The Blackhawks were close, real close, last night to topping one of the best teams in the NHL with a three-goal comeback that would have snapped a four-game losing streak. But with a missed call or two and a ridiculous goal from Cale Makar in overtime, the Blackhawks now find themselves on a five-game skid, having a 0-2-3 record in that time.
• Yes, we are going to be seeing this Cale Makar goal for a long, long time.
You can jump down Dach's throat if you want for this, but almost no one in the NHL is stopping Makar here #CHIvsCOL pic.twitter.com/HmPM0TAThU
— Mario Tirabassi (@Mario_Tirabassi) January 5, 2022
• Kirby Dach was tasked with covering Makar on the play, which would never be an easy task. But for Dach, who is not as defensively sound as Makar is offensively gifted, there was little he could have done on the play to stop him. Makar is unreal, and it’s likely he’s only going to get better if that’s even possible.
Cale Makar ends the contest in highlight-reel fashion and scores his 14th goal in 25 games this season.#NHLStats: https://t.co/G1BoifxbqI pic.twitter.com/aW97Y2SL3e
— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) January 5, 2022
• Before the goal, Dach lost one of his three faceoffs in overtime, part of losing 14-of-22 draws on the night.
Derek King on starting Dach/Kurashev in OT:
"They'd been checking that [MacKinnon/Landeskog] line, right? They'd been checking them all night, they'd done a great job, so why stop? They're young but they have to learn, too, to play against these guys."
— Ben Pope (@BenPopeCST) January 5, 2022
• The problem is that Dach is not a checking center. He’s not even a center if you ask me. I know Toews cannot take every faceoff, but in overtime against the Avalanche, you have to be playing your most reliable players.
• Toews had one of his best games of the season last night, getting the first of the Blackhawks’ three goals in the comeback effort and nearly getting the game-winner in overtime.
Front of the net, stick on the ice. The Eddie Olczyk special #Blackhawks pic.twitter.com/Yi1G0F4aQO
— Bleacher Nation Blackhawks (@BN_Blackhawks) January 5, 2022
• He also won 13-of-23 faceoffs and was second on the team in individual expected goals-for (0.4), only behind Alex DeBrincat (0.61).
Toews on turnaround after 1st intermission: "When we settle in, we relax and we create some traffic and make things harder for their forwards to get on our D-men, just one thing leads to another. We're playing more connected as 5 guys out there and everyone's job gets easier."
— Ben Pope (@BenPopeCST) January 5, 2022
• Speaking of DeBrincat, he and Patrick Kane hooked up twice on the same powerplay opportunity to get the game even and then give the Blackhawks the lead early in the third period with his 19th and 20th goals of the season.
Alex DeBrincat with goals #19 and #20 on the season. Puts the #Blackhawks up 3-2 on Colorado pic.twitter.com/LMR0Qg8n9T
— Mario Tirabassi (@Mario_Tirabassi) January 5, 2022
• But, you know, he’s too small, right?
Alex DeBrincat scores his 20th goal in #Blackhawks team game #33.
Fewest team games to 20 goals since Tony Amonte (25 games) in 1998-99.
— Christopher Kamka (@ckamka) January 5, 2022
• I’ve said it before, and I’ll repeat it, DeBrincat’s next contract is going to be at least $10M per season, and he’ll be worth it.
• Even with allowing two goals in the opening period, the Blackhawks could have been in much worse shape last night had Marc-André Fleury not come up with some big saves. It was his first action since before the Christmas Holiday break after landing on Chicago’s COVID protocol list.
If this gets by Fleury, the game is as good as over. Despite the Blackhawks trailing by a pair, this was a game-saver in just the first period. pic.twitter.com/v3e0QGSAlL
— Bleacher Nation Blackhawks (@BN_Blackhawks) January 5, 2022
• He also had some help from his posts again last night, and of course, he had to show his appreciation. Even if the play was continuing.
Just a casual Marc-Andre Fleury post-rub mid-play. #Blackhawks pic.twitter.com/qIiZ0PL8Id
— Charlie Roumeliotis (@CRoumeliotis) January 5, 2022
• It was a big night for the posts…
Marc-Andre Fleury about to make love to his post. #Blackhawks pic.twitter.com/vMIqxT5rIT
— Charlie Roumeliotis (@CRoumeliotis) January 5, 2022
• Always show your posts some love. You never know when you’ll need them next.
