NEWSLETTER
As was the case against Vegas on Saturday night, the Blackhawks wanted to get off to a fast start. The volume of shots were heavily in favor of the Canes early in the first period, but the Blackhawks were getting really high quality chances when they got it on net. Eventually the pace of play picked up in both directions and, at the end of a first period in which Carolina out-shot the Hawks 15-12, the Blackhawks took a 2-0 lead to the room. Because of course!
Remember the Vegas game on Saturday night? We already mentioned it… yeah. The Blackhawks coughed up a two-goal lead in the second period and then scored a go-ahead goal inside the final 20 seconds? That one? Same script tonight. Two mediocre goals in the first eight minutes tied the game before a late goal gave the Hawks a 3-2 lead going to the room.
The Canes were completely dominating the puck still in the third period and got a fluky goal to tie the game with a little under seven minutes left in regulation.
Star 1: Petr Mrázek
Same script in the second period as the Vegas game — Part II: Carolina out-shot the Hawks 13-6 in the middle frame. The lead was gone but it could have been worse if not for Mrázek. And he made some enormous saves in the first ten minutes of the second period after some careless turnovers and lazy puck movement left him terribly exposed. The third goal was awkward; everyone stopped because it looked like he was over the puck but the official behind the net could clearly see it loose under his backside and never blew the whistle. Shots were 47-25 at the end of regulation (32-13 in the final two periods).
Star 2: Philipp Kurashev