot out of a cannon to get into the offensive zone, getting a great shot off that was saved by Grubauer. Cale Makar ripped one off the pipe that beat Lehner at the 16:46 mark of the period that luckily didn’t go. DeBrincat missed one that got across to him in front of the net, and then got a hit from Samuel Girard that he took exception to, getting into a scrap and getting a couple of good rights in.

The Cat is out of the bag. pic.twitter.com/x22LS4sr5u

— Blackhawks Talk (@NBCSBlackhawks) December 1, 2019

The Blackhawks got their first powerplay of the game when David Kampf was held in the back of the net. The situation got even more important when Graves of the Avalanche got a four minute penalty for high sticking Shaw and drawing blood. The Avalanche killed off the first of those penalties before the period ended with a 3—1 Avalanche lead. The Blackhawks still had over 2:30 left on the powerplay going into the second to try to make something happen.

Second period: The Blackhawks started off the period with over 2:30 of powerplay time left on the double minor penalty from the first period but got the puck taken away and cleared every time you turned around. Just after that was killed off, Joonas Donskoi took a pass from Ryan Graves just out of the box and put it past Lehner, making it 4—1 Avalanche early on in the second period. Then, at the 5:50 mark of the period, Robin Lehner was chased after Mikko Rantanen put the puck past him to make it 5—1 Avalanche. Lehner was not happy going off, as he shouldn’t have been and made sure that his bench knew as much.

Robin Lehner visibly frustrated after being pulled down 5-1 in Colorado pic.twitter.com/55KUFUm2Mf

— Blackhawks Talk (@NBCSBlackhawks) December 1, 2019

The Avs kept pressing even after jumping out to such a big lead, with MacKinnon putting the puck out in front to Donskoi again, who got the puck past Crawford to make it 6—1 Avalanche. The Blackhawks were outhustled, outplayed, and positively outclassed by the Avalanche once again a few minutes later, when Tyson Jost went all the way by himself to make it 7—1 Avalanche. Really, if you missed this game, nothing good happened for the Blackhawks in the second period for the first eleven minutes. Dominik Kubalik wristed the puck five-hole on Grubauer to get the Blackhawks to within five goals, and get the score to 7—2.

Don't call it a comeback?

Would be pretty epic. Stream: https://t.co/mRcXCKrtKj pic.twitter.com/PoGag8TL6H

— Blackhawks Talk (@NBCSBlackhawks) December 1, 2019

The Blackhawks took a tripping penalty at the 14:26 mark of the period to put them down a man yet again, and giving the Avs a chance to add to their lead. The Blackhawks killed that penalty off with relative ease, as Crawford only had to make one or two good stops. The period would mercifully end with the Avalanche jumping out to a seemingly insurmountable advantage, leading 7—2 going into the intermission.

Third period: The period started off with a lot more back and forth, which was encouraging because it meant that the Blackhawks were sharing possession better than they had in the second period. Alex Nylander drew a trip in the offensive zone to put the Blackhawks on the powerplay early on in the period. They got more chances, and were actually able to keep the puck in their offensive zone enough to get some good chances in front of Grubauer. The Avalanche did kill that off, but the Blackhawks were able to actually not allow any bad chances the other way. The Blackhawks got some good puck movement going, allowing for more scoring chances in the period than they had in the past two. Kane got a puck across to DeBrincat on a three-on-two rush into the zone, with DeBrincat getting a one-timer off on Grubauer, who made a great stop. Andrew Shaw got called for a trip at the 9:32 mark of the period, putting the Blackhawks up to kill off yet another penalty in this game. They killed it off, and didn’t give the Avs much of an opportunity to pad the stat sheet. Andrew Shaw then drew a penalty at the 13:05 mark of the period as he was tripped in the offensive zone, giving the Blackhawks a powerplay again. Pierre-Eduard Bellemare put the puck right off of the ice and into the stands, giving the Blackhawks a five-on-three penalty. They converted on the first of the two penalties, with Kane wristing the puck right through Grubauer’s five hole, and making the score 7—3 Avalanche.

If you're in the mood for silver linings, Patrick Kane just extended his points streak to 15 games. pic.twitter.com/ZY3PXaES3P

— Blackhawks Talk (@NBCSBlackhawks) December 1, 2019

The Avs were able to kill off the second penalty without too much effort, not allowing very many shots on goal from the Blackhawks. The game would end with the Blackhawks losing big to the Avalanche by a final of 7—3.

The Blackhawks are back in action on Monday night against the defending Stanley Cup champion St. Louis Blues at the United Center. That game will start at 7:30 pm Central on NHL Network and NBC Sports Chicago.

The post Blackhawks get left under a pile of goals, lose to Avs 7—3. appeared first on The Rink.

The Blackhawks’ lines and pairings were:

Brandon Saad — Jonathan Toews — Alexander Nylander
Alex DeBrincat — Kirby Dach  — Patrick Kane
Dominik Kubalik — David Kampf — Andrew Shaw
Matthew Highmore—Ryan Carpenter — Zack Smith

Duncan Keith — Erik Gustafsson
Calvin de Haan — Brent Seabrook
Olli Maatta — Connor Murphy

Corey Crawford got the nod in net for Chicago, opposite Pavel Francouz for the Avs.

FIRST PERIOD

Did not go well.

Nathan McKinnon tipped a JT Compher shot from the left circle past Crawford at just :59 on the Avs’ first shot of the game. 1-0 Colorado.

And things got worse from there. Less than 3 minutes later, Ryan Graves got his turn also from the left circle, set up by Matt Nieto and McKinnon. 2-0 Avalanche at 3:17. Not long afterward, Andrew Shaw tried to “juice” his teammates by taking on the much larger Graves in a fight, earning kudos from the Hawk radio broadcast team for changing the tone of the game.

Except, he really didn’t.

Sure, Zack Smith cut the lead in half at 9:14 on a Ryan Carpenter feed, beating Francouz from the top of the crease. 2-1 Colorado. 

But after an Erik Gustafsson penalty, Avs defense phenom Cale Makar burned the Hawks from above the circles on the power play, making it 3-1 Avs.

Gustafsson took another late penalty, but the period ended without any further scoring. Shots were actually 10-7 Chicago for the period, but the Avs were basically besting the Hawks with their speed for better scoring chances and lots of odd-man breaks.

SECOND PERIOD

Also, proved basically disastrous for Chicago.

Two quick goals, one at 9:45 by Valeri Nichushkin, and another by Compher at 11:26 made the score 5-1 Colorado.

Patrick Kane salvaged a small token of respect from the period, scoring at 19:56 from Jonathan Toews and Brandon Saad, making the game 5-2. Again, shots were 19-7 Chicago in the period, but Colorado often had the Hawks on their heels regardless.

THIRD PERIOD

The Hawks didn’t have much pushback in the third, especially with Duncan Keith out with a groin injury suffered earlier in the game. The Avs for their part, seemed to have it on cruise control, hence the period ended at the same score it started with. 5-2. Shots in the third were 8-7 Colorado.

THE GOOD

Shaw showed some energy aside from just scrapping with Graves. The Hawks’ fourth line of Smith, Carpenter and Matthew Highmore was arguably their best.

THE BAD

Not a great outing for Crawford, who seemed to have trouble tracking the puck early on. Gustafsson and Keith were both -2.

THE UGLY

The speed difference between the Hawks and the Avs was clear. Further, and because of that difference, the Blackhawks lack of structure and tendency on the part of their defensemen to overcommit up the ice was taken advantage of all game by Colorado—hence the number of odd-man rushes the Avs had.

The Blackhawks and Robin Lehner get a shot at redemption tomorrow night in Colorado. They’ll need their best effort and perhaps a bounce here and there. Colorado made a statement at the United Center today. Tomorrow, we’ll see if the Hawks can answer back. All we have on this one. Comment below.

The post Recap: Avalanche down Blackhawks 5-2 at the United Center appeared first on The Rink.

Saad — Toews — Nylander

DeBrincat — Dach — Kane

Kubalik — Kampf — Shaw

Smith — Carpenter — Highmore

Keith — Gustafsson

De Haan — Seabrook

Maatta — Murphy

Crawford

First period

The Stars got off to a good start against the Blackhawks, putting pressure on Crawford and generally controlling the puck for the first couple of shifts. They continued to press, sending the puck back to the d zone and then back up again. Zack Smith recorded a great opportunity off a steal in the offensive zone, but was stopped by the Stars’ Anton Khudobin. Denis Gurianov got in a good chance on Crawford, but was ultimately shut down and was unable to get much on the shot. Crawford continued to stay sharp, stopping a barrage of shots from Dallas.

Both teams kept things moving, trading chances back and forth, and not allowing really any stoppages in play. Jonathan Toews got a blast in on Khudobin on a pass from Alex Nylander, but that was turned aside as well. Off the face off, Erik Gustafsson took a shot that was redirected by Brandon Saad, who was left all alone in front of the net and redirected the puck past Khudobin for a 1–0 Blackhawks lead.

Brandon Saad's 100th goal with the #Blackhawks was a BEAUT! pic.twitter.com/U9DvVdxZky

— Blackhawks Talk (@NBCSBlackhawks) November 27, 2019

Just after, the Stars got a good chance with Corey Perry driving to the net, but that was turned aside by Crawford. After that, there was more back and forth, with some big hits being dished out both ways until both sides got some good chances, with Esa Lindell drawing a penalty on his drive to the net, putting the Blackhawks on the penalty kill for the first time in the game. Ryan Carpenter gave him a whack trying to keep him from being able to get a good shot off.

The Blackhawks killed that off without much issue, but with some nice saves made by Crawford. Khudobin had to make a last second save on Andrew Shaw, but did so to keep the score at 1–0 Blackhawks.

Second period

The Stars got off to the same start that they did in the first period, controlling much of the play and getting many shots in on Crawford, even having one go off of the post. Then, things got going back and forth more and more, with few stops for the first few minutes of the period. The Blackhawks got a good chance in front of the net off of a steal by Patrick Kane, but the Blackhawks could not get anything in on goal. Afterward, Alex Radulov got going through the center of the ice and was taken down by Shaw, giving the Stars their second powerplay of the game. Crawford came up with some sensational stops as the Blackhawks were able to kill off the penalty.

The Stars kept the pressure on after that, though, getting more shots on the Blackhawks’ goaltender. Just after the 10-minute mark of the period, the Blackhawks were able to get a couple of good chances from Dach and Kubalik after that which did not get past Khudobin. Calvin de Haan saved a goal for the Blackhawks after Crawford dove to make a stop with the puck sitting behind him without him realizing it. De Haan knocked the puck away, playing goalie with Seabrook to protect the net with Crawford drawn out of it.

The C in Calvin stands for CLUTCH! pic.twitter.com/x8FBWnEiIw

— Blackhawks Talk (@NBCSBlackhawks) November 27, 2019

Khudobin had to be on his game to keep a Shaw chance out, followed by a DeBrincat chance at around the 15:30 mark of the period. The Blackhawks kept the pressure up, taking the puck away in the offensive zone and allowing for some good scoring opportunities on Khudobin that were turned aside. There was a lot of action, but no more goals to be had. The game went into the intermission with the score still being 1–0 Blackhawks.

Third period

The Stars came out with fire as they had the last couple of periods, stealing some chances and getting a good amount of play in the offensive zone. That is until DeBrincat took the puck down the ice to get a puck in on Khudobin. Shaw and Gustafsson got a couple of good chances in on the Dallas net that were turned aside by Khudobin with some great saves.

Then, there was more back and forth as there was the whole game, with the Blackhawks and Stars trading chances on one side of the ice and then the other. Crawford managed to keep out a flurry of Dallas chances out of the net. The Blackhawks continued to press to add on to their lead, but were stymied by Khudobin with a couple of big saves against the fourth line. Around the nine-minute mark, Crawford answered back on the other end, and then Khudobin would answer at his end of the ice.

Shortly after, Radulov gave the Blackhawks their first power play of the night when he got a stick up high that caught Toews right in the face. DeBrincat started a crazy sequence on the power play, with the puck eventually finding its way to Kane, who waited until some traffic had cleared in front of the net to wrist it past Khudobin, making it 2–0 Blackhawks.

The point streak continues! That's 13 straight games for Showtime pic.twitter.com/5p8iYAaCOG

— Blackhawks Talk (@NBCSBlackhawks) November 27, 2019

The Stars pulled their goaltender at the 16:27 mark of the period in an attempt to get back into the game, but that backfired when the Stars tried to block a clear from Connor Murphy, which ended up bouncing and rolling down the ice and into the empty net, making it 3–0 Blackhawks. That is how things would finish, with the Blackhawks getting Crawford his first shutout of the year.

The Blackhawks will be heading into a tougher stretch of their season, with back-to-back matchups with the Avalanche on Friday and Saturday night. The first of those two games is on Friday at 3 p.m. CST on NBC Sports Chicago.

The post RECAP: Blackhawks extinguish Stars 3–0 appeared first on The Rink.

Corey Perry celebrated his 1,000th NHL game on Saturday in Dallas. The forward spent the majority of those 1,000 games in Anaheim with the Ducks but has rebounded this year with a change of scenery. 

Congratulations, Corey! #GoStars pic.twitter.com/HvrucYkL8z

— X – Dallas Stars (@DallasStars) November 24, 2019

The Blackhawks rolled out their lines and the lineup looked very similar to many of their last five games. The lines were as follows:

Saad – Toews – Nylander
DeBrincat – Strome – Kane
Kubalik – Kampf – Shaw
Smith – Dach – Carpenter

Keith – Gustafsson
de Haan – Seabrook
Maatta – Murphy

Lehner

First period

The early portion of the period was a lot of back and forth between the two teams, but not a lot of quality chances were generated. The best chance of the first ten minutes came from Corey Perry. On the night of his 1,000th game, he could have put the Stars ahead early. Instead, he just flat out missed on his attempt to bury a puck with Lehner out of position.

Although Perry could not bury his chance, the Stars still struck first. Around the 14-minute mark, the Stars won a key faceoff in the Blackhawks’ zone. John Klingberg, in his first game back from injury, wired a shot through traffic that was tipped in front by Roope Hintz and ultimately found its way behind Robin Lehner. 

Roope and Klinger were skating together a lot coming back from injury.

They combine for the first goal in their first game back. #CHIvsDAL | #GoStars pic.twitter.com/EYpp3x86BG

— X – Dallas Stars (@DallasStars) November 24, 2019

Although the Stars dominated the period, the Blackhawks found a way to capitalize on an A+ opportunity. On a play that started with Connor Murphy getting the puck up the boards, Patrick Kane tipped the pass further to Alex DeBrincat. “The Cat” led the charge up ice with Olli Maatta and had a two-on-one. DeBrincat and Maatta played catch, but the final move came from Maatta, getting his shot to squeak past Anton Khudobin to tie the game. The goal was the first as Blackhawk for Maatta.

Olli Määttä scores first goal of the night for the #Blackhawks pic.twitter.com/fpJYpAECO1

— Blackhawks Talk (@NBCSBlackhawks) November 24, 2019

Patrick Kane picked up the secondary assist, extending his point streak to 12 games. Kane has been sensational all season thus far. 

Despite how bad they played, the Blackhawks went into the first intermission tied at one. An excellent position to be in given how much the Stars dominated the first period. 

Second period

The period began with the Stars having a quality chance against Robin Lehner in the first minute. The Stars had a bit of a two-on-one. Jamie Benn, who coming into this game was riding a four-game point streak, failed to convert on the chance after the puck went off the toe of his stick.

The Blackhawks first excellent chance came via a power play in which DeBrincat was tripped by Blake Comeau to initiate the man advantage. The Blackhawks didn’t score on the power play, however, they dominated possession on the power play. They won every draw in the offensive zone, and only had to regroup once or twice before moving the puck around and getting shots on net. 

It’s safe to say if every Blackhawks power play looked that good all the time, they’d be much better statistically. 

On the other end of special teams, the Blackhawks killed off the first power play for the Stars in beautiful fashion. The Hawks killers swarmed the Stars and constantly applied pressure, leaving the Stars searching for answers as they were unable to generate any meaningful chances on their first man advantage of the evening. 

After the Hawks kill, the remaining five minutes of the period featured another Dallas Stars power play. However, seven seconds into the man advantage, Joe Pavelski was sent off for hitting David Kampf in the face. The roughing penalty resulted in four-on-four hockey for the remainder of the period. 

With ten seconds remaining, Jonathan Toews drew a penalty on Miro Heiskanen for holding. Toews had the puck for a good 20 seconds, skating circles around the Stars defenders without losing the puck. The penalty set up a four-on-three for 50 seconds. 

The teams entered the second intermission with about 48 seconds of four-on-three time remaining. The Blackhawks looked much better in the middle frame than they did in the opening frame, registering 13 shots during the period. 

Third period

The final frame began with an unsuccessful power play for the Blackhawks. Despite starting with the man advantage, they could not generate any meaningful offense. Instead, Dallas gets out of a sticky situation unharmed. 

About two and a half minutes into the period, Khudobin made the save of the game, completely doing the splits to make a save on Dominik Kubalik, who had a wide open cage. The Hawks had a few follow-up chances, but Khudobin was able to shut the door. 