• Good to see former Blackhawks goaltender and 2015 Stanley Cup Champion Scott Darling in the crowd last night.
2015 Stanley Cup champion Scott Darling in the house tonight. Nice ovation. #Blackhawks pic.twitter.com/S6WtGzki9Q
— Charlie Roumeliotis (@CRoumeliotis) January 5, 2022
• A crowd that was understandably low in attendance last night.
Blackhawks attendance was 16,784 tonight, 3rd-lowest of the season. But there are a lot of logical reasons for that. https://t.co/lYZyS8ZkS2
— Ben Pope (@BenPopeCST) January 5, 2022
• Still, good to see those in attendance got to have some memorable moments, even when dealing with COVID complications in the world.
This is pretty damn cool for these kids #Blackhawks pic.twitter.com/zUanXZ0ts5
— Mario Tirabassi (@Mario_Tirabassi) January 5, 2022
• That’s a memory they won’t soon forget. Hell, that would be cool even for a grown man like me.
• Speaking of memorable moments, the first career NHL goal for Oskar Steen was a unique one…
Oskar Steen scores his first career NHL goal.
2-1 Bruins. pic.twitter.com/Dd3FyxZ60x
— Conor Ryan (@ConorRyan_93) January 5, 2022
• Sure, that counts, but Andrew Shaw’s head-butt goal in the 2015 Stanley Cup Playoffs doesn’t?
• Sonny Milano scored the goal on what has become known as the “Zegras” goal, so maybe he was hoping for some credit on his attempt to set up the goal again last night. Unfortunately, no one was ready for it…
Milano tried the Zegras? 👀 https://t.co/JPH5Tlhs1t
— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) January 5, 2022
• “A” for effort, at least.
• With the NHL out of the Winter Olympics, countries are now looking for non-NHL players to send in their place. Last night, The Athletic’s Scott Wheeler worked to confirm several Canadian players that would be on the long list for Team Canada.
Sources: The following players are on Team Canada's long list for consideration for the Olympics (2/2):
Jack Quinn
Tyler Wotherspoon
Michael Del Zotto
Adam Cracknell
Chris Terry
Josh Ho-Sang
Chris Bigras
Cal O'Reilly
Devon Levi
Brendan Leipsic
Jake Virtanen— Scott Wheeler (@scottcwheeler) January 5, 2022
• Former Blackhawks defenseman Cody Franson is in the mix.
Two more names I can report are on the long list being considered for Team Canada at the Olympics:
Jimmy Oligny
Matt Tomkins— Scott Wheeler (@scottcwheeler) January 5, 2022
• So is former Blackhawks and IceHogs goaltender Matt Tomkins.
• It will be interesting to see which former or future, or never-were NHL players make up the rosters for the Winter Olympics. If you ask me, leave the Olympics to the amateurs again, and make the World Cup of Hockey the “Best vs. Best” tournament the NHL players participate in.
Let's Bring Back the World Cup of Hockeyhttps://t.co/yRJWUt5Mhl pic.twitter.com/w9NMdiESpU
— Bleacher Nation Blackhawks (@BN_Blackhawks) January 4, 2022
• Play the tournament in the summer before the NHL preseason begins with the NHL and NHLPA controlling every tournament aspect. The ratings, I’m sure, would be incredible.
• Speaking of ratings, even though I thought the NHL scheduling nine games on New Year’s Day would take away from the Winter Classic, I was wrong…
Also per TNT PR, NHL on TNT's Wednesday night viewership is up 22% vs. the 2020-21 season's Wednesday cable NHL telecasts and up 20% vs. the 2019-20 season's Wednesday cable NHL telecasts on NBCSN.
— Sean Shapiro (@seanshapiro) January 4, 2022
• Good for the NHL, but I’m sure after last night’s ESPN+/Hulu-only broadcast of the Blackhawks game, some of you could care less since games are getting blacked-out or harder to watch. Unfortunately, leagues moving to put games on streaming services is the future of broadcasting, whether it’s swift or not.
• Ending today with North American officiating treasure Wes McCauley. He’s done it again.
lmao I love Wes pic.twitter.com/gBamh3Pkti
— Dimitri Filipovic (@DimFilipovic) January 5, 2022
• That will do it for today. I hope you all stay warm and enjoy your Wednesday!