Dallas came into this game losers of four straight, clinging to a one-point lead for the top of the Central Division. Winnipeg lost early on Wednesday night, so they weren’t going to give up the top seed but they could extend it and get off the L train against a Blackhawks team that played and traveled last night. Well, Patrick Kane had other ideas… AGAIN! How about 20 combined points (10 each) for Kane and Max Domi in their last four games?!?
Star 1: Patrick Kane
Whatever they said about 88 after the game in Toronto did the trick, because he’s been just wrecking people since then. Two goals in Ottawa, the hat trick against Toronto, what should have been a walk-off winner vs Vegas (still had an assist) and now he sets up the first Blackhawks goal followed by two goals of his own in the second period tonight. In four games since playing the Leafs on their ice, Kane now has 10 points (7 goals, 3 assists). This is absolutely ridiculous.
Star 2: Max Domi
So… everything I said about Kane applies to Domi as well except the whole being washed up part and Canada pissing him off. How much money is 88 making on Domi’s next contract? He has to get some kinda cut, right? In Domi’s last four games, he now has 10 points (3 goals, 7 assists) as well.
Star 3: Sam Lafferty
This guy’s name has been flying around trade rumors the past week or so and the Blackhawks’ coaches have started to elevate his assignments in games. He’s now been called on to skate against the top lines for Toronto, Vegas and Dallas — three of the top teams in the league — and he’s been fantastic. He was great at the dot (won 7 of 9), led the team with three hits and led the team with four shots on net.
Takeaways
- Jake McCabe had another really good night tonight as his name starts to get more attention in trade rumors; he’s really good, affordable and the Blackhawks just added a surplus defenseman via trade earlier on Wednesday, so it’s a logical progression. But his ice time was down near the bottom of the defense group tonight. Interesting…
- The overall numbers weren’t great for Jaxson Stauber tonight, but his teammates did him zero favors in the game’s opening 25 minutes. However, Stauber made enough saves after Jason Robertson’s power play goal gave Dallas a three-goal lead to keep the door open just far enough that his teammates — specifically 13 and 88 — climbed back into the game and we were all tied up after two periods.
- Jason Dickinson has really been fighting it physically of late, so it was good to see him have a good night in the faceoff circle (won 4 of 5).