Absolute ROBBERY by Dobby. #CHIvsDAL | #GoStars pic.twitter.com/UzLGBLC3rR

— X – Dallas Stars (@DallasStars) November 24, 2019

The best chance for the Stars in the period came on a power play after a David Kampf delay of game penalty. The Stars had a great sequence and nearly capitalized, but the Blackhawks penalty kill stood tall and Lehner made two excellent saves to keep the home team from taking the lead. 

With three minutes remaining, it appeared the Hawks had taken the lead in Dallas after a Dylan Strome deflection on a Maatta shot. However, the play was waved off immediately for a high stick and after review it was confirmed.

Dylan Strome's goal is disqualified due to having a high stick. #Blackhawks still tied 1-1 pic.twitter.com/SerEEw3sO2

— Blackhawks Talk (@NBCSBlackhawks) November 24, 2019

The game indeed required overtime, and the Stars and Blackhawks entered overtime tied on the scoreboard and in almost every team statistic.

Overtime

The Blackhawks took possession first as Toews, Kane, and Keith took the ice first for the visitors. A Hawks turnover led to a Heiskanen breakaway, but Toews was able to break up the chance and force a turnover. 

An excellent individual effort from Patrick Kane nearly ended the game. Kane stole the puck from a Dallas defender and took off, creating a breakaway for himself. Unfortunately, Kane couldn’t capitalize. It hurt even worse because the Hawks were called for too many men on the ice after that chance. The Stars took their timeout before heading to the powerplay.

The Blackhawks killed the penalty, despite great chances by Dallas. Andrew Shaw had a semi breakaway just before time expired and looked to be tripped, instead, nothing was called and Shaw was furious. It appeared to be a penalty, but the game entered the shootout. 

Shootout

One shooter for Dallas, one goal. Joe Pavelski scored on the first shot of the overtime. Toews matched that by missing on his move to tuck the puck past Khudobin. 

The second Dallas shooter, Tyler Seguin, also scored. Both goals were five-hole on Lehner. Patrick Kane also missed on his chance and the Stars took the game in the shootout, 2–1. 

Quick hits

• Lehner looked good: Although he is not a shootout goalie, Lehner looked incredible during actual hockey play. He has continued to keep the Hawks in games and there is no denying that he may have been the best free-agent signing this past summer for any team in the league. The Stars had 15 high-danger chances in this game, 10 of them came in the first period. He only let one in. Yes ladies and gents, that’s really good. 
• Good penalty kill: The Blackhawks penalty kill looked sensational all night. The final powerplay in overtime allowed a lot of chances, but Lehner stood tall. If the kill can look like they did tonight all season, they will be in good shape going forward. 
• First one feels good: Olli Maatta scored his first goal as a Blackhawk tonight on a nice two-on-one with Alex DeBrincat. Maatta has improved every game with the Hawks and is proving to be a nice addition to this defensive group. Maatta also nearly had an assist on Strome’s high stick redirect goal. 

The Blackhawks will host this same Dallas Stars team on Tuesday, November 26 at the United Center. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. CST.

The post RECAP: Blackhawks fall 2–1 to Stars in shootout appeared first on The Rink.

The Blackhawks lines and pairings were as follows:

Brandon Saad — Jonathan Toews — Alexander Nylander

Alex DeBrincat — Dylan Strome — Patrick Kane

Kirby Dach — Andrew Shaw

Ryan Carpenter — David Kampf — Zack Smith

Duncan Keith — Calvin de Haan

Olli Maatta — Connor Murphy

Erik Gustafsson — Brent Seabrook

Slater Koekkoek

Prior to puck drop, former Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Brian Campbell took the ice for One More Shift. It was an awesome moment no one will ever forget.

What are the chances they're talking about 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘨𝘰𝘢𝘭 from the 2010 Stanley Cup playoffs?#10neGoal #OneMoreShift pic.twitter.com/HGGC8tSe49

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) November 22, 2019

First period

With only 11 forwards for the Blackhawks in this matchup, Patrick Kane took on the task of double-shifting on the third line. Slater Koekkoek and Erik Gustafsson seemed to be alternating shifts on the third pairing with Brent Seabrook.

The game was pretty much even for the Blackhawks and the Lightning in the first 20 minutes. Both teams stifled transition opportunities against each other and whenever one team managed to get some offensive zone time, they didn’t allow many chances. With around 9 minutes remaining in the first period, the Lightning had a couple of great scoring opportunities, but Corey Crawford stood tall and stopped them.

After Slater Koekkoek drew a cross-checking penalty on Alex Killorn, the Blackhawks new power play units got to work. The first unit of Erik Gustafsson, Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, Alex DeBrincat, and Andrew Shaw got a couple of good looks. Kirby Dach got his chance on the second unit, but the Blackhawks couldn’t convert on the man advantage.

Directly after the Lightning killed the penalty, Duncan Keith sat for interference on Brayden Point. While the kill looked good to start, Ryan Carpenter blocked Corey Crawford’s view of Mikhail Sergachev‘s point shot and it found its way into the net to give the Lightning the lead.

POWER PLAY GOAL!! @TBLightning's Mikhail Sergachev scores on a Power Play! #GoBolts

Don't miss any more of the action! Watch now on FOX Sports Sun or FOX Sports Go here: https://t.co/8RrQyQUIjk pic.twitter.com/FkmGBrL2mU

— Bally Sports Florida & Bally Sports Sun (@BallySportsFL) November 22, 2019

Within the last five minutes, the Blackhawks put the pressure on the Lightning and earned a power play opportunity with under 15 seconds left. After the first period, Tampa Bay held a 1-0 lead over Chicago and a 14-12 advantage in shots.

Second period

The trends from the first frame continued into the beginning of the second. When each team had the puck, they maintained pressure but couldn’t create prime scoring chances. That changed as the Lightning held onto the puck more as the period continued.

Everything seemed really boring this period, until the Blackhawks coughed up the puck with around five minutes left in the period. Chicago allowed a two-on-one but Crawford stymied Anthony Cirelli before the rebound hit the crossbar. That was the best chance for either team during the second period.

With four minutes remaining, Chicago circled the puck around Tampa Bay and Patrick Kane generated what was the Blackhawks’ best chance of the period. This all led to the Lightning taking their third penalty of the game with four minutes remaining. A good opportunity to tie the game for the Blackhawks was wasted, as they could not find shooting lanes for themselves. While the power play units sustained control in the offensive zone, the theme seemed to be a lack of shots with the advantage.

At the end of 40 minutes, the Lightning continued to lead the Blackhawks 1-0 and shots were 24-20 in favor of the visitors.

Third period

The Blackhawks didn’t get off the greatest start after the puck dropped for the third period. David Kampf was called for boarding around the three-minute mark and Zack Smith left the ice after taking a puck up high. So, Chicago was without one of their penalty-killing forwards, but they managed to kill the minor.

Then came the third-period push for the home team. Puck possession for the Blackhawks actually led to scoring chances when they were in the offensive zone. They circled the puck around the Lightning and it founds its way to Brent Seabrook. He went down low, almost below the goal line, and shot the puck off Curtis McElhinney‘s back to tie the game at one with just over ten minutes left in the third.

Seabrook threads the needle to tie it up pic.twitter.com/Ym9zt0cJJL

— Blackhawks Talk (@NBCSBlackhawks) November 22, 2019

What looked to be a momentum swing was quickly washed away when the Lightning were able to grab the puck again just over a minute later. Mathieu Joseph and Olli Maatta crashed together and the refs missed a blatant high-sticking call as Joseph got his stick up around Maatta’s face. That allowed the puck to slide past him to Alex Killorn, who found an open Victor Hedman at the point. His shot was tipped by Anthony Cirelli and the Lightning regained the lead.

Although the Blackhawks continued to pressure, the Lightning took advantage of their defensive breakdowns yet again. A puck battle in the neutral zone was lost by the Blackhawks and Ondrej Palat came up with the puck. Maatta, the only defenseman back, slid to his stomach for the stick check, but Palat went around his skates and slipped the puck to an uncovered Brayden Point. He gave Tampa Bay a 3-1 lead with 7:30 left in the game.

It looked as if things were over for the Blackhawks when Brandon Saad sat for hooking, but they pulled Corey Crawford early after the penalty kill pushed momentum their way. With just under three minutes left to play, Chicago won a faceoff with six attackers on the ice. Patrick Kane patiently waited until he found a shooting lane, and the puck found its way through multiple bodies in front. McElhinney stopped the original shot, but Dylan Strome corralled the puck and slipped it above the right shoulder of the Lightning goaltender to bring the Blackhawks within a goal.

The #Blackhawks won't go quiet into that good night!

Strome brings them within 1! pic.twitter.com/Jy7YSYOZMp

— Blackhawks Talk (@NBCSBlackhawks) November 22, 2019

But all hopes of tying the game were cut short when Anthony Cirelli single-handedly worked the puck out of his own zone and found Cedric Paquette, who buried the empty-net goal to seal the 4-2 win for the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Overall, the Lightning outshot the Blackhawks 35-34 in what turned out to be a close game.

Pluses

• Patrick Kane extended his point streak to 11 game with an assist on Dylan Strome’s goal. After a rough start to the season, he’s looking to be back to normal. He was an absolute beast in this game, double-shifting on the second and third lines and accumulating the most time on ice of any player on either team (27:52).
• After a rough game against the Hurricanes, the Blackhawks seemed to put together a better defensive effort this time out. They kept up with the Lightning in terms of shot attempts, scoring chances, and high-danger chances. If they can continue this pattern and score more at the same time, they just might win some of these close games.

Minuses

• I don’t know what Jeremy Colliton was thinking going with 11 forwards and seven defensemen tonight, and it’s clear by the post-game comments from Jonathan Toews the team didn’t get it either. I get that the team struggled against Carolina, but you won four in a row prior to that with the same lineup. Why would you switch something that was working all that time just because it fell short once? This tactic almost never works, and it was obvious the Blackhawks looked extremely disjointed throughout the majority of the game with a disjointed lineup.

The Blackhawks will head to Dallas to take on the red-hot Stars Saturday night at American Airlines Center. Puck drop is scheduled for 7 p.m. CST.

The post RECAP: Blackhawks drop second straight game, fall to Lightning 4-2 appeared first on The Rink.

Projected starting goaltenders

Chicago — Robin Lehner (4–3–2, .934 save percentage, 2.51 goals against average)
Carolina —Petr Mrazek (9–3–1, .904 save percentage, 2.62 goals against average)

Team statistics

Power play
Chicago (14.5%, 25th)
Carolina (23.8%, 14th)

Penalty kill
Chicago (80.0%, 19th)
Carolina (83.3%, 12th)

Shots for/against
Chicago (30.0, 20th; 37.1, 31st)
Carolina (33.5, 8th; 29.2, 3rd)

Shooting percentage
Chicago (10.2%, 13th)
Carolina (10.3%, 9th)

Face off percentage
Chicago (48.6%, 25th)
Carolina (50.8%, 10th)

Average height and weight
Chicago — 6-foot-1, 197 pounds
Carolina — 6-foot-2, 199 pounds

Projected lines and pairings

Chicago Blackhawks

Brandon Saad — Jonathan Toews —  Alexander Nylander
Alex DeBrincat — Dylan Strome — Patrick Kane
Dominik Kubalik — David Kampf — Andrew Shaw
Ryan Carpenter — Kirby Dach — Zack Smith

Duncan Keith —  Erik Gustafsson
Calvin de Haan — Brent Seabrook
Olli Maatta — Connor Murphy

Carolina Hurricanes

 Ryan Dzingel – Jordan Staal – Warren Foegele
Andrei Svechnikov – Sebastian Aho – Teuvo Teravainen
Nino Niederreiter – Eetu Luostarinen – Martin Necas
Brock McGinn – Lucas Wallmark – Jordan Martinook

 Jaccob Slavin – Dougie Hamilton
Joel Edmundson – Brett Pesce
Jake Gardiner – Trevor van Riemsdyk

Analysis

The Carolina Hurricanes storm into Chicago with a three-game winning streak only to be one-upped by the Blackhawks’ four-game streak of their own. The Blackhawks have also earned points in six straight games. Chicago leads the NHL in November with 14 points led by an offensive explosion the past four games which has seen the team score 21 goals in that span.

Patrick Kane has shouldered the offensive load riding a nine-game point streak (eight goals, nine assists) and goals in six consecutive games. The Buffalo, New York native currently leads the Blackhawks in goals (11) and assists (15) and will need to continue his current play as other forwards look to find their stride consistently hitting the scoresheet.

One bright spot amongst the remaining forward group is 18-year-old rookie Kirby Dach. Dach scored twice on Sunday against the Buffalo Sabres and has goals in three of the past four games. The 6-foot-4 forward has a 26.3 percent shooting percentage on the season while playing fourth-line minutes. Keep striking while the iron is hot young man.

Robin Lehner will be in net tonight. The 28-year-old Swedish goaltender is coming off an emotional victory over the Nashville Predators on Saturday. Lehner turned aside 39 shots in Nashville and is currently fourth in the NHL with his .936 save percentage.

Carolina is led by defenseman Dougie Hamilton and forward Andrei Svechnikov who both have nine goals and 22 points on the season, respectively. Former Blackhawk forward Teuvo Teravainen leads the Hurricanes with 14 assists. Goaltender Petr Mrazek has been pedestrian in four of his last five appearances and appears to be the starter in net.

One winning streak will have to end tonight. With solid goaltending and a continued offense that is clicking on all cylinders, Chicago should extend theirs, continuing their drive to respectability in the Western Conference.

The post Preview/Game Thread: Chicago Blackhawks vs. Carolina Hurricanes appeared first on The Rink.

With no line changes from Saturday to Sunday, the Blackhawks trotted out the following line combinations:

Saad — Toews — Nylander

DeBrincat — Strome — Kane

Kubalik — Kampf — Shaw

Smith — Dach — Carpenter

Keith — Gustafsson

de Haan — Seabrook

Maatta — Murphy

Crawford

First period

The period began with a buzzing Blackhawks squad showing well early. In the first three minutes alone, the Blackhawks looked like they were ready to play, despite having played the night before.

The Sabres began to pick up their play as the period wore on, specifically almost capitalizing on a Crawford mistake. The Chicago netminder made a desperation save when scampering back to his net after playing a puck. Fortunately, the puck stayed out and Dominik Kubalik had a semi breakaway the other way, but he was ultimately denied by Buffalo goaltender Carter Hutton.

The best chance for the Hawks came after an Alex DeBrincat penalty. As the penalty expired, DeBrincat and Dylan Strome exchanged passes. Strome threw the puck behind the net in the offensive zone to “The Cat” and the undersized winger found Patrick Kane open in the slot. The point-blank bid was denied by Hutton, but could have easily been a goal given the nifty passing from that line.

Not too long after, the Blackhawks capitalized on their momentum following the failed Buffalo power play. A Duncan Keith outlet pass ended up on Kirby Dach’s stick as he skated to the defensive blue line. Dach set up a give-and-go with Kubalik as they passed through the neutral zone. Dach made an outstanding play on his individual effort, lowering his shoulder to shield a defender and put a backhand shot over Hutton’s shoulder for the first tally of the game and a 1–0 Chicago lead.

Kirby Dach going backhand! @NHLBlackhawks lead 1-0. Stream here: https://t.co/jQFUIagZqV pic.twitter.com/E87dXUahCk

— Blackhawks Talk (@NBCSBlackhawks) November 18, 2019

Despite a late power play for the Blackhawks in the period, Chicago could not add to its lead. However, the Hawks took their 1–0 lead into the first intermission without issue after a fast first period between both teams. 

Second period

The middle frame did not lack any action, beginning in a similar fashion to that of the first period. In the first seven minutes of the period, both teams traded power play opportunities, but neither team could capitalize on their opportunity.

The majority of the period was defined by big saves from Crawford. The Hawks’ goaltender was superb, making numerous big stops on Sabre shooters. 

With about eight minutes remaining in the period, Dach nearly tallied his second goal of the game. Zach Smith tipped a puck at the blue line to open ice. Dach had a free chance from the top of the circles going in, but was denied by Hutton’s spectacular save. 

Under a minute later, Dach indeed picked up his second goal of the game. After the fourth line had a great chance before, head coach Jeremy Colliton sent that line back out there for another possession. Smith found Dach skating in and the rookie made a beautiful move to finish on the breakaway. Dach’s sneaky speed played a key on the play, as he was able to slip behind the Sabres’ defense and generate the open chance. 

Reminder that Kirby Dach is 18 years old… PRAY FOR THE LEAGUE

Stream the game here: https://t.co/eRyV0KGCum pic.twitter.com/G5bNYbnCRJ

— Blackhawks Talk (@NBCSBlackhawks) November 18, 2019

To the surprise of many, Erik Gustafsson dropped the gloves with Buffalo forward Jimmy Vesey not long after Dach’s goal. One of the last people most Blackhawks fans would expect to fight put up a solid effort against Vesey.

Gloves. Off. pic.twitter.com/JVOVWpcTy5

— Blackhawks Talk (@NBCSBlackhawks) November 18, 2019

Dach continued his dominance during the game by drawing a penalty. The 18-year-old skated into the offensive zone and nearly beat two Sabres defenders to get off an open shot. As he went to shoot, the Sabres took the penalty to prevent the quality chance and sent the home team to the man advantage. 

