Enhanced Box Score: Blackhawks 8, Red Wings 5 – January 26, 2022

January 26, 2022, by Mario Tirabassi Chicago Blackhawks

In tonight’s Pregamin’ post, I said that the Blackhawks and Red Wings were probably headed towards a ridiculous 15-goal game. Well, it wasn’t 15 goals, but it was a ridiculous offensive night for both teams, ending in an 8-5 win for Chicago (that’s still 13!), ending their four-game losing streak. With the win, Chicago is now 16-20-7 on the season.

The game’s opening 20 minutes went just about as well as the Blackhawks could have hoped. Especially considering who was driving the offense. Players on Chicago’s trade block like Dominik Kubalík and Dylan Strome helped propel Chicago to a 4-0 lead. Kubalík getting his tenth goal of the season to open the scoring.

Right place, right time for Kubalik to give the @NHLBlackhawks the lead 🔥 #NHLonTNT pic.twitter.com/9D83nsyZAs

— NHLonTNT (@NHL_On_TNT) January 27, 2022

Dylan Strome would follow it up with a pair of goals to extend Chicago’s lead to 3-0, all in just over four minutes of hockey.

Kane with the 🍝, Strome with the top 🧀 #NHLonTNT pic.twitter.com/VmbuGDpxvQ

— NHLonTNT (@NHL_On_TNT) January 27, 2022

Strome would add his third point of the period with an assist on the 4-0 goal by Sam Lafferty, his first as a member of the Blackhawks. Chicago out-shot the Red Wings 16-8 in the first period and took the 4-0 lead into the first intermission.

Mr. Sam Lafferty's first goal as a Blackhawk 🥺 pic.twitter.com/7SBeqZA3Ti

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) January 27, 2022

It was arguably the best opening period for the Blackhawks this season and it felt pretty damn good to come against the Red Wings.

This is the #Blackhawks 2nd 4-goal lead on the season. It's the first time they've scored 3+ goals in the 1st period.

— Joe Brand (@Joe_Brand1) January 27, 2022

Then, the wheels started to come off. In the second period, the Red Wings started to gain the momentum and it didn’t help that Calvin de Haan was handing Robby Fabbri wide-open scoring chances.

"Thanks, Calvin!" – Robby Fabbri, probably 😅 #NHLonTNT pic.twitter.com/AI9ZKSVDUP

— NHLonTNT (@NHL_On_TNT) January 27, 2022

Less than a minute later, Tyler Bertuzzi cut Chicago’s lead in half with his 20th goal of the season. Towards the end of the middle frame, it was former Blackhawk Pius Suter making the Blackhawks pay for a poor second period performance and scoring his tenth goal of the year to make it a 4-3 game heading into the third period.

Pius Suter Revenge Game?? 🤔

The @DetroitRedWings make it a 4-3 game with 13 seconds left 🔥 #NHLonTNT pic.twitter.com/g8DeaNSLEv

— NHLonTNT (@NHL_On_TNT) January 27, 2022

In the first period, the Blackhawks led in scoring chances, 12-4. In the second period, Detroit led 11-3. It was anyone’s game heading into the third.

After Pius Suter took his third penalty of the night, the Blackhawk made Detroit pay as Strome finished his hat-trick effort with a powerplay goal to make it a 5-3 game in the third period. Strome’s first career NHL hat-trick!

DYLAN STROME FIRST CAREER HAT TRICK 🎩🎩🎩 #NHLonTNT pic.twitter.com/UPsyMrcQfy

— NHLonTNT (@NHL_On_TNT) January 27, 2022

Not more than two and a half minutes later, Alex DeBrincat netted his 25th of the season and the game was back to a three-goal lead for the Blackhawks. But PSYCHE! The game was far from over.

Detroit would get two goals back quickly from Moritz Seider and Dylan Larkin to make it a 6-5 game late in the third period. Only for Brandon Hagel to kick the extra point for Chicago, picking the corner for his 11th goal of the season, making it a 7-5 game before Alex DeBrincat added an empty-net goal putting it away for the Blackhawks.

This was the first time this season that Chicago has scored seven goals in a game and the last time they did it was February 28, 2021 last season…against the Red Wings.

What more can you say? This was a night that the Blackhawks’ offense needed. They are back in action on Friday night, hosting the Colorado Avalanche. Hopefully this offensive outburst propels them to a better output than in their last outing against the Avalanche, a shutout loss on Monday night.