NEWSLETTER
How’s that for a Black Friday deal? Extra hockey for free and a Blackhawks win.
The Blackhawks of last month would have likely lost this game after the opening twenty minutes. The Blues opened the game with a goal one minute into the contest and followed it up with a second goal late in the first period. St. Louis out-shot the Blackhawks 16-10 in the first period and out-chanced them as well. It was an all-too-familiar start to a game for Chicago and it would have been easy to write them off.
But this is a different Blackhawks squad when it comes to facing adversity. Early in the second period, just like St. Louis did in the first period, Chicago got on the board in the first minute of action as Jujhar Khaira got in Jordan Binnington’s kitchen and tipped-in his second goal of the season off a deflected puck.
go to the net where good things happen they say 😌 pic.twitter.com/mp9V8DQORD
— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) November 26, 2021
Chicago has needed an offensive spark recently, only averaging 2.11 goals per game heading into today’s contest, but who would have guessed a guy like Khaira would be the one to spark the comeback? Chicago out-shot the Blues 16-8 in the second and third periods, out-shooting them 10-2 in the third period alone. It would culminate late in the third period with another tip-in goal, this time from Brandon Hagel to tie it late in regulation.
Blues & Blackhawks are all tied up. 👀 pic.twitter.com/GzLDpdUjA4
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) November 26, 2021
Hagel scores his third goal in three games, his longest goal-scoring streak in his young career, with his seventh goal of the season. After having what would have been his first goal of the season wiped off the board in the first period, Jonathan Toews records a secondary assist on the play, his ninth of the season. It’s not the confidence-booster he’s likely hoping for, but keeping his name on the scoresheet consistently is as best as he can do without a goal in his first 20 games of the season.
The Hagel goal was good enough to force the game into overtime, sealing at least one point in the standings. But one point isn’t what the Blackhawks need right now as they are trying to claw their way out of the cellar of the NHL. In the overtime period, Seth Jones sprung Alex DeBrincat and Patrick Kane on a two-on-one chance, and it ended just as you would expect it too…
Kane + Cat = Winner. pic.twitter.com/6EGmPyDyZz
— Bleacher Nation Blackhawks (@BN_Blackhawks) November 26, 2021
DeBrincat’s team-leading 12th goal of the season, Kane’s team-leading 18th point of the season, and Jones’ team-leading 15th assist of the season help complete the Blackhawks’ comeback and first win over the Blues in their last six meetings. All three goals for the Blackhawks tonight came at even-strength. Chicago is now 6-2-0 under interim head coach Derek King, 7-11-2 on the season.
Find the full box score here.