Just as the time was about to expire, Dach was called for interference on a strange play. Without a stick, Dach was skating to the bench. On his way back, he lit up Sam Reinhart, drawing the penalty.

The 2–0 lead was safe for now heading into the second intermission. Chicago continued to be outshot by the visitors, but Dach was the difference to that point. 

Third period

The Blackhawks began the third period by killing the Dach penalty with relative ease. To add to the action, the Blackhawks nearly ended the kill with a goal after Jonathan Toews was denied by Hutton on a two-on-one opportunity with Ryan Carpenter. 

Just a few minutes after the kill, the Blackhawks once again had a chance on the power play. The man advantage began with Andrew Shaw taking a face off to Hutton’s left. 

The face off resulted in a 50-50 puck that numerous players for both teams attempted to corral. In normal “Showtime” fashion, Kane used his quick hands to secure the puck, quickly turn around and rip a shot past Hutton to extend the Hawks’ lead to 3–0. The goal extended Kane’s point streak to nine games. 

9-game point streak for No. 88!#Showtime pic.twitter.com/0ewPhurG6x

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) November 18, 2019

Brandon Saad was denied twice on solid open chances in the period. On the second chance, Jake McCabe tied up Saad when he went to bury the chance with a backhand. To Saad’s credit, he stuck with the play and set up Toews to extend the Blackhawks’ lead to 4–0.

Toews from the slot. 4-0. #blackhawks #sabres pic.twitter.com/3lwb1dMf5J

— Buffalo Hockey Moments (@SabresPlays) November 18, 2019

The third period had quite a pace to it. Just as Gene Honda was announcing the Toews goal, Calvin de Haan turned a puck over at the Hawks’ blue line and Jack Eichel had an open chance on Crawford. Eichel was able to capitalize and beat Crawford to give cut into the Blackhawks’ advantage at 4–1. 

Jack Eichel steals the puck and gets one on the board! #Sabres50 | @Jackeichel15 pic.twitter.com/F7GOoTdHol

— Buffalo Sabres (@BuffaloSabres) November 18, 2019

The momentum was then in favor of the Sabres. Following the Eichel goal, Evan Rodrigues went to the net and nearly scored again, but the Sabres did draw a penalty, so they returned to the power play looking to close the scoring gap even further.

The Blackhawks controlled the Sabres on the man advantage. The Hawks generated the best chance of the Sabres’ man advantage when Saad had a breakaway from his own blue line in. Unfortunately, Saad could not get off a quality chance when trying to tuck the puck past Hutton.

The game had plenty of action for the rest of the game. In the last two minutes, Colliton threw Kane out on the ice with Dach to try and get the rookie his first career hat trick. Dach had a great backhand chance, but the shot sailed wide.

Despite the lack of a hat trick, the Blackhawks pick up their fourth consecutive win, downing the Sabres 4–1. 

Quick hits

• Someone call a Dach-tor: Kirby Dach was spectacular in this game. I am not underselling that either. He was all over the ice, using his speed, creating chances with effort and was a difference maker in this game. Dach has proven he belongs in the NHL, and, in his first season, could be a surprise that many fans did not expect as his confidence continues to grow each game.
• The Crow: Corey Crawford had another great game for the Blackhawks. The goaltending for the Hawks has been arguably the biggest strength for this team and Crawford continued that effort against the Sabres. He is 11–0 in his career against the boys from Buffalo and he and Robin Lehner put on a show over the course of the weekend back-to-back.
• This team is fun again: Not only was Connor Murphy a welcomed addition to the lineup against Nashville, but this team is beginning to play with confidence and swag. The Blackhawks are fun to watch again. There I said it. Are they perfect? No. Are they the teams of old? No. Are they fun to watch and giving fans a sense of hope for something positive in the future? Absolutely. At this point, the Blackhawks are trending toward being the hottest ticket in town once again, especially with how the Bears and Bulls are playing.

The Blackhawks will host the Carolina Hurricanes on Tuesday at the United Center. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. CST.

The post RECAP: Blackhawks flying high, down Sabres for fourth straight victory appeared first on The Rink.

Drake Caggiula was held out of tonight’s game for concussion protocol, while Corey Crawford started in net, attempting to win the franchise’s first game against Vegas (0–5–2).

Chicago Blackhawks lines and pairings

Brandon Saad — Jonathan Toews — Alexander Nylander
Alex DeBrincat — Dylan Strome — Patrick Kane
Andrew Shaw — David Kampf — Dominik Kubalik
Ryan Carpenter — Kirby Dach — Zack Smith

Duncan Keith — Erik Gustafsson
Calvin de Haan — Brent Seabrook
Olli Maatta — Adam Boqvist

First period
Within the first minute of action, Zack Smith was awarded a penalty shot, which rang off the crossbar after beating Vegas goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury. The penalty shot was followed up by an excellent save by Crawford on forward Reilly Smith’s backhand attempt. Only 90 seconds into the first period and both teams had top-notch chances to take the early lead.

Zack Smith hits the crossbar on a penalty shot 44 seconds into the game. #Blackhawks pic.twitter.com/5BYjFmK81j

— Charlie Roumeliotis (@CRoumeliotis) November 14, 2019

At the 2:58 mark, Vegas fourth-line forward William Carrier deflected a shot from defenseman Nicolas Hague in front, beating Crawford for the first goal of the game. The goal, Carrier’s third goal of the season, was assisted by Hague and center Nicolas Roy for a 1–0 Vegas lead.

Chicago’s Andrew Shaw was called for a hooking violation at the 5:31 mark, resulting in the Golden Knights’ first power play of the game. Vegas took advantage. Forward William Karlsson scored his fifth goal of the season, doubling Vegas’s lead to 2–0.

Only 16 seconds later, Patrick Kane put Chicago on the board after he beat Fleury with a pretty one-time goal. The goal extends Kane’s point streak to seven games. Dylan Strome and Alex DeBrincat assisted on the tally, which cut the Vegas advantage in half at 2–1.

The Great 8-8#Blackhawks pic.twitter.com/s8MeHvtvEb

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) November 14, 2019

A few moments later, Jonathan Toews had a breakaway that was denied by Fleury. Toews’ five-hole attempt to tie the score continued a wave of offensive chances for both teams, as both struggled to show any signs of defensive responsibility. After an entertaining first period of play, Vegas led in shots 16–7.

Second period
After a Calvin de Haan turnover, Vegas forward Alex Tuch beat Crawford for what appeared to be the Golden Knights’ third goal of the game. However, after video review, it was determined that the puck did not cross the goal line, hitting the crossbar and then left post. The video review was an obvious call even to the most casual viewer.

At the 15:51 mark, de Haan ripped a shot past Fleury, beating the goaltender glove side. The goal gave the first-year Blackhawks’ defenseman his first marker on the season and evened the score at 2–2. Zack Smith and Kirby Dach assisted on the play. The assist gave Smith 100 helpers for his 12-year career.

Calvin de Haan took the elevator all the way to the ROOF!

We're TIED. @NHLBlackhawks #CHIvsVGK

: NBCSN
: https://t.co/GHTKRT60oM pic.twitter.com/9A95xwrhkR

— NBC Sports Hockey (@NBCSportsHockey) November 14, 2019

Erik Gustafsson gave Chicago its first lead of the game at 3–2 after beating Fleury for his first goal this season. Gustafsson did an excellent job of finding ice in the middle of the defense in the offensive zone, allowing Strome to feed him with a slick pass.

Erik Gustafsson’s first goal of the season is a beauty. Top shelf. #Blackhawks pic.twitter.com/BnBCxqHZ4A

— Charlie Roumeliotis (@CRoumeliotis) November 14, 2019

Adding to the wildness of the first 30 minutes of the game, a questionable penalty given to Crawford for throwing his stick at Vegas forward Jonathan Marchessault resulted in the second penalty shot of the game. However, Marchessault could not beat Crawford after a half-hearted fake and shot.

Corey Crawford denies Jonathan Marchessault on a penalty shot. #Blackhawks pic.twitter.com/DeacHLBebT

— Charlie Roumeliotis (@CRoumeliotis) November 14, 2019

After two periods of play, Chicago led the game 3–2 while being outshot 31–17.

Third period
Chicago’s fourth consecutive goal came off of the stick of Dach at the 3:57 mark of the period. The 18-year-old rookie took an errant shot from Ryan Carpenter and beat Fleury for this third goal this season, doubling Chicago’s lead at 4–2. Smith earned his second assist of the game on the play.

Lucky Dach!

Kirby throws the puck in the net on the rebound. #Blackhawks pic.twitter.com/O6lOxBxNRQ

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) November 14, 2019

Not much action occurred until Adam Boqvist was called for interference at the 11:20 mark in the period. The ensuing power play gave Vegas a jump in their step and some momentum, but the home team could not solve the Chicago penalty kill.

Strome extended the Chicago lead after taking a nice saucer pass from DeBrincat before beating Fleury over the glove for Strome’s fourth goal this season, putting the game out of reach at 5–2. Kane also assisted on the play.

Calm, cool and collected#Blackhawks pic.twitter.com/eto5ROa8GA

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) November 14, 2019

In what could have been the most entertaining game of the season, the craziness was not over quite yet, as Vegas cut into the Chicago lead at the 18:59 mark when Golden Knights defenseman Nate Schmidt beat Crawford to bring the score to 5–3.

Vegas pulled Fleury for the extra attacker, but Chicago held tough and defeated Vegas for the first time in their short existence.

The good
Chicago came back from a 2–0 deficit and scored five unanswered goals.

Head coach Jeremy Colliton had mentioned in past weeks about the importance of playing well in the second period. Crawford was outstanding with 15 saves and the defense chipped in with two goals from the back end.

Kirby Dach, Alex DeBrincat, Patrick Kane, Zack Smith and Dylan Strome had multi-point games.

Crawford was spectacular tonight. The 34-year-old veteran stopped 39 shots. This performance gives him three straight strong appearances.

The bad
The defense allowed 31 shots through two periods and allowed 42 for the game. With average goaltending, this game could have had a completely different outcome.

Please comment below.

The post RECAP: Chicago defeats Vegas 5–3 in entertaining fashion appeared first on The Rink.

To be fair (and honest), the Hawks are coming off a couple of their stronger outings this season. Last night in Pittsburgh, Chicago gave a fairly solid effort, but in the end hung Corey Crawford out to dry one time too many, blowing a lead then falling and losing the second point in the Gary Bettman Marketing Gimmick known as “the shootout.”

The game may also go down in history for NBCSN color man Ed Olczyk’s summarization of the talents of Erik Gustafsson: “his strength is not defense.”

Robin Lehner would take the net for Chicago Sunday night for the first time in 3 games, 190 feet from ex-Winnipeg Jet Michael “Don’t Call Me Hutchence” Hutchinson for Toronto.

The Hawks’ lines and pairings were:

Brandon Saad — Jonathan Toews — Alexander Nylander
Alex DeBrincat — Dylan Strome — Patrick Kane
Zack Smith — David Kampf — Dominik Kubalik
Drake Caggiula — Kirby Dach — Andrew Shaw

Duncan Keith — Adam Boqvist
Calvin de Haan — Brent Seabrook
Olli Maatta — Erik Gustafsson

FIRST PERIOD

Call it old time hockey or Meatball Stuff, but :32 in to the game, Jonathan Toews did what an NHL captain does, by going hard after Toronto defenseman Jake Muzzin who had taken a big time run at a defenseless Brandon Saad, dropping Saad hard to the ice behind the Toronto net. The refs stepped in quickly and Muzzin took a two-minute minor, with Toews getting an extra two minutes, resulting in a Toronto power play, which the Hawks successfully killed.

At 5:18, Patrick Kane capitalized on an odd bounce and Cody Ceci involuntary redirect to put the Hawks out in front 1-0. Alex DeBrincat got the assist.

The action was fairly fast and furious throughout the first 11-12 minutes or so, with Dominik Kubalik just missing an opportunity to put the Hawks up 2-0, when he hit a post on a wide open side of the net.

At 12:00 in, Calvin DeHaan corraled a Muzzin turnover and blasted it off Hutchinson’s pads. Kirby Dach swooped in on the fat rebound and did not miss. 2-0 Chicago.

Just ten—ten—seconds later, with the Leafs in full disarray, Kane stepped out between the circles and delivered arguably the league’s best backhand into the top of the Leaf net. 3-0 Hawks.

The Leafs started coming on around the 15 minute mark but Lehner delivered some big saves to protect the Hawk lead. Former Hawk property Justin Holl took a badly called penalty at about the 17 minute mark, which the refs then, in classic NHL fashion, immediately “made good” with a slashing call on Dylan Strome. Three seconds later, Auston Matthews won a draw clean to William Nylander who beat Lehner. 3-1 Chicago.

Muzzin then took a tripping penalty at 17:17, giving the Hawks a 4-on-3. Sure enough, Toews immediately capitalized on a tic tac toe passing play. 4-1 Chicago at 17:28 and that was how the period would end—leaving NBCSN viewers to wonder just how “Gizmo” would break this one down between periods. Shots were 15-12 Toronto.

SECOND PERIOD

This period was a bit more tightly checked but about 6-7 minutes in, the Hawks started getting a little sloppy wth the puck, leading to turnovers and prime scoring chances for Toronto. Fortunately, Lehner repeatedly rose to the challenge.

Morgan Reilly took a hooking penalty at 8:01, putting Chicago back on the man advantage, which the Leafs easily killed. Ceci then took a hooking penalty at 13:08. This also was killed off by Toronto, although the Hawks launched several shots on goal on this power play.

Strome took another penalty at 17:05, and Toronto quickly won a face-off and set up shop. But the Hawks did their job and eventually killed it off. The period ended scoreless. Shots were 16-15 for Toronto.

THIRD PERIOD

A weak Erik Gustafsson turnover along the wall led to another William Nylander tally for the Leafs at 2:27. 4-2 Chicago

Alex Nylander took a high-sticking penalty at 3:55, giving Toronto even more life. However, Auston Matthews evened it out by high-sticking Calvin deHaan a minute later.

Toronto continued to keep pressure on Lehner (which he was more than up to), surpassing 40 shots midway through the third.

Gustafsson took a penalty at 12:37, leading, sure enough, to the Leafs third goal that appeared to injure Lehner in the collarbone or neck area. Lehner remained in the game, which was a good thing because it appeared the Hawks would need him with just a 4-3 lead.

However, after the Hawks converged on a loose puck in front of a down and out Lehner, Toews and Saad combined on a high speed goal, putting Chicago ahead 5-3 at 16:26.

Toronto then pulled Hutchinson, followed by a Zack Smith hooking call at 18:23. Lehner continued to stand tall under withering pressure, until Andreas Jonsson broke the spell at 19:18. 5-4 Chicago. The Hawks withstood the Leafs attack over the remaining seconds, sealing the win.

THE GOOD

Kane (2G) and the Kane/Strome/DeBrincat line. Dach, Toews, Saad, Lehner (especially) and Calvin deHaan all had nice games.

THE BAD

The Hawks continue an ongoing theme of poor puck management that they have gotten away with of late due to superior goaltending.

THE UGLY

57 Toronto shots on goal. Consider also that the Hawks are getting excellent play from deHaan and solid play from Olli Maatta. You want 2 “forwards” in your six-man defense rotation because . . . “pointz?” Careful what you wish for.

All we have on this one. Please comment below.

The post Recap: Blackhawks outlast Leafs, 5-4 in regulation appeared first on The Rink.

The big news with the lineup going into Saturday’s game was Kirby Dach and Adam Boqvist being healthy scratches. There was a lot of confusion from Blackhawks fans upon the news. With the two youngsters sitting, the lineup was as follows: 

Saad – Toews – Nylander

DeBrincat – Strome – Kane

Kubalik – Kampf – Shaw

Smith – Carpenter – Caggiula

Keith – Gustafsson

de Haan – Seabrook

Koekkoek – Maatta

Crawford

First period

The opening frame started with the Penguins generating numerous quality chances. However, Corey Crawford stood tall and looked great once again after a very good game against the Vancouver Canucks on Thursday night. 

Crawford not only looked good in net, but he was also not taking anything nonsense from the Penguins. Just after the halfway point of the period, Alex Galchenyuk took a puck to the net and ended up making contact with Crawford. The Blackhawks’ goaltender came up swinging and words were exchanged between a number of players.

The best chance of the period may have been a Brandon Saad shot that caught the post behind Matt Murray. Outside of that, neither team was able to crack the opposing goaltender. 

The Blackhawks and Penguins entered the first intermission tied at zero. There were solid chances for both sides, but neither team could find the back of the net. The Blackhawks showed good energy in the period, but couldn’t translate that energy into results. 

Second period

The middle frame proved to be a much better period for the visitors. The Blackhawks were finally able to crack the code against Matt Murray.

