NEWSLETTER
Well, what a way to go out. The Chicago Blackhawks close the 2021 regular season with an overtime loss, 5-4, against the Dallas Stars. Shots on goal in the game were 50-23 in favor of Dallas, the most shot on goal the Blackhawks have allowed all season. With the overtime loss, the Blackhawks finish the season series against Dallas with a 5-2-1 record and finish the regular season with a 24-25-7 record. Chicago finishes the season with 55 points in the standings, good for sixth in the Central Division.
FINAL: Stars 5, #Blackhawks 4 (OT)
Shot attempts: 82-45 DAL
Shots on goal: 50-23 DAL
5-on-5 scoring chances: 34-7 DAL
5-on-5 high danger chances: 17-4 DAL pic.twitter.com/ZtJrtVzRrm— Charlie Roumeliotis (@CRoumeliotis) May 11, 2021
There are plenty of storylines to come out of this game when it comes to the abomination of a defensive effort by the Blackhawks tonight, the effort in net by Collin Delia, the showcase of players on expiring deals, and the absolute fire that Alex DeBrincat finishes the season with on his stick.
The fans coming back to the United Center saw the Blackhawks go 1-0-1 in two wild games against the Stars and although the Blackhawks blew a 2-goal lead in the third period, which is very much a problem, it was a wide open hockey game made for entertainment-sake.
Alex DeBrincat, Pius Suter, Vinnie Hinostroza, and Dylan Strome all finish the game with a goal and an assist each. DeBrincat finished the season on an eight-game points streak and a seven-game goal streak. He is the first player since the 1984-85 season to finish the regular season with at least one goal in the last seven games of the schedule. His 32 goals this season are tied for second in the NHL with Connor McDavid and only trails Auston Matthews for the league-lead. He finishes the year with 32 goals in 52 games played, which translates to a 50-goal pace over a normal 82-game season.
https://twitter.com/NBCSBlackhawks/status/1391909251510067201?s=20
Collin Delia doesn’t get the win in the season finale, making 45 saves on 50 shots. 50. 5-0. He finishes the season 1-3-1 in six appearances this season for the Blackhawks, with a .907 save percentage. He made four appearances over the final week and a half of the year for Chicago after getting two starts in the first three games of the season. In those four appearances (three starts), Delia was 1-1-1 with a .930 save percentage. After a frustrating season, that’s the way to go out on a positive note.
We’ll delve more into the rookies and wrap up the season tomorrow and all week and all offseason, but that’s what I wanted to highlight tonight in a weird and wild finish to such an unusual year. We have plenty of time to unpack it all with no Stanley Cup Playoffs for the Blackhawks for the third time in the last four seasons.
Find the full box score here.
