NEWSLETTER
This game between the Florida Panthers and Chicago Blackhawks had a little bit of everything.
An overtime thriller, the Panthers come out winners with a 4-3 victory. With the loss, the Blackhawks’ record against the Panthers moves to 2-3-2 on the season. Chicago gains a point in the standings with the overtime loss, moving them to 50 points on the year and a 22-22-6 record.
Kevin Lankinen got the start for the Blackhawks tonight, needing a bounce-back performance after being pulled from his last two starts. Even though the Blackhawks couldn’t help him get the win, had that type of bounce-back performance, stopping 35 of 39 shots in the overtime loss. His record moves to 16-13-5 on the season.
FINAL: Panthers 4, #Blackhawks 3 (OT)
Shot attempts: 65-47 FLA
Shots on goal: 39-27 FLA
5-on-5 scoring chances: 24-11 FLA
5-on-5 high danger chances: 7-5 FLA pic.twitter.com/SD9tUh4S5Q— Charlie Roumeliotis (@CRoumeliotis) April 30, 2021
Also standing out tonight was the power-kill by the Blackhawks trio of Kirby Dach, Alex DeBrincat, and Brandon Hagel. I counted at least four short-handed scoring chances that those three created while the Blackhawks penalty-kill went 3-for-4 on the night. I could see the pairing of Dach and DeBrincat being used like Jonathan Toews and Marian Hossa of yesteryear, where both players were used heavily on both ends of special teams and significant even-strength minutes. I can dream, can’t I?
Dach and Hagel both tallied assists in tonight’s game, connecting on Vinnie Hinostroza’s second period goal. Hinostroza now has ten points on the season in 11 games with the Blackhawks and just as a reminder, he had zero points in nine games with the Panthers.
Tonight was a great moment for Chicago, not just because the Bears drafted Justin Fields, but because the Blackhawks showcased a lot of their young talent in a gutsy performance and even though they didn’t win, it was the right outcome for their draft stock.
Find the full box score here.