Just after the seven-minute mark, Chicago had a three-on-one rush with Brandon Saad, Slater Koekkoek and Dominik Kubalik. Saad carried the puck into the zone before dropping the puck back for Koekkoek. Rather than shooting or passing the puck to Kubalik, Koekkoek returned the pass to Saad, hitting Saad in the skate. The winger kicked the puck to his stick and quickly found Kubalik on the other side of the ice for a beautiful goal. 

Tic. Tac. Toe.

Good guys jump in front. Stream: https://t.co/gnXSKgjn5h pic.twitter.com/Zthx8PCcMc

— Blackhawks Talk (@NBCSBlackhawks) November 10, 2019

Not long after the opening goal, the ‘Hawks struck again. Calvin de Haan deposited the puck to Patrick Kane, who led a two-on-one into the zone with Brandon Saad. Kane held on to the puck the whole way and wired a shot under the left arm of Matt Murray, giving the Blackhawks a 2–0 lead. The goal was Kane’s sixth of the year.

Showtime extends his points streak to five games, and the #Blackhawks extend their lead to 2-0: pic.twitter.com/qk52VcEn59

— Blackhawks Talk (@NBCSBlackhawks) November 10, 2019

Crawford was continually spectacular throughout the period. However, it is tough to defend a perfect chance when your defenseman turns the puck over. Slater Koekkoek turned a puck over and gave Evgeni Malkin and Jake Guentzel a two-on-one chance. Malkin found Guentzel all alone, wide open in front of Crawford and the Penguins winger buried the pass to cut the ‘Hawks’ lead in half. 

Beautiful pass. Beautiful goal. pic.twitter.com/tMbVVAhDOs

— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) November 10, 2019

Fortunately, the rest of the period yielded no damage to the Blackhawks and they took their 2–1 lead into the second intermission, looking to put away the Penguins and pick up two critical points in Pittsburgh.

Third period

Although the ‘Hawks had the lead, they would ultimately lose that lead. After some good chances for both teams, the Blackhawks failed to clear a puck just after the ten-minute mark of the period. After the Penguins cycled the puck and had some looks at Crawford, defenseman John Marino threw a puck over to a wide-open Bryan Rust for a big game-tying goal. 

Bryan Rust extends his point streak to six games (5G-2A), a career high. pic.twitter.com/HaACSds4A9

— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) November 10, 2019

Unfortunately, the Blackhawks could not add a third goal and the game ultimately required overtime. Both teams had numerous quality chances, but the goaltenders continued to put together great games for their respective clubs. 

The biggest news to note from the third period was the departure of Sidney Crosby. After blocking a shot in the period, Crosby then left the game and did not return. The Penguins were without their captain for the remainder of the game. 

Overtime

Overtime was very high paced for both teams. The Blackhawks had great possession during the extra frame, ultimately winning the time of possession battle. However, the Blackhawks could not generate anything and the game was forced into a shootout.

Shootout

• The Penguins’ first shooter was Jake Guentzel, who already had a goal earlier in the game. Guentzel made a sweet move on Crawford and snuck the puck through his five-hole.
• Jonathan Toews led off the shootout for the Blackhawks. Unfortunately, Toews was denied on his bid and opened the door for the Penguins.
• Evgeni Malkin shot second for the Penguins and was denied by Crawford. Crawford made an excellent save with his left toe to deny the elite center.
• Patrick Kane was the Blackhawks’ second shooter, and in typical Kane fashion, snuck the puck blocker side to knot the shootout up at one.
• Jared McCann was up the third shooter for the Penguins. McCann snapped off a wicked shot to beat Crawford blocker side and give the Pens the 2–1 shootout lead. 

Guentzel and McCann score in the shootout to lock down the two points. pic.twitter.com/Bo5Bqlf3Ev

— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) November 10, 2019

The final third Blackhawks shooter was Alex DeBrincat. DeBrincat was denied by Murray, giving the Penguins the shootout victory.

Quick hits

• Energy was good: The energy was solid for the Blackhawks on Saturday night. They played an overall solid game, despite losing a 2–0 lead in the contest. This game is certainly one with a lot of good that the team can build on, so it will be interesting to see how they respond against Toronto.
• Crow is back?: Corey Crawford was very good once again after his great performance on Thursday night. If the Blackhawks can continue to get that type of goaltending from Crawford, then the Blackhawks may have the best goaltending duo in the league with Lehner and Crawford.
• Why sit the kids?: A big question mark in this game was sitting Kirby Dach and Adam Boqvist. In a game where youth and speed could have been useful, the Blackhawks decided to sit the two young promising stars. I think Blackhawks fans, like myself, would much rather see Boqvist playing defense than Slater Koekkoek, who cost the Blackhawks a goal in this game.

The Blackhawks return home on Sunday to welcome the Toronto Maple Leafs to town. Puck drop is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. CST. As Eddy Olyczk would say, “One of those great six o’clock starts!”

The post RECAP: Blackhawks spoil two goal lead, lose to Penguins 3–2 in shootout appeared first on The Rink.

The DeBrincat-Strome-Kane line finally made its season debut against the Ducks. The rest of the lines were as follows: 

Saad — Toews — Nylander

DeBrincat — Strome — Kane

Kubalik — Kampf — Dach

Caggiula — Carpenter — Shaw

Keith — Boqvist

de Haan — Seabrook

Maatta — Gustafsson

Lehner

First period

The first period started in a very calm fashion. The first 10 minutes of play yielded a lot of back and forth, but did not yield any goals for either team in Anaheim. 

However, a spark of the future came into view at about the halfway point of the period. After a puck was worked deep, Jonathan Toews found the puck but could not handle it as the puck dribbled behind the Ducks’ net. Alex Nylander picked the puck up and skated out to Ryan Miller’s right side. He found Adam Boqvist at the top of the face off circle to Miller’s right and sniped a shot over the Anaheim goaltender’s shoulder for his first career NHL goal. 

.@kdach77 running to grab the puck for his buddy @BoqvistAdam is our second favorite thing about this goal. #Teammates pic.twitter.com/odXA2gouov

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) November 4, 2019

Boqvist’s new buddy, and possibly his future franchise pillar, Kirby Dach picked up the defenseman’s first goal puck after the tally.

In exciting fashion, the Blackhawks offense would not end there. After working their way into a five-on-three power play, the Hawks found a way to take advantage of Anaheim’s mistakes. After a puck worked its way back to Dominik Kubalik on the point, Kubalik found Patrick Kane on his right wing side of the power play. Kane took a second to set up and scan his options, but ultimately found Alex DeBrincat back door for a tap-in goal from the left winger. The goal gave the Blackhawks the 2–0 lead.

This Kaner pass >>>

My word. @NHLBlackhawks lead 2-0 on @NBCSChicago and streaming here: https://t.co/l15UbPEy2R pic.twitter.com/SbihA4pNqf

— Blackhawks Talk (@NBCSBlackhawks) November 4, 2019

The Blackhawks took that lead into the first intermission with also leading in shots on goal. It was arguably one of the best periods for the Blackhawks all season.

Second period

The second period opened it much better than most middle frames have this season for Chicago. Although the Blackhawks looked better than they have in most second periods this season, they were on the other end of the scoring luck for the period. 

After more than 12 minutes of back and forth, the Ducks found a way to finally crack Robin Lehner, who had been spectacular all night long. 

After a puck was shot behind the Blackhawks’ net, Ryan Getzlaf found the puck before it could find its way around the wall and out of the zone. He passed the puck to Erik Gudbranson, who wasted no time sending a shot on net. The shot was screened in front of Lehner by Sam Steel and the Ducks cut the Hawks’ lead in half at 2–1 on the Gudbranson blast. 

https://twitter.com/AnaheimDucks/status/1191187308612993024

The Ducks’ goal was the only scoring action in the period. Anaheim found a way to outshoot the Blackhawks and make the game closer than it felt after the first period.

Third period

The early portion of the third period did not feel great for the Blackhawks. It would only get worse, especially after back-to-back Toews penalties.

After Chicago killed the first power play on the Toews penalties, they found themselves in trouble after a second penalty moments after the first one ended. 

After setting up, Cam Fowler found Steel deep on Lehner’s left side. Steel was able to hit Ritchie with a perfect pass, with Lehner diving in hopes of stopping it, and Ritchie made no mistake, finding the back of the net on his shot to even the score at 2–2. The tying goal was excellent execution from the Ducks.

https://twitter.com/AnaheimDucks/status/1191191550694264832

Later in the period, the best chance the Hawks had came on a cross ice Kane to Shaw pass. Shaw’s attempt was stopped by Miller on an excellent chance. The Blackhawks also had a great chance after a Boqvist power play shot was deflected by Kubalik, but could not beat the goal post as a power play expired. Two excellent chances for the Blackhawks ultimately went wasted.

Despite good chances from both sides, the contest would require overtime to determine a winner.

Overtime

An opening Toews face off led to immediate Chicago possession to start the opening frame. After regrouping in their own zone, Kane found Toews at the blue line with a long stretch pass. 

Toews lowered his shoulder and took the puck toward the net. Despite the good defense, Toews let up and spun around looking for an open player. Toews found Kane crashing to the net on the other side of the ice and he buried the pass to give the Blackhawks the 3–2 win in overtime against the Ducks.

Give me the puck
I'll hit the game winner #Blackhawks pic.twitter.com/J6HTx8WBgw

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) November 4, 2019

Quick hits

• The first of many: Adam Boqvist scored his first career NHL goal in the win against the Ducks. Boqvist showed off the offensive prowess that led to him being selected in the top 10 back in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft. His first goal was not at all cheap, and, after scoring, his buddy Kirby Dach grabbed the puck for him.
• Lehner to the rescue: Not only did Robin Lehner carry the team on his back, but he also picked up his 100th career victory in the NHL. Lehner will without a doubt continue to increase that career total given how he has played. If he is extended by the Blackhawks, fans could see Lehner pick up his 200th win in a Blackhawks uniform.
• The stars come through: Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews came through in the clutch in overtime, ending the game on the first possession of extra time. Not only did they combine for the game-winning goal, but they also each picked up an additional point during the game. Hawks fans should be encouraged if Kane and Toews are having multi-point outings on a regular basis because, more often than not, that will translate to victories.

The Blackhawks continue their California swing in San Jose on Tuesday night against the struggling Sharks. Puck drop is scheduled for 9 p.m. CST.

The post RECAP: Blackhawks clip Ducks’ wings, win in overtime 3–2 appeared first on The Rink.

Despite Robin Lehner‘s great play against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Friday, Blackhawks head coach Jeremy Colliton decided to go with Corey Crawford in goal.

These were the Blackhawks’ starting lines:
Alex DeBrincat – Jonathan Toews – Andrew Shaw
Dylan Strome – Kirby Dach – Patrick Kane
Brandon Saad – David Kampf – Dominik Kubalik
Drake Caggiula – Ryan Carpenter – Alexander Nylander

Duncan Keith – Connor Murphy
Olli Maatta – Brent Seabrook
Calvin de Haan – Erik Gustafsson

First period

The Blackhawks controlled a good portion of the play to begin the game, as the player of the moment, Kirby Dach, showed the United Center crowd just what talent they have to look forward to for years to come.

Washington took the first lead of the night just over nine minutes into the first period on the power play thanks to yet another Andrew Shaw penalty. Duncan Keith underestimated the pressure on his back, as the Capitals dumped the puck deep into the Blackhawks’ corner, which eventually led to the goal. Evgeny Kuznetsov picked Keith’s pocket and fed a streaking T.J. Oshie, who beat Crawford with a one-timer over the glove.

That goal seemed to take the wind out the Blackhawks’ sails for a few shifts, as they failed on a power play of their own. As a result, the Capitals took a 1–0 lead into the locker room, despite getting outshot 14–12.

Second period

Thanks to a Radko Gudas penalty at the end of the first period, the Blackhawks opened up the second with their third power play of the night. As with the first two power plays, the Blackhawks failed to capitalize, but they were not without some solid chances to tie the game.

At the 11:35 mark of the middle period, following a tremendous steal behind the Washington net by Ryan Carpenter, Alex Nylander found a fat rebound in front of Capitals goalie Braden Holtby and sent a blind pass to Drake Caggiula. Caggiula was wide open on the back door and tied the game at 1–1.

Drake Caggiula ties the game off a sweet pass from Alex Nylander #Blackhawks pic.twitter.com/OoxrCphaQ8

— Juliana Nikac (@juliananikac) October 21, 2019

It was not long, though, before the Blackhawks found themselves holding a bag of mixed luck. Dach took a high stick to the face that drew some blood and the home team was given a four-minute power play. That was where the good luck subsided and the bad luck seeped in.

After a bad pass skipped by Patrick Kane less than 30 seconds into the advantage, Nic Dowd finished a two-on-one by beating a helpless Crawford and tallying a shorthanded goal for a 2–1 Washington advantage. This would eventually result in Chicago failing to convert on its fourth power play of the night.

When the teams headed into the intermission, the Capitals held a 2–1 lead but were getting outshot 29–21 by the Blackhawks.

Third period

As the third period opened, a familiar face in Michal Kempny took a penalty, but the Blackhawks’ ice-cold power play remained lifeless.

Shortly after wasting their fifth power play of the night, Capitals defenseman John Carlson fed Alex Ovechkin for a laser beam of a one-timer, which Crawford had no chance to stop. The Washington captain tallied the 664th goal of his illustrious Hall-of-Fame career.

Just a mere couple of minutes after the Ovechkin goal, Dominik Kubalik threw his hat into the ring with his second goal of the season. At that point, Kubalik could have easily had two more goals with the way he was buzzing around the ice. This time he drove to the net following a Brandon Saad shot and shoveled the rebound into the open net to cut the gap to 3–2.

Great shift by the third line and Dominik Kubalik scores to bring the #Blackhawks within one pic.twitter.com/7fx8LAp26f

— Juliana Nikac (@juliananikac) October 21, 2019

Just as the clock approached the halfway point of the third period, Kane gave the United Center crowd some life. The Blackhawks intercepted a pass and quickly headed towards the Capitals end of the ice on a two-on-one. Kane used Alex Nylander to look off the defender and snapped the puck through Holtby to even the score at 3–3.

Patrick Kane ties the game for the #Blackhawks pic.twitter.com/oephwNrW5O

— Juliana Nikac (@juliananikac) October 21, 2019

The tie game lasted less than three minutes, when Tom Wilson gave the visitors back the lead. Brent Seabrook lost his footing and Jonathan Toews did a fly-by which left Wilson wide open on the back door. Carl Hagelin tallied his second assist of the game, hitting the big power forward with a pass for an easy goal and 4–3 Washington edge.

After pulling the goalie in the final two minutes, the Blackhawks still could not manage to get the game-tying goal and Lars Eller scored a full-ice-length goal to give the visitors a 5–3 win. Final shot totals were 44–30 in favor of the Blackhawks.

Pluses

• Dominik Kubalik has continued to impress. He had a nice partial breakaway in the second period that he did not convert on, but he also had two follow-up whacks at the rebound. For a guy that was perceived as a slower guy, he finds ways to get behind the defense. His goal later in the game just reinforced this perception behind his team-high 10 shots on net.
• Kirby Dach did not look out of place against NHL talent. He kept up and made a few nice quick plays in his 13:40 of ice time. He did not get on the scoresheet, but he was far from the reason the Blackhawks lost. It looks like we might see Dach for the full nine games, at minimum. The one area Chicago might want to consider getting him out there more is the power play. He did not see a second of time with the man advantage.
• I really wanted to come down hard on Alex Nylander, but his pass to Caggiula brought me back from Hatesville (population me) for the evening.

Minuses

• When you outshoot a team 44–30 at home and have five power plays, you need to win that game, period. They did almost everything right. They won 59% of their face offs. They led in high danger scoring chances 16–9. They led in all possession metrics. The only category they did not dominate was goals scored. It is not fair to blame Crawford, but they needed just one more big save from him and he was not able to hold them in the game.

The Blackhawks will face the Vegas Golden Knights on Tuesday. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. CDT.

The post RECAP: Blackhawks drop winnable game to Capitals 5–3 appeared first on The Rink.

The Blackhawks entered Monday’s contest still searching for their first victory of the season. Chicago looked poised to beat Winnipeg after taking a 2–0 lead early in Saturday’s game, but ultimately fell short of their first win. Instead, the Blackhawks looked to beat one of the two remaining unbeaten teams in the NHL.

The Blackhawks experienced a heavy line shakeup ahead of Saturday’s contest. The lines set for Monday were as follows:

DeBrincat – Toews – Caggiula

Shaw – Strome – Kane

Saad – Kampf – Kubalik

Smith – Carpenter – Nylander

Keith – Gustafsson

Maatta – Seabrook

de Haan – Murphy

Crawford

Despite a good game from Robin Lehner on Saturday, the Blackhawks opted to go with the veteran Corey Crawford against the league’s top team on Monday night.

First period

The first period started well for the Blackhawks. Not even 15 seconds into the period, Dominik Kubalik fired an absolute rocket at Mike Smith for the game’s first solid chance. 

Despite the fast start for the Blackhawks, not much happened in the period. The Blackhawks managed to fire 10 pucks at Mike Smith in the first compared to the Oilers’ 12. A notable stat from the first period was the Blackhawks’ penalty kill keeping the league’s second-best power play off the scoresheet early. 

The Oilers came up empty on their two power plays in the first period, but Edmonton almost took the lead on the power play after drawing iron on the man advantage. 

However, the post proved to be Crawford’s best friend and ultimately kept the game scoreless through the first period. The Blackhawks not only lost the shots on goal battle in the opening frame, but also were losing in the face off dot with Edmonton winning 56% of the draws. 

Second period

The Blackhawks came out of the first intermission with a sense of purpose, admittedly something they lacked in the last three games. After some pressure early from the Blackhawks, they were rewarded.

Just after the four-minute mark in the period, the Blackhawks and Oilers lined up to Smith’s right for a face off in the Edmonton zone. Dylan Strome won a critical faceoff after a bit of a scrum for the puck. After Strome gained possession, he found Patrick Kane, who had yet to move from his starting position, and Kane buried the puck past Smith after a little backhand-forehand motion.

Patrick Kane (@88PKane) isn't even a center and he owns the face-off dot. pic.twitter.com/DXSSUVsAA7

— NHL (@NHL) October 15, 2019

Not long after, Andrew Shaw set the tone for the period. After defenseman Joel Persson was mesmerized by Kane behind the net, he did not see Shaw coming from his weak side. Shaw delivered a clean, hard hit to Persson, knocking him straight to the ice. Persson’s teammates did not like the Shaw hit and took exception. Ultimately, Jujhar Khaira took a roughing penalty for going after Shaw.

BRUH pic.twitter.com/5ldfitthC4

— Blackhawks Talk (@NBCSBlackhawks) October 15, 2019

Despite the power play opportunity, the Blackhawks could not capitalize, keeping the score dormant at 1–0. 

Both teams traded power plays for much of the remainder of the period. With about four minutes left in the period, Brandon Saad nearly had a beautiful goal after he danced around an Edmonton defender. Saad took the puck hard to the net after gaining the inside on an Oiler defender, but ultimately hit the post. The goal would have been highlight-reel material for the power forward.

With just under three minutes remaining, the Oilers looked like they tied the game. Despite the optimistic call, the goal was waived off for goaltender interference. Connor McDavid had speed around Connor Murphy and took the puck to the net. Crawford stopped the initial bid, but McDavid continued into Crawford, causing the puck to cross the line, therefore resulting in the no-goal call.

Chicago was able to take their lead into the second intermission. The Blackhawks looked much better in the second period for the first time in this young 2019–20 season. 

NBC Sports Chicago broadcaster Pat Boyle mentioned at the end of the period that Jeremy Colliton challenged his team to be better in the middle frame and it is safe to confidently say they did just that. A 17-shot period for the Blackhawks gave them the 27–18 shots on goal advantage.

Third period

The Blackhawks brought the same energy out in the third period as they did in the second. The Blackhawks’ defense was all over the Oilers early. 

Just under seven minutes into the period, the Blackhawks’ effort paid off. The fourth line was out on the ice against McDavid and young Alexander Nylander made an excellent play against the Edmonton superstar. 

As McDavid went to bring the puck up the ice, Nylander was there to take away the puck from McDavid. Ryan Carpenter pushed the puck up the ice and Nylander was all over it. He gained possession just to the left of Smith and hesitated slightly to get Smith out of position. Nylander made Smith pay, and wired a beautiful shot past the goaltender to give the Blackhawks a 2–0 lead.

Five hole and goal! #Blackhawks pic.twitter.com/i8BliaweuM

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) October 15, 2019

Quickly following the goal, the Blackhawks were sent to the power play after a poor offensive zone penalty by Khaira. However, the Blackhawks were unable to capitalize.

With 8:45 remaining in the period, Strome had an excellent opportunity in front of Edmonton’s crease. As the second line dominated possession in the Edmonton zone, Shaw was able to get the puck to Kane behind the net, as Kane slid the puck away from the scrum and finessed it out in front. Strome had an opportunity after a Kane pass, but Smith beat Strome with an excellent save to keep the deficit at two for the Oilers.

The period was a chippy one, as Calvin de Haan and McDavid exchanged pleasantries after a solid check by de Haan.

No love at all rn pic.twitter.com/XIDDQthFnK

— Blackhawks Talk (@NBCSBlackhawks) October 15, 2019

With just over two minutes remaining, the Oilers were able to take advantage of a six-on-four power play. James Neal scored his eighth goal of the young season for the Oilers after a nice pass from Ryan Nugent-Hopkins to find him back door. 

It's Real Deal James Neal (@jneal_18) with goal No. 8 on the season. pic.twitter.com/XjE9pHBp5l

— NHL (@NHL) October 15, 2019

With just over 30 seconds remaining, David Kampf made an excellent play on the wall in the Blackhawks zone to get the puck down the ice. With the goalie pulled, Saad gained possession deep in the Edmonton zone and dished the puck back to Jonathan Toews. Toews’ shot was blocked by Nugent-Hopkins and Kampf’s follow up shot was denied too. However, Saad found the puck laying in the blue paint and tapped it into the empty net to give the Blackhawks the 3–1 win.

Brandon Saad seals the deal for the #Blackhawks with a well-deserved empty-net goal. Chicago wins 3-1 pic.twitter.com/CHw3J4IOt2

— Juliana Nikac (@juliananikac) October 15, 2019

Quick hits:

• D-D-Defense! — The defense looked spectacular on Monday night. It finally felt like the pairings were the way they should be. Keith and Murphy played well together (more on that in a minute), Gustafsson found his ideal partner in de Haan and the Maatta-Seabrook pairing continued to play well. This feels like the first time in a while that the defense is actually…good?
• An “A” for effort! — The team’s effort was outstanding against Edmonton. The Blackhawks’ forecheck was constantly in the face of Oilers defenders and made it difficult to play against. That high level of energy is what it is going to take for this team to win games. Now that there are more “grit” and “energy” players in the lineup, this could be an identity the Blackhawks adopt: be aggressive, be energetic and be a pain to play against.
• Oh my Nylander! — Despite looking lost in the first period and barely seeing the ice in the second, Nylander scored the game-winning goal on Monday night. Nylander seemed to find his step on the fourth line in the third period, playing with a lot of energy and being rewarded with a goal on a hustle play that saw him strip McDavid and outhustle defenders to get to the puck. If Nylander can contribute in a limited role, he could prove very valuable to the team’s depth.
• Where’s McDavid? — Fans did not hear McDavid’s name called all that much on the broadcast Monday night. He was almost non-existent. Specifically, the Keith-Murphy pairing did an excellent job against McDavid’s line and played excellent during the 23-plus minutes that both players played. The recipe for success against the Oilers is to shut down their stars and the Blackhawks did exactly that on Monday.
• I love Calvin de Haan — De Haan has brought a lot of assets to the Blackhawks that they have lacked since Niklas Hjalmarsson was traded a few years ago. He plays strong defense, is not afraid of contact, has a great stick in his own zone and can avoid taking big hits that result in players falling out of position. Plainly said, as the author of this piece, I love Calvin de Haan. 

The Blackhawks will be off until Friday when they take on the Columbus Blue Jackets at the United Center. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. CDT.

The post RECAP: Blackhawks win first game, deliver Oilers first loss appeared first on The Rink.

Head coach Jeremy Colliton chose to go with veteran Corey Crawford in goal for this first game, but Robin Lehner could have easily made the start as well. Even former Chicago goaltender Dominik Hasek (who dropped the ceremonial puck) looked like he could have suited up.

This was your Blackhawks starting lineup:
Alex Nylander — Jonathan Toews — Patrick Kane
Alex DeBrincat — Dylan Strome — Andrew Shaw
Brandon Saad — David Kampf — Dominik Kubalik
Zack Smith — Ryan Carpenter — Drake Caggiula

Duncan Keith — Erik Gustafsson
Olli Maatta — Brent Seabrook
Slater Koekkoek — Dennis Gilbert

Brendan Perlini and Calvin de Haan were scratches for the Blackhawks.

Period one
Both teams were very sloppy to open their seasons, which might have something to do with the several hour time differences they both experienced. This sloppiness was evident with the Blackhawks’ first power play of the season at the 3:16 mark. They were barely able to get the puck into the Flyers’ zone, much less generate any actual offensive pressure.

The sloppiness was even more egregious with the first goal of the game, scored by Travis Konecny. Defenseman Dennis Gilbert had a rough time breaking the puck out of his own end and panicked. Konecny picked up Gilbert’s flubbed pass and went in one-on-one with Crawford. The Philly forward wasted no time snapping a shot under Crawford’s glove and into the back of the net.

The Flyers lead did not last long, though. A minute and twenty seconds after the Konecny goal, new Blackhawks wing Alex Nylander picked up a Philadelphia neutral-zone turnover and drove up the center of the ice. Nylander changed the angle of his shot by pulling the puck behind the defender’s leg and snapped it past Carter Hart.

The goal was definitely a good sign for Blackhawks fans concerned about the Jokiharju-Nylander trade earlier this summer.

Let’s have another look at that, shall we?#BlackhawksAbroad pic.twitter.com/3GTOrSmEef

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) October 4, 2019

Toward the latter part of the period, the offense really opened up for both teams, but the goaltenders held their ground, putting on an early-season goaltending show. The Flyers held the lead in shots 13–10 as the teams headed to the locker room for the first intermission.

Period two
Dennis Gilbert did not let the first-period turnover get him down, as he made a few really nice defensive plays in the Blackhawks’ end of the ice to begin the second period. Crawford also continued his goaltending show with a few tough saves early on as well.

At the 4:42 mark, Duncan Keith took a penalty to put the Blackhawks on the penalty kill. Last year’s 31st-ranked penalty kill looked just as bad as it did to finish last season. An odd-man break turned into a power play goal when Oskar Lindblom snapped a nicely placed shot over Crawford’s glove, hitting the post. Unfortunately, the puck hit Slater Koekkoek and bounced into the net for Chicago’s second “sad trombone” moment of the game.

Thanks bud. #FlyOrDie | #NHLGlobalSeries pic.twitter.com/0BByj5s3aR

— Philadelphia Flyers (@NHLFlyers) October 4, 2019

A Brent Seabrook delay of game penalty put the Blackhawks right back on the penalty kill at 9:14. This time, though, the Blackhawks were able to avoid having to dig the puck out of the back of their own net, increasing their penalty kill percentage to 50%.

Both teams took penalties in the final few minutes of the middle period, which treated the fans to some four-on-four hockey. The Flyers were the first to strike with the extra on-ice space. Konecny scored his second of the game as he pulled the puck around Duncan Keith and roofed a backhander over Crawford’s glove.

Just as everyone thought the Blackhawks would go into the second intermission down 3–1, newly extended Alex DeBrincat one-timed a Patrick Kane feed on the power play past Hart to cut the Flyers lead back down to one goal at 3–2 with 12.2 seconds remaining. Shot totals heavily favored the Flyers 15–8 in the second period and 28–18 through two periods.

Feed the Cat#BlackhawksAbroad pic.twitter.com/3WRZxZDxjP

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) October 4, 2019

Period three
Neither team was shy about pressing the offense as the third period began. The wide-open play made for several tense moments, but the goalies were able to bail their respective teams out. Crawford was the first to buckle in the third period, though.

Just before the 10-minute mark of the third period, Philly’s Michael Raffl made the Blackhawks pay for some soft defense by wrapping around the net and banking the puck off the inside of Crawford’s leg and into the net. Chicago was actually leading in shots on net 7–5 at this point.

With two minutes remaining and the goalie pulled, Kane used a screen by Andrew Shaw to beat Hart and cut the Flyers lead down to one goal. Unfortunately, this would all the Blackhawks could muster, as they ran out of time and closed out their trip with a 4–3 loss after getting out shot 38–31.

The Blackhawks return to the United Center to face the San Jose Sharks at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday.

Pluses

• Alex Nylander scoring his first Blackhawks goal in his first game with Chicago will keep the fans off his back for a little bit.

Minuses

• The face off problems continued for the Blackhawks, as they won only 38% (22–58). Jonathan Toews and David Kampf were a combined 12–23.
• It only took until the third period for Jeremy Colliton to fire up his line blender. He swapped Nylander and Drake Caggiula and rearranged the defensive pairs as well.
• Corey Crawford was hot and cold. He gave up several glove-side shots that he probably should have made.
• The defense and the penalty kill look eerily similar to the terrible ones that finished last season.

The post RECAP: Blackhawks drop opener to Flyers in Prague appeared first on The Rink.

On the 21st night of September, the lines for the matchup were as follows:

Nylander – Toews – Kane

DeBrincat – Strome – Shaw

Saad – Wedin – Kubalik

Smith – Carpenter – Caggiula

Keith – Gustafsson

Maatta – Seabrook

Murphy – Koekkoek

Lehner

First period:

With only a few regulars in the Bruins’ lineup, the Blackhawks took over early into the first few minutes of the game. Three minutes into the contest, Brandon Saad drew a hooking call and the power play came up with some good opportunities, including a goal. Dylan Strome buried a puck Alex DeBrincat put on net and the home team opened the scoring.

ORDER UP: One greasy power play goal #CHIvsBOS pic.twitter.com/851AP1vgZF

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) September 22, 2019

Just a few minutes later, newcomer Robin Lehner made a spectacular save on a two on one to preserve the Blackhawks’ lead. The Bruins picked up their pace after that stop and had a few good scoring opportunities in the first period.

Midway through the frame, Bruins goaltender Maxime Lagace came streaking out of his net as Patrick Kane went after the puck, taking a great scoring chance away from the Blackhawks. The home team had another great scoring chance when Slater Koekkoek flipped a shot from a tough angle. Somehow, the it did not cross the goal line before a Bruin defender cleared the puck away to keep it a one goal game.

The Blackhawks took their 1–0 lead with a 13–10 shot advantage into the first intermission at the United Center.

Second period:

The beginning of the second frame started just as the first did: a lot of good chances for the Blackhawks but nothing to show for them. The Bruins took advantage and found some quality zone time, but Lehner kept the home team afloat.

About four minutes into the period, the visitors hard work paid off, earning a penalty shot after a flurry of saves by Lehner and Connor Murphy covering his hand over the puck. Ryan Fitzgerald showed off some skill, placing a perfect shot just to the right of Lehner to tie the game at 1–1.

On their second power play of the game, the Blackhawks had a few good chances, most notably a tip in attempt by Kane that barely missed the net. Despite being unsuccessful this time around, the power play looks just as good as it did for much of the second half of last season.

However, Boston dominated most of the middle frame of this contest, forcing Lehner to make a surplus of great stops to keep the home team in the game. He held his own and looked much like the goaltender fans have expected him to be.

Late in the frame, the Blackhawks’ third line went to work in the offensive zone. Brandon Saad moved the puck along the boards and passed it back to Anton Wedin behind the net. Wedin then flipped it back to Saad, who slipped it behind Lagace to put Chicago ahead 2–1.

Give and GOAL!#KneelBeforeSaad pic.twitter.com/oeEHceQTWf

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) September 22, 2019

Despite getting outshot 17–13 in the second period, the Blackhawks headed into the second intermission with a one goal lead.

Third period:

The ice remained tilted in favor of the Boston Bruins to begin the third period as the game opened up and the Blackhawks took their first penalty of the game. All the momentum was stifled by the home team’s successful efforts with a man down, including forcing the visitors to ice the puck on their own power play.

Play slowed in the middle of the period with neither team allowing much past the neutral zone. The Blackhawks picked up their pace around the 11 minute mark, forcing the new Boston netminder, Kyle Keyser, to stop some grade A scoring chances.

The Blackhawks had an opportunity to take the lead on their third power play of the game. After a couple of good scoring opportunities, Boston rushed up the ice shorthanded with Erik Gustafsson defending and Par Lindholm tied up the game 2–2.

With nothing else happening in the final minutes of regulation, the Blackhawks and Bruins headed into overtime.

Overtime:

To begin the overtime period, the Blackhawks rolled out the usual trio of Kane, Jonathan Toews and Gustafsson. On a partial two on one, Kane had a prime scoring chance but could not get the shot off due to a stick check by Anders Bjork.

Both teams had multiple chances to end the game, but Keyser and Lehner both made spectacular saves. Of course, the game winning goal had to be a weird one. Murphy one timed a puck that Keyser stopped with his shoulder, but the puck took a weird bounce off Kane’s chin. He found it heading toward the net and shoved it just enough for it to cross the goal line.

The Blackhawks won the game 3–2 and earned their second victory of the preseason.

Quick hits:

• How Swede it could be: Alexander Nylander has seriously impressed throughout camp on the top line with Kane and Toews. He had a few great chances in this preseason contest and continues to make his case for being on the opening night roster. Wedin also showed off during this game, assisting on the second Blackhawks goal and getting an opportunity on the penalty kill next to Toews. He could be another option at center on the third line.
• Steady Lehnny: After a shaky first appearance in the preseason, Lehner bounced back with a fantastic showing against Boston tonight. He stopped 39 shots and faced 34 scoring chances. He moved well in his crease and made some spectacular stops throughout the game. Lehner remained poised in net and looked like himself. Safe to say, Chicago probably does not have to worry about him moving forward.

The Blackhawks remain in Chicago to play the Washington Capitals on Wednesday. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. and can be seen on NBCSCH+.

The post RECAP: Blackhawks defeat Bruins in overtime 3–2 appeared first on The Rink.

A look at new #Blackhawks scoreboard with live in-game stats: pic.twitter.com/I0tdIPNEFP

— Charlie Roumeliotis (@CRoumeliotis) September 19, 2019

In typical preseason fashion, more of the stars play in the home games than in the road games. Dylan Strome and Alex DeBrincat both played last night in Detroit, so they were off tonight. The lines were as follows:

Nylander – Toews – Kane

Saad – Kampf – Kubalik

D. Sikura – Highmore – Saarela

Hakkarainen – T. Sikura – Hagel

Keith – Boqvist

Maatta – Seabrook

Gilbert – Holm

Crawford

First period:

As fans settled into their seats and continually gazed at the brand new scoreboard, the Blackhawks trotted out the top line to start the game. Alexander Nylander won the lottery for the game, starting on the left wing with Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane. 

Roughly five minutes into the contest, Toews had the best opportunity of the early minutes with a partial breakaway. Unfortunately, after a spectacular forehand backhand move, Toews could not finish and the game remained deadlocked at 0–0.

Later in the period, with about five minutes remaining, the Red Wings earned a power play after a Dennis Gilbert hooking penalty. However, the Blackhawks were able to escape without any damage from the Red Wings’ man advantage. 

But, another power play chance for the Red Wings spelled trouble for the Blackhawks. With just under two minutes remaining in the period, Detroit forward Filip Zadina placed a shot toward the net from the right slot. The shot never made it to the net. Instead, after a Seabrook block, the shot bounced perfectly onto the stick of Taro Hirose at the left face off dot. Hirose finished the play and scored the opening goal of the game for the visitors. 

The Red Wings took their 1–0 lead, as well as a 10–6 shots on goal advantage, into the first intermission at 1901 W. Madison St. 

Second period:

Right out the gate, the Red Wings generated the first good opportunity of the period. Joe Veleno found himself wide open on Crawford’s right side. Valeno placed a shot up near Crawford’s shoulder, but the Chicago netminder was able to make a solid save and keep the young forward off the scoresheet.

Roughly two minutes after the Veleno chance, the Blackhawks finally took advantage of a Red Wings mistake. After Tyler Sikura dumped the puck in deep, Detroit goalie Jonathan Bernier mishandled the puck behind the net. Brandon Hagel was able to steal the puck below the goal line after an aggressive forecheck and jam the puck toward the net. The puck squeaked through Bernier, who was not completely set in his net, and tied the game at 1–1.

Cleanup crew cleans up!#CHIvsDET pic.twitter.com/56Cf5QWnhk

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) September 19, 2019

Just after the halfway point of the period, the Blackhawks struck again. A Toews outlet pass from the defensive zone found Nylander at the near blue line. Nylander gave the puck to Kane at the red line and Kane found some space in the offensive zone. The Red Wings were concentrating on the three Chicago forwards and completely forgot about Duncan Keith, who jumped into the play. Kane found Keith and the two time Norris Trophy winner found the back of the net with his shot to give the Blackhawks the 2–1 lead.

88 and 2… feels like these two are developing some chemistry.#Blackhawks pic.twitter.com/UDSrcPM3hj

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) September 19, 2019

The Blackhawks entered intermission with the one goal lead over their Original Six foe.

Third period:

The best chance of the third period came at around the seven minute mark. Adam Boqvist danced around a defender in beautiful fashion—dragging the puck between his legs in the process—and placed a light shot toward Bernier’s glove side, but was unable to capitalize on the attempt.

Adam Boqvist is a defenseman: Part 2 pic.twitter.com/Tkv9sxTzlg

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) September 19, 2019

The Blackhawks continued to pepper Bernier with shots all night long. Detroit had a few quality chances, but each time Crawford stood tall and made the big save. 

The Red Wings tried to tie the game late in the third with the extra attacker but could not find a way past Crawford. The Blackhawks sealed the 2–1 lead and captured their first preseason win at the United Center.

Quick hits:

• The Crow’s nest: Corey Crawford looked really strong in his first preseason action. He is certainly still a question mark, given his recent injury history, but if he can sustain his top level of play for roughly 40 games, then he and Lehner will be the best goaltending duo in the league. After allowing only one goal on 24 shots, it is safe to say Crawford made an impact in his first preseason outing. 
• The lottery spot: Alexander Nylander hit the jackpot on Wednesday, flanking Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane on Chicago’s top line. The young Swede picked up this third point of the preseason on Duncan Keith’s goal and is continuing to make the front office’s decision very hard in about 10 days or so. He has played very well and will likely get a chance to prove himself on the opening day roster for the Blackhawks. Maybe a change of scenery is just what the doctor ordered for the younger Nylander brother.

The Blackhawks remain in Chicago and await the Boston Bruins on Saturday. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. CST and can be seen on NBCSCH+.

The post RECAP: Blackhawks defeat Red Wings 2–1 in preseason home opener appeared first on The Rink.

Patrick Kane ready to yet again join elite Blackhawks company

Following his career best season last year, Kane is just 62 points shy of reaching 1,000 for his career. Barring any injuries or a drastic decrease in production, he should hit that mark sometime this season. If he does, Kane will become the fourth player in Blackhawks history to reach 1,000 points with the organization, joining Denis Savard (1,061), Bobby Hull (1,153) and Stan Mikita (1,467).

With another season of 100 points or more, Kane could also join Savard and Jeremy Roenick as the only three Blackhawks players to post three or more seasons reaching the century mark in points. If he is able to reach 100 points or more in 2019–20 as a follow up to his 110 point campaign last season, he can join Savard and Roenick again as the only three players to post back-to-back 100 point seasons.

Feb 20, 2019; Detroit, MI, USA; Chicago Blackhawks right wing Patrick Kane (88) and defenseman Duncan Keith (2) wait for the face off during the second period against the Detroit Red Wings at Little Caesars Arena. (Photograph courtesy of Raj Mehta / USA TODAY Sports)

Finally, at the risk of this becoming even more of a Kane gushfest, Kane and his Blackhawks partner in crime, Jonathan Toews, could become the 11th and 12th players to record 20 or more goals in each of their first 13 NHL seasons. Kane and Toews are currently two of three active players to reach 20 or more goals in each of their first 12 seasons, joining Alexander Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals, who has reached 20 or more goals in each of his 14 NHL seasons.

After leading the Blackhawks in scoring for the fifth time in the last seven years, Kane will once again be relied upon as the offensive catalyst for the Blackhawks in 2019–20. If he can reach the 100 point plateau, etching himself deeper among the all time franchise greats, Kane could also be leading the Blackhawks back to the postseason after a two year absence.

The post Patrick Kane on verge of historic 2019–20 season, again appeared first on The Rink.

Kane rated as best Blackhawks player in NHL20

Kane, the NHL10 cover athlete (also NHL16 but, not really…) continues his reign as one of the top 10 players in the EA NHL franchise realm, coming in as the sixth highest rated player in NHL20. His 97 rating for deking is the highest in the game.

Showtime! @88pkane is #6 on the #NHL20Top50! Patty Kane has the silkiest mitts in #NHL20 with a 97 rating in Deking and should carry the puck on a string in any lineup. @NHLBlackhawks pic.twitter.com/cj6U6uAVAo

— EA SPORTS NHL (@EASPORTSNHL) September 2, 2019

Following a career high year in assists (66), points (110) and time on ice (22:29) during 2018–19, Kane looks to continue to be the focal point for the Blackhawks’ offense as he enters his 13th season in Chicago.

For an interesting look as to how EA Sports comes up with their NHL ratings, here is a video from Sportsnet giving some insight

NHL20 is set for release on Sept. 13 on PS4 and Xbox One platforms.

The post Patrick Kane highest rated Chicago Blackhawks player in NHL20 appeared first on The Rink.

Jonathan Toews remains one of the top pivots in NHL20

Chicago Blackhawks captain and NHL11 and NHL16 cover athlete Jonathan Toews continues his dominance as one of the top centers in the NHL for another year in NHL20. Checking in as the 42nd-highest-rated player in the game, Toews garners an 88 overall rating heading into the 2019–20 season.

Captain of the @NHLBlackhawks @JonathanToews is coming off the highest point total of his career and earns the #42 spot! #NHL20 #NHL20Top50 pic.twitter.com/QZ2Y0bEtUJ

— EA SPORTS NHL (@EASPORTSNHL) August 27, 2019

Toews is coming off of his career-best statistical season after posting highs in goals (35), assists (46), points (81) and time on ice (21:00) during his first complete 82-game season since the 2008–09 campaign.

Jonathan Toews NHL20 attributes breakdown (Via EA Sports)

For an interesting look as to how EA Sports comes up with their NHL ratings, here’s a video from Sportsnet giving some insight

NHL20 is set for release on Sept. 13 for PS4 and Xbox One platforms.

The post Chicago Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews’ NHL20 rating revealed appeared first on The Rink.

Patrick Kane, Nikita Kucherov, Connor McDavid named Ted Lindsay Finalists

Since the award began in the 1970–71 season, then known as the Lester B. Pearson award, only one Blackhawks player has ever won the award, and it was Kane in his MVP season in 2015–16. This is Kane’s second time being named a finalist, the first nomination for Kucherov and the third nomination in a row for McDavid. McDavid has won the award the last two seasons.

#SHOWTIME

Patrick Kane has been named a finalist for the Ted Lindsay Award, given to the most outstanding player in the @NHL as voted by the @NHLPA! pic.twitter.com/cYrrUBqH6s

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) April 25, 2019

The Chicago Blackhawks missed the postseason for the second consecutive season for the first time since Kane’s rookie season in 2007–08. Individually for Kane, he posted career highs in assists (66) and points (110) this season, while also putting up his second-highest total for goals (44) in a season. Kane’s 35 goals and 45 assists at even strength this season were also career highs. It all makes sense when taking into consideration that, at 30 years old, Kane averaged 22:29 minutes of ice time per game this season, also a career high.

Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images

Kane finished third in the NHL in points with 110, six points behind McDavid (116), and 18 points behind league-leader Kucherov (128) this season. His 66 assists placed him sixth in the NHL while McDavid had 75 assists for second in the league behind Kucherov, who led the league with 87 helpers. Kane’s 44 goals put him at fifth in the league and at the highest total of the Ted Lindsay finalist group.

In four of the last five years in the NHL, the Ted Lindsay Award winner and Hart Memorial Trophy winner as league MVP have been awarded to the same player. Only last year saw the Ted Lindsay award go to Connor McDavid while Taylor Hall was named the Hart Trophy winner.

The Ted Lindsay Award winner will be announced at the NHL Awards in Las Vegas on June 19.

The post Patrick Kane named finalist for Ted Lindsay Award appeared first on The Rink.

Patrick Kane named Team USA Captain

In back-to-back years, Patrick Kane will serve as captain of Team USA at the IIHF World Championships. Coming off of a career-best NHL season, Kane is set to play in his third IIHF World Championship tournament after finishing last year’s tournament as the MVP with 20 points in ten games, leading Team USA to a Bronze Medal over Team Canada. Kane previously played for team USA at the 2008 IIHF World Championships, playing in seven games and scoring ten points as Team USA lost in the quarter-finals to Team Finland.

Sep 9, 2016; Columbus, OH, USA; Team USA forward Patrick Kane (88) celebrates with teammates on the bench after scoring a goal in the first period against Team Canada during a World Cup of Hockey pre-tournament game at Nationwide Arena. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports

Kane is coming off his best NHL season of his career after posting career-highs in assists (66) and points (110) and finishing with his second-highest goal scoring total his NHL career with 44 goals. In his international career representing the United States, Kane has skated in 50 games across six different levels of play, scoring 70 points. Kane has won a U18 World Junior Championships Gold Medal in 2006, a World Junior Championship Bronze Medal in 2007, an Olympic Silver Medal in 2010 and the World Championships Bronze Medal in 2018.

Other Chicago Blackhawks players that have been rumored or confirmed to be playing for their countries at the 2019 IIHF World Championships are Marcus Kruger (Sweden), Artem Anisimov (Russia), Alex DeBrincat (USA), Brandon Saad (USA) and Henri Jokiharju (Finland). Team USA is expected to announce their roster later this week.

The post Patrick Kane named Team USA Captain for IIHF World Championships appeared first on The Rink.

7 p.m. CST
Bridgestone Arena
TV/Radio: NBCSCH/WGN

PROJECTED STARTERS

Chicago – Cam Ward (16–11–4, save percentage: .896, goals against average: 3.68)
Nashville – Pekka Rinne (29–19–4, save percentage: .917, goals against average: 2.43)

TEAM STATISTICS

Power Play
Chicago (20.3 percent, 15th)
Nashville (12.7 percent, 31st)

Penalty Kill
Chicago (72.8 percent, 31st)
Nashville (81.9 percent, Seventh)

Shorts for/against
Chicago (32.5, 11th; 34.6, 30th)
Nashville (32.4, 12th; 30.0, 9th)

Shooting Percentage
Chicago (10.1 percent, Seventh)
Nashville (8.8 percent, 21st)

Faceoff Percentage
Chicago (49.4 percent, T-20th)
Nashville (51.6 percent, Fifth)

Average height and weight
Chicago 6-foot-1, 197 pounds
Nashville 6-foot-1, 199 pounds

PROJECTED LINES/PAIRINGS

Chicago Blackhawks

Drake Caggiula–Jonathan Toews–Patrick Kane

Alex DeBrincat–Dylan Strome–Brendan Perlini

Brandon Saad–Artem Anisimov–Dominik Kahun

Chris Kunitz–David Kampf–John Hayden

Duncan Keith–Erik Gustafsson

Gustav Forsling–Brent Seabrook

Slater Koekkoek–Connor Murphy

Nashville Predators

Filip Forsberg–Ryan Johansen–Viktor Arvidsson

Mikael Granlund–Kyle Turris–Craig Smith

Colton Sissons–Nick Bonino–Austin Watson

Brian Boyle–Calle Jarnkrok–Wayne Simmonds

Roman Josi–Ryan Ellis

Mattias Ekholm–P.K. Subban

Dan Hamhuis–Dante Fabbro

Analysis

The Blackhawks put a damper on the Stars’ chances of maintaining the first wild card position Friday night. If the Stars fail to capture at least one point and the Avalanche win, the Avalanche will move into the first wild card position and face the winner of the Central Division. The other will face the Calgary Flames in the opening round of the playoffs.

Tonight presents another big game for a Blackhawks opponent. The Blues’ matchup against the Blackhawks could have tied them for first place. Last night’s game could have captured the top wild card spot for Dallas, and now tonight, a Predators’ win would capture the Central Division. A title would mean the raising of another banner to the rafters of Bridgestone Arena to join their existing “Regular Season Champions” banner.

The Blackhawks will have Ward starting in net this evening with Kevin Lankinen backing him up in Nashville. Corey Crawford did not travel with the team after leaving last night’s game with a groin injury. It’s unlikely that we see Lankinen make his NHL debut tonight, but with his call up, it allows Collin Delia and Anton Forsberg to help Rockford push toward the playoffs in these final, very meaningful, games.

A Predators win tonight clinches the Central Division title. A Predators loss, and this division can be captured by any one of the Predators, Blues or Jets depending on Saturday’s outcomes.

Comment below in our live game thread tonight!

And look for the internet’s most robust recap of the game tomorrow morning on the-rink.com.

The post Preview/Game Thread: Blackhawks at Predators appeared first on The Rink.

Corey Crawford was back between the pipes for Jeremy Colliton, while Dallas head coach Jim Montgomery went with his rock-solid backup, Anton Khudobin. Colliton also sat Marcus Kruger and Carl Dahlstrom.

This was your Blackhawks starting lineup:
Drake Caggiula – Jonathan Toews – Patrick Kane
Alex DeBrincat – Dylan Strome – Brendan Perlini
Brandon Saad – Artem Anisimov – Dominik Kahun
Chris Kunitz – David Kampf – John Hayden

Duncan Keith – Erik Gustafsson
Slater Koekkoek – Brent Seabrook
Gustav Forsling – Connor Murphy

Period one
Both teams spent most of the opening period feeling each other out, with the Blackhawks getting a majority of the shot and scoring chances. The goalies at each end were solid and held each other’s team off the scoreboard.

The period remained 0–0 until there was 3:15 left in the first period. A really nice stop at one end of the ice by Crawford was turned around the other way by Kane into an improbable 1-on-3 goal. Kane took it upon himself to lug the puck into the Stars end while his team made a change and snapped a puck between the legs of Dallas defenseman Justin Dowling and past Khudobin.

That’s pic.twitter.com/onsmDA9stQ

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) April 6, 2019

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That goal was Kane’s 43rd of the year, which put him three short of his career high of 46, in 2015–16.

Dallas took a late penalty prior to the period end that rolled over into the second and the Blackhawks led in shots on net 9–6 as they went into the first intermission

Period two
The Blackhawks’ power play rolled over into the second period and they even had a short 5-on-3 advantage, but the home team cold not strike on either power play.

Just prior to the midway point of the of the second period, Crawford was replaced by backup Cam Ward. Crawford was responding gingerly after a slightly awkward save he made in the first period and was ruled out for the rest of the game.

At the 8:49 mark of the period, Saad used a burst of speed to get an open look on Khudobin, but the Stars goalie was able to square up and make the stop. Kahun, however, shoveled the rebound into the net for his 13th goal of the year.

Two minutes later, Kunitz picked up another loose puck in front of Khudobin and chipped it toward the goal line. The puck flipped and flopped towards the goal line but the call on the ice was no goal. The situation room checked the replay and ruled that the puck did indeed cross the line, giving the Blackhawks a 3–0 lead and making for a fun celebration with the veteran forward at the bench in what might be his final NHL game.

Absolutely one my favorite “good goal” reviews of all time! Kunitz!
pic.twitter.com/dicaGKA0E9

— Niko From the T.O. (@NikoFromTheTO) April 6, 2019

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With under two minutes remaining in the middle period, Strome was in the right place at the right time, and out-waited Khudobin long enough to give the Blackhawks a 4–0 lead on Strome’s 20th goal of the season. With an assist on the play, Gustafsson eclipsed the 60-point plateau, as well.

After an eventful second period, the teams each at 14 shots on net, but it was the Blackhawks up big.

Period three
The goal flurry carried over into the third period when Koekkoek put the Blackhawks’ fifth goal of the game past Khudobin just 44 seconds into play.

We’re no geometry wizards but that angle looks cute, er, acute #Blackhawks pic.twitter.com/hIZOmGYtFX

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) April 6, 2019

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As happens with the Blackhawks this year at an epic rate, the Blackhawks lost the shutout with 13 minutes left in regulation, on the penalty kill. It was clear the Stars would score eventually, with the Blackhawks’ penalty kill giving up opportunity after opportunity. Joel L’Esperance finally slammed a wide open back door chance into the back of the net.

The cherry on top of the sundae was Kane’s 44th goal of the year with 3:49 left in regulation. He was sent in on a breakaway by a nice Caggiula snap pass. Khudobin was no match for the Blackhawks MVP candidate, as Kane beat him five-hole.

Goal No. 44
Point No. 109#Showtime pic.twitter.com/ru2hGzAiOd

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) April 6, 2019

When the final horn sounded, the Blackhawks walloped the Stars 6–1 while getting out shot 35–32.  The season wraps up tonight in Nashville at 7 p.m.

Pluses

• Kane is now just two goals from his career high, but he will have a rough time trying to pass that high in Nashville.
• Gustafsson getting his 60th point is noteworthy.
• 20 goals from Strome has been a nice surprise this year.

Minuses

• Not much to point and complain about other than Crawford getting injured.  Reports say that Kevin Lankinen will be recalled on and emergency basis to backup Cam Ward tonight.
• Okay, I was wrong. The penalty kill did what the penalty kill does: give up the only opposing goal of the game.

The post RECAP: Blackhawks stomp Stars 6–1 in home finale appeared first on The Rink.

7:30 p.m. CST
United Center
TV/Radio: NBCSCH/WGN

PROJECTED STARTERS

Chicago – Corey Crawford (14–18–5, save percentage: .907, goals against average: 2.96)
Dallas – Anton Khudobin (16–16–5, save percentage: .926, goals against average: 2.47)

TEAM STATISTICS

Power Play
Chicago (20.5 percent, 12th)
Dallas (20.5 percent, 14th)

Penalty Kill
Chicago (73.1 percent, 31st)
Dallas (82.4 percent, Fifth)

Shorts for/against
Chicago (32.6, 11th; 34.6, 30th)
Dallas (30.5, 21st; 31.7, 18th)

Shooting Percentage
Chicago (9.9 percent, Ninth)
Dallas (8.4 percent, 28th)

Faceoff Percentage
Chicago (49.4 percent, T-20th)
Dallas (51.9 percent, Fourth)

Average height and weight
Chicago 6’1”, 197 lbs.
Dallas 6’2”, 207 lbs.

PROJECTED LINES/PAIRINGS

Chicago Blackhawks

Drake Caggiula–Jonathan Toews–Patrick Kane

Alex DeBrincat–Dylan Strome–Brendan Perlini

Brandon Saad–Artem Anisimov–Dominik Kahun

Chris Kunitz–Marcus Kruger–John Hayden

Duncan Keith–Erik Gustafsson

Gustav Forsling–Brent Seabrook

Carl Dahlstrom–Connor Murphy

Dallas Stars

Jason Dickinson–Tyler Seguin–Alexander Radulov

Jamie Benn–Roope Hintz–Mats Zuccarello

Andrew Cogliano–Radek Faksa–Blake Comeau

Mattias Janmark–Jason Spezza–Tyler Pitlick

Esa Lindell–John Klingberg

Miro Heiskanen–Roman Polak

Taylor Fedun–Ben Lovejoy

Analysis

Coming off their 4—3 victory against the St. Louis Blues on Wednesday night, the Blackhawks look to continue playing the role of spoiler as they welcome the Dallas Stars to the United Center.

The Stars enter play on Friday firmly cemented in one of the two wild card positions in the West. The Stars can’t move up, but they can certainly fall to the second wild card spot if the Colorado Avalanche continue to collect points.

The Blackhawks can play spoiler and aid in setting the Stars up to play the top seed in the Western Conference, the Calgary Flames. A tough matchup such as this one could spell a quick end to the Stars’ playoff run.

At this point, this game is essentially meaningless for the Blackhawks. They are too high in the standings to get a lottery pick (unless they luck out), so they will probably pick somewhere between 10 and 15.

That said, a team with nothing to lose is a dangerous team. The Stars need to be cautious on Friday night, otherwise, they could fall into the second wild card spot and be set for a date with the talented Calgary Flames, who may be the most complete team in the Western Conference.

Comment below in our live game thread tonight!

And look for the internet’s most robust recap of the game tomorrow morning on the-rink.com.

The post Preview/Game Thread: Blackhawks vs. Stars appeared first on The Rink.

Prior to the game, the Esposito brothers were honored together for “One More Shift” in a Blackhawks sweater. There is no doubt the moment had to be special for the brothers, players and fans alike, as these two greats, and Top 100 players of all time, were honored before Wednesday’s clash.

Dylan Sikura was sent down to the Rockford on Tuesday. In return, the Blackhawks recalled defenseman Dennis Gilbert for his NHL debut. The lines returned to similar form, with a few exceptions. They were as follows:

Drake Caggiula – Jonathan Toews – Patrick Kane

Alex DeBrincat – Dylan Strome – Brendan Perlini

Brandon Saad – Artem Anisimov – Dominik Kahun

Chris Kunitz – Marcus Kruger – John Hayden

Duncan Keith – Erik Gustafsson

Carl Dahlstrom – Brent Seabrook

Dennis Gilbert – Connor Murphy

Cam Ward

David Kampf is injured with a facial injury and both Gustav Forsling and Slater Koekkoek were healthy scratches on Wednesday night.

First period:

The first period began in pretty quiet fashion for both teams. The early portion of the frame was highlighted by sloppy plays and poor shot attempts. Neither team was able to generate much through the first 10 minutes.

After a slow first half of the period, the Blues found themselves with a golden opportunity to take the lead. With eight minutes left in the stanza, youngster Robert Thomas was sprung on a breakaway. Ward denied the bid and kept the visitors off the board.

With under four minutes remaining in the period, the Blackhawks’ top line created a quality opportunity. Toews carried the puck up the ice and found Kane at the offensive face-off dots in the Blues’ zone. Kane fired what looked like a shot on net that was tipped intentionally by the captain, giving the Blackhawks a 1–0 lead late in the first period.

Captain Jonathan Toews tallied his 35th goal of the season tonight to establish a new career-high!

He tops the 34 he scored in 2008-09. #OCAPTAIN pic.twitter.com/MOabJSamQW

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) April 4, 2019

Not much else happened early, and the Blackhawks took their 1–0 lead into the first intermission against the red-hot Blues.

Second period:

The second period did not begin well for the home team. Gustafsson let a puck get by him on a pinch attempt and sprung Vladimir Tarasenko and Ryan O’Reilly on a two-on-one against Keith. Tarasenko elected to shoot from the left wing side and buried a beautiful wrist shot to tie the game at 1–1.

26 seconds through the 2nd period and Vladimir Tarasenko makes it a 1-1 game. pic.twitter.com/JXrZu19HSS

— Blackhawks Talk (@NBCSBlackhawks) April 4, 2019

A few minutes later, the Blues nearly struck again. This time, the Blues were short handed when Oskar Sundqvist found himself on a breakaway against Ward. Ward made a beautiful save on the play, just getting enough of the puck for it to hit the crossbar and harmlessly float to the corner.

With just under seven minutes remaining in the middle frame, Saad made a great play in his own zone to poke the puck away from David Perron. Saad started the two-on-two up ice with Kahun and Saad quickly passed the puck to his fellow winger.

Saad crashed the net, along with Anisimov, while Kahun pulled up just over the blue line. Kahun skated to the middle of the ice and fired a wrist shot at the net. Anisimov, on a fly by in front of Jake Allen, tipped the puck past Allen and gave the Blackhawks the 2–1 lead.

Anisimov! #Blackhawks take a 2-1 lead in the 2nd period! pic.twitter.com/x3tdRTO4ln

— Blackhawks Talk (@NBCSBlackhawks) April 4, 2019

A late power play for the Blackhawks would not amount to anything and teams entered the second intermission with the score still 2–1.

Third period:

The early portion of the third period was similar to that of the first, neither team could generate any meaningful offense. With about eight and a half minutes remaining, the Blackhawks started up ice as the forwards went to change.

Strome was all alone on the left wing side of the ice in his own zone. Strome was able to find Kane, who bolted ahead after coming off the bench, for a breakaway from the blue line in. Kane used his dynamic speed and roofed a perfect backhand shot to give the Blackhawks a 3–1 lead. Initially, the referees were unsure if the puck entered the net due to how fast it came out of the net. However, after review, the goal was good and Kane recorded his 42nd goal and career-high 107th point.

Patrick Kane snaps a 10 game goal drought AND sets a new career high in points with 107 pic.twitter.com/9UyoiviTbq

— Blackhawks Talk (@NBCSBlackhawks) April 4, 2019

The celebration would not last. On the next shift, primary assist getter Dylan Strome was sent to the penalty box, giving the visitors life on the power play. Less than a minute after Kane’s goal, Perron beat Ward blocker side to cut the deficit to just one at 3–2.

A power play goal for the Blues!

Don't go to sleep yet folks, we've got a lot of game left to play! Watch: https://t.co/w77aqOnokG pic.twitter.com/Rknk3kJNqu

— NBC Sports Hockey (@NBCSportsHockey) April 4, 2019

The Blackhawks were able to fend off the Blues for the bulk of the third period. As time dwindled down, Allen was pulled for the extra attacker. Kane missed wide on an open-net chance, sending St. Louis back into the Chicago zone.

The Blues’ third line gave the team new life. Patrick Maroon carried the puck in on the left wing boards with just over 40 seconds remaining. He fired a pass backdoor to a crashing and wide open Tyler Bozak to even the game at 3–3. Bozak was all alone in the blue paint and stuffed the puck past Ward to send the game to overtime.

TYLER BOZAK IN THE LAST SECONDS OF THE GAME! CLUTCH!#STLBlues pic.twitter.com/0SjcO1EhI4

— Hockey Daily 365 l NHL Highlights & News (@HockeyDaily365) April 4, 2019

Overtime:

The overtime period would not amount to much for either team. Both teams had notable chances, but neither side could capitalize in the five-minute, three-on-three frame.

The best chance of overtime came from Saad. As his linemates changed, Saad carried the puck in, one-on-one, against St. Louis forward Brayden Schenn. Saad made a move to freeze Schenn and created an open chance from the face-off dot in. The power forward brought the puck nicely to his backhand, but was denied by Allen to ultimately send the game to a shootout.

Shootout:

Toews and the Blackhawks elected to go first in the shootout and the captain did not disappoint. Toews skated off to Allen’s left, back to the middle and gave a quick backhand-forehand combination before burying a shot high past Allen’s blocker. Chicago took a quick 1–0 lead in the shootout.

Let's take another look at Jonny's sensational shootout winner, shall we?!#Blackhawks pic.twitter.com/PRtJsbGPPz

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) April 4, 2019

Toews’ goal was ultimately the only tally in the “fifth period”. Kane struck iron and DeBrincat beat Allen but could not elevate the backhand shot. Fortunately, Ward stopped all three St. Louis shooters to preserve the 4–3 Blackhawks victory in the shootout.

Quick hits:

• Hey kid, welcome to the show: Gilbert made his NHL debut on Wednesday night against the Blues. The former Notre Dame defenseman has played well for the IceHogs all season, being paired with Henri Jokiharju often as Rockford’s top pairing. With the Blackhawks officially out of the playoff race, it makes sense to give some of their young defenseman a look. The Hawks have a logjam of players on the back end, so sorting out the good from the bad is necessary to clear roster spots if they want young players to come up and contribute.
• Kane’s career high: After scoring his 42nd goal on Wednesday, Kane set a new career high in points for a season with 107. The 30-year-old winger has been sensational all season. Had the Blackhawks made the playoffs, a strong case could have been made for Kane as league MVP. In deciding which player was truly most important to their team, there is no doubt Kane has a better case than Tampa Bay’s Nikita Kucherov and possibly Edmonton’s Connor McDavid for the award. Nonetheless, Kane looks ageless at this point, and a strong offseason by General Manager Stan Bowman and the rest of the front office could position this team for one more run with Kane and Toews in their primes.
• Saad is worth $6 million: Saad receives a lot of hate from the Blackhawks fan base, claiming he is not worth his contract. However, the 26-year-old has 46 points (23 goals, 23 assists) and plays an excellent two-way game. Wednesday night’s game is a prime example of that. Saad was all over the ice making plays at both ends for the Blackhawks. He may not be a 70-point player, but Saad is worth every penny of his contract. If the forward group does not have to babysit the defensemen next year on defense, as they have done so heavily this season, we could easily see Saad erupt for a 30-goal, 30-assist season while still playing that relentless two-way game.

The Blackhawks remain in Chicago after Wednesday’s game, waiting to welcome the Dallas Stars to town on Friday. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. CST.

The post RECAP: Blackhawks defeat the Blues 4–3 in the shootout appeared first on The Rink.

7 p.m. CST
United Center
TV/Radio: NBCSN/WGN

PROJECTED STARTERS

Chicago – Corey Crawford (14–18–5, save percentage: .907, goals against average: 2.96)
St. Louis – Jordan Binnington (22–5–1, save percentage: .928, goals against average: 1.85)

TEAM STATISTICS

Power Play
Chicago (20.7 percent, 11th)
St. Louis (20.3 percent, 15th)

Penalty Kill
Chicago (73.2 percent, 31st)
St. Louis (81.6 percent, Ninth)

Shorts for/against
Chicago (32.5, 12th; 34.5, 30th)
St. Louis (31.6, 15th; 28.5, Fourth)

Shooting Percentage
Chicago (10.0 percent, Eighth)
St. Louis (9.3 percent, 18th)

Faceoff Percentage
Chicago (49.4 percent, T-20th)
St. Louis (51.4 percent, Sixth)

Average height and weight
Chicago 6’1”, 197 lbs.
St. Louis 6’2”, 203 lbs.

PROJECTED LINES/PAIRINGS

Chicago Blackhawks

Drake Caggiula–Jonathan Toews–Patrick Kane

Alex DeBrincat–Dylan Strome–Brendan Perlini

Brandon Saad–Artem Anisimov–Dominik Kahun

Chris Kunitz–David Kampf–Marcus Kruger

Duncan Keith–Erik Gustafsson

Gustav Forsling–Brent Seabrook

Carl Dahlstrom–Connor Murphy

St. Louis Blues

Brayden Schenn–Ryan O’Reilly–Vladimir Tarasenko

Jaden Schwartz–Oskar Sundqvist–David Perron

Pat Maroon–Tyler Bozak–Robert Thomas

Zachary Sanford–Ivan Barbashev–Alex Steen

Vince Dunn–Alex Pietrangelo

Jay Bouwmeester–Colton Parayko

Carl Gunnarsson–Robert Bortuzzo

Analysis

“Technically still alive.” That was the expression fans everywhere were using to describe the Blackhawks’ playoff chances. However, on Tuesday night, the Colorado Avalanche took care of business and officially eliminated both the Minnesota Wild and Chicago Blackhawks from playoff contention. The season is officially over for the Blackhawks.

On Tuesday, Dylan Sikura was sent back to Rockford to try and help them save their season by sneaking into the AHL playoffs. After being down 2–0 early in the game, the IceHogs pulled off the big win over the San Antonio Rampage with a 5–3 victory. Dylan Sikura and William Pelletier both scored two goals in the win.

This morning, defenseman Dennis Gilbert was recalled from Rockford and will potentially get a look in the last three games.

The baby Blackhawks are still alive. However, the Blackhawks front office now turns to the draft in June. This offseason is a huge opportunity for the Blackhawks to improve either via trade or free agency. The fan base will find out how this team is trending based on the moves made this offseason.

Although the Blackhawks’ playoff hopes are dead, they can still play spoiler to two of their division rivals in these last three games. Tonight, the St. Louis Blues will be in a three-way tie for first if they capture a win. The Blackhawks can force the Blues into a “visitor’s position” in the playoff bracket and give the Predators (who they will face on Saturday) an advantage with home ice in the first round.

The Blues are still very hot heading into the playoffs. They have won six of their last seven games, with their only loss coming to the New York Rangers last weekend. This team is arguably one of the deepest teams in the league with an incredible defense and a surprising star in net. The Blues have everything it takes for a quality playoff run.

The Blues have been quite a surprise. As of late January, this team was last in the NHL. Now, this team is destined for one of the top five or six records in the league. Credit is due to Craig Berube behind the bench and Jordan Binnington in net. Binnington leads the NHL in numerous categories for qualifying goaltenders and is arguably the leading candidate for rookie of the year. There are some great rookies who will be favored over Binnington in voting, but it is undeniable the impact he has had since being called up earlier this season.

Comment below in our live game thread tonight!

And look for the internet’s most robust recap of the game tomorrow morning on the-rink.com.

The post Preview/Game Thread: Blackhawks vs. Blues appeared first on The Rink.

7:30 p.m. CST

STAPLES Center

TV/Radio: WGN

PROJECTED STARTERS

Chicago – Corey Crawford (14–18–4, save percentage: .908, goals against average: 2.94)

Winnipeg – Connor Hellebuyck (32–23–2, save percentage: .913, goals against average: 2.92)

TEAM STATISTICS

Power play

Chicago (20.5 percent, 12th)

Winnipeg (25.5 percent, Fourth)

Penalty kill

Chicago (72.7 percent, 31st)

Winnipeg (79.0 percent, 23rd)

Shots for/against

Chicago (32.5, 11th; 34.5, 30th)

Winnipeg (31.0, 19th; 33.7, 29th)

Shooting percentage

Chicago (10.0 percent, Ninth)

Winnipeg (10.7 percent, Fourth)

Faceoff percentage

Chicago (49.4 percent, T-20th)

Winnipeg (50.7 percent, 11th)

Average height and weight

Chicago 6’1”, 195 lbs.

Winnipeg 6’2”, 201 lbs.

PROJECTED LINES/PAIRINGS

Chicago Blackhawks

Brandon Saad–Jonathan Toews–Dylan Sikura

Alex DeBrincat–Dylan Strome–Dominik Kahun

Drake Caggiula–Artem Anisimov–Patrick Kane

Chris Kunitz–David Kampf–Marcus Kruger

Duncan Keith–Erik Gustafsson

Gustav Forsling–Brent Seabrook

Slater Koekkoek–Connor Murphy

Winnipeg Jets

Nikolaj Ehlers–Mark Scheifele–Blake Wheeler

Kyle Connor–Kevin Hayes–Patrik Laine

Brandon Tanev–Adam Lowry–Bryan Little

Matt Hendricks–Andrew Copp–Mathieu Perreault

Nathan Beaulieu–Jacob Trouba

Dmitry Kulikov–Tyler Myers

Ben Chiarot–Sami Niku

Analysis

The Blackhawks’ playoff hopes have all but come to an end. The last few games now continue the tryout for spots on next year’s roster. Notables that will continue auditioning for positions include Brendan Perlini, Slater Koekkoek and John Hayden (assuming Hayden ever gets into a game).

The concerns for this team were put on display in Saturday night’s loss to the Los Angeles Kings. Defensemen being out of position was the highlight of the loss. It is clear what the primary need for this team in the offseason is.

The remaining schedule for the Blackhawks consists of four division rivals. Three home games against the Winnipeg Jets, St. Louis Blues and Dallas Stars, followed by the season finale at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville. If these remaining games are good for anything, it will be to measure where they stand against the playoff-qualifying Central Division teams.

The Jets are in a tie with the Nashville Predators at the top of the Central Division, with the Blues only two points back of both teams. The next week of play for the Jets will determine whether or not they earn a Central Division title or if they fall into a spot against either the Blues or Predators.

Although still a good team, the Jets have cooled off since their early season tear. This is a chance for the Blackhawks to play spoiler against the Jets. Winnipeg is arguably the most complete team in the division, however, the Blackhawks have a golden opportunity to take the Jets down a notch in the standings with a win on Monday evening.

Comment below in our live game thread tonight!

And look for the internet’s most robust recap of the game tomorrow morning on the-rink.com.

The post Preview/Game Thread: Blackhawks vs Jets appeared first on The Rink.

9:30 p.m. CST
STAPLES Center
TV/Radio: NBCSCH/WGN

PROJECTED STARTERS

Chicago – Corey Crawford (14–18–3, SV%: .908, GAA: 2.94)
Los Angeles – Jonathan Quick (15–22–7, SV%: .890, GAA: 3.31)

TEAM STATISTICS

Power Play
Chicago (20.8 percent, T-11th)
Los Angeles (16.0 percent, 27th)

Penalty Kill
Chicago (72.8 percent, 31st)
Los Angeles (75.1 percent, 29th)

Shorts for/against
Chicago (32.5, 12th; 34.6, 30th)
Los Angeles (28.6, 30th; 31.2, 14th)

Shooting Percentage
Chicago (10.0 percent, Eighth)
Los Angeles (8.4 percent, 28th)

Faceoff Percentage
Chicago (49.5 percent, T-20th)
Los Angeles (50.5 percent, 12th)

Average height and weight
Chicago 6’1”, 195 lbs.
Los Angeles 6’1”, 206 lbs.

PROJECTED LINES/PAIRINGS

Chicago Blackhawks
Brandon Saad–Jonathan Toews–Dylan Sikura
Alex DeBrincat–Dylan Strome–Dominik Kahun
Brendan Perlini–Artem Anisimov–Patrick Kane
Chris Kunitz–David Kampf–Marcus Kruger
Duncan Keith–Erik Gustafsson
Gustav Forsling–Brent Seabrook
Slater Koekkoek–Connor Murphy

Los Angeles Kings
Alex Iafallo–Anze Kopitar–Dustin Brown
Carl Grundstrom–Adrian Kempe–Tyler Toffoli
Kyle Clifford–Jeff Carter–Trevor Lewis
Austin Wagner–Mike Amadio–Jonny Brodzinski
Derek Forbort–Drew Doughty
Alec Martinez–Matt Roy
Sean Walker–Dion Phaneuf

Analysis

The Blackhawks playoff hopes are ever-dwindling as the season enters it’s twilight. The Blackhawks sit seven points out of a playoff position. Although not mathematically eliminated, the Blackhawks would need to win every game from here on out, and hope that the Avalanche, Wild and Coyotes all hit a late season skid. It’s not impossible, but it’s very unlikely that the Blackhawks will be playing in the postseason.

However, the Blackhawks will continue to play with that mindset, and try to win every game down the stretch. The final week of the season begins tonight as the Blackhawks visit the lowly Kings.

The Kings, who sit last in the Western Conference, may be without notable winger Ilya Kovalchuk. Kovalchuk is not hurt, he has been a healthy scratch in many recent games for the Kings. The former-star winger has had a tough first season of his three-year, $18.75 million contract.

The Kings focus as an organization is more likely focused on the NHL Entry Draft in June than the 78th game of a disastrous season for the team. Jack Hughes or Kappo Kakko would be welcomed additions to the Kings lineup. Odds are, the Kings will get a top two pick with their second-to-last record in the entire NHL.

Just because the Kings front office may have switched their focus, the players surely have not. This is the perfect opportunity for a lowly Kings team to more-or-less officially end the Blackhawks playoff dreams. Saturday night’s matchup sets up well for a trap game.

Comment below in our live game thread tonight!

And look for the internet’s most robust recap of the game tomorrow morning on the-rink.com.

The post Preview/Game Thread: Blackhawks at Kings appeared first on The Rink.

9:30 p.m. CST

SAP Center at San Jose

TV/Radio: NBCSCH/WGN

PROJECTED STARTERS

Chicago – Corey Crawford (13–18–3, SV%: .909, GAA: 2.91)

San Jose – Martin Jones (34–17–5, SV%: .898, GAA: 2.91)

TEAM STATISTICS

Power Play

Chicago (20.5 percent, T-11th)

San Jose (23.8 percent, Sixth)

Penalty Kill

Chicago (73.1 percent, 31st)

San Jose (79.7 percent, 19th)

Shorts for/against

Chicago (32.6, T-11th; 34.7, 30th)

San Jose (33.4, Fourth; 28.4, Second)

Shooting Percentage

Chicago (9.9 percent, Ninth)

San Jose (10.6 percent, Sixth)

Faceoff Percentage

Chicago (49.4 percent, 21st)

San Jose (50.4 percent, 13th)

Average height and weight

Chicago 6’1”, 195 lbs.

San Jose 6’1”, 200 lbs.

PROJECTED LINES/PAIRINGS

Chicago Blackhawks

Alex DeBrincat–Jonathan Toews–Patrick Kane

Brendan Perlini–David Kampf–Dylan Strome

Brandon Saad–Artem Anisimov–Dylan Sikura

Chris Kunitz–Marcus Kruger–Dominik Kahun

Duncan Keith–Erik Gustafsson

Gustav Forsling–Brent Seabrook

Slater Koekkoek–Connor Murphy

San Jose Sharks

Timo Meier–Logan Couture–Joe Pavelski

Evander Kane–Tomas Hertl–Gustav Nyquist

Marcus Sorensen–Joe Thornton–Kevin Labanc

Melker Karlsson–Barclay Goodrow–Joonas Donskoi

Marc-Edouard Vlasic–Brent Burns

Brenden Dillon–Justin Braun

Joakim Ryan–Tim Heed

Analysis

The Blackhawks began writing their eulogy on Tuesday night in Arizona as the Blackhawks dropped the contest 1–0. An offense that has been very good all season decided not to show up in a game that could ultimately seal their fate for the season. The Coyotes kept themselves very much in the hunt after Tuesday’s win.

Chicago now may focus on young players getting better looks and the impending draft lottery coming up. Perhaps the Blackhawks can luck out and sneak into the top five and draft a player who may be able to help the roster now, if not sooner than later.

The Sharks are on the complete opposite end from the Blackhawks in the playoff picture. The Sharks have already clinched their trip to the postseason and currently sit second to the Calgary Flames in the Pacific Division standings. Despite losing six straight games, the Sharks are still a much better team than the Blackhawks and should likely be able to use this game to get back to their winning ways.

The Sharks weak point this season has been goaltending. Although he has 34 wins, Martin Jones has struggled this year, posting a .898 save percentage and a 2.91 goals against average (GAA), which is identical to Corey Crawford’s GAA. This is one area the Blackhawks may be able to exploit and aid in continuing the Sharks bad losing streak.

Comment below in our live game thread tonight!

And look for the internet’s most robust recap of the game tomorrow morning on the-rink.com.

The post Preview/Game Thread: Blackhawks at Sharks appeared first on The Rink.

9:00pm CST
Gila River Arena
TV/Radio: WGN

PROJECTED STARTERS

Chicago – Corey Crawford (13–17–3, SV%: .908, GAA: 2.97)
Arizona – Darcy Kuemper (24–19–7, SV%: .921, GAA: 2.45)

TEAM STATISTICS

Power Play
Chicago (20.6%, 11th)
Arizona (16.7%, 23rd)

Penalty Kill
Chicago (73.3%, 31st)
Arizona (85.5%, 1st)

Shorts for/against
Chicago (32.6, 11th; 34.7, 30th)
Arizona (30.4, 22nd; 30.7, 12th)

Shooting %
Chicago (10.1%, 8th)
Arizona (8.4%, 26th)

Faceoff %
Chicago (49.5%, T19th)
Arizona (47.4%, T29th)

Avg. height/weight
Chicago 6’1”, 195lbs
Arizona 6’1” 194lbs

PROJECTED LINES/PAIRINGS

Chicago Blackhawks

Alex DeBrincat–Jonathan Toews–Patrick Kane

Brendan Perlini–Dylan Strome–Dominik Kahun

Brandon Saad–Artem Anisimov–Dylan Sikura

Chris Kunitz–David Kampf–Marcus Kruger

Duncan Keith–Erik Gustafsson

Gustav Forsling–Brent Seabrook

Slater Koekkoek–Connor Murphy

Arizona Coyotes

Richard Panik–Christian Dvorak–Clayton Keller

Lawson Crouse–Derek Stepan–Josh Archibald

Michael Grabner–Brad Richardson–Vinnie Hinostroza

Alex Galchenyuk–Nick Cousins–Conor Garland

Oliver Ekman-Larsson–Niklas Hjalmarsson

Alex Goligoski–Jason Demers

Jakob Chychrun–Jordan Oesterle

Analysis

The Blackhawks will pay a visit to the Arizona Coyotes on Tuesday night, giving rise to yet another playoff-like match-up for the Blackhawks. After taking two valuable points on Sunday against the Avalanche, the Blackhawks are setting up for a chance, although very slim, at the playoffs.

The Blackhawks perfect scenario over the weekend would have been to take all four points from the Avalanche. Instead, the Blackhawks only took two points, while the Avalanche took three of a possible four and maintained a nice gap between themselves and the Blackhawks. The Blackhawks have dug themselves a pretty deep hole.

A wing and two points are critical against the Coyotes on Tuesday night. Otherwise, this team is as good as dead in the playoff race and can start focusing on a hopeful draft lottery surprise.

The Coyotes value this game just as much as the Blackhawks do. Sitting two points back of Colorado, the Coyotes need a win to keep pace with the Avalanche. Minnesota is nipping at the Coyotes’ heels, as are the Blackhawks, so the Coyotes need all the cushion they can get while trying to catch Colorado.

Darcy Kuemper, although very good this season, was lit up the last time the Coyotes played the Blackhawks. It will be intriguing to see which version of Kuemper shows up. If it’s the version who showed up in Chicago two weeks ago, the Blackhawks could be looking at another victory to keep their playoff dreams alive.

Comment below in our live game thread tonight!

And look for the internet’s most robust recap of the game tomorrow morning on the-rink.com.

The post Preview/Game Thread: Blackhawks at Coyotes appeared first on The Rink.

7:00pm CST
United Center
TV/Radio: NBCSN/WGN

PROJECTED STARTERS

Chicago – Cam Ward (14–11–4, SV%: .893, GAA: 3.72)
Colorado – Semyon Varlamov (19–18–9, SV%: .910, GAA: 2.86)

TEAM STATISTICS

Power Play
Chicago (20.4%, 14th)
Colorado (21.7%, 8th)

Penalty Kill
Chicago (73.4%, 31st)
Colorado (77.9%, 27th)

Shorts for/against
Chicago (32.5, 11th; 34.9, 30th)
Colorado (33.0, 5th; 31.7, T18th)

Shooting %
Chicago (10.2%, 8th)
Colorado (9.6%, 13th)

Faceoff %
Chicago (49.4%, 21st)
Colorado (48.4%, 26th)

Avg. height/weight
Chicago 6’1”, 195lbs
Colorado 6’1” 201lbs

PROJECTED LINES/PAIRINGS

Chicago Blackhawks

Dylan Sikura–Jonathan Toews–Patrick Kane

Alex DeBrincat–Dylan Strome–Brendan Perlini

Brandon Saad–Artem Anisimov–Dominik Kahun

Chris Kunitz–David Kampf–Marcus Kruger

Duncan Keith–Erik Gustafsson

Gustav Forsling–Brent Seabrook

Carl Dahlstrom–Connor Murphy

Colorado Avalanche

Derick Brassard–Nathan MacKinnon–J.T. Compher

Colin Wilson–Carl Soderberg–Mikko Rantanen

Alexander Kerfoot–Tyson Jost–Matt Calvert

Sven Andrighetto–Gabriel Bourque–Ryan Graves

Samuel Girard–Erik Johnson

Ian Cole–Tyson Barrie

Patrik Nemeth–Nikita Zadorov

Analysis

After yesterday’s disappointing loss, the Blackhawks now sit six points out of the final wild card spot after Colorado gained two points, now sitting at 80. Not only did Colorado better their position in the race, but Arizona and Minnesota both improved over the last two days and currently sit at 79 points in the standings. The gap that the Blackhawks need to make up has now grown larger.

Today’s game will show a lot about this Blackhawks team. If they are a playoff team, they will respond today and go into Arizona looking to take two points as well. Every game now down the stretch is truly the most important game of the season.

The Avalanche were able to capture two points yesterday despite missing both Gabriel Landeskog and Mikko Rantanen. It’s uncertain if Rantanen will play today, but whether he does or not, the Avalanche certainly have the edge going into this evening’s contest.

The Blackhawks will show who they truly are in this playoff race. Are they a contender or a pretender?

Comment below in our live game thread tonight!

And look for the internet’s most robust recap of the game tomorrow morning on the-rink.com.

The post Preview/Game Thread: Blackhawks vs Avalanche appeared first on The Rink.

2:00pm CST
Pepsi Center
TV/Radio: NBCSCH/WGN

PROJECTED STARTERS

Chicago – Corey Crawford (12–16–3, SV%: .908, GAA: 3.03)
Colorado – Semyon Varlamov (19–18–9, SV%: .910, GAA: 2.86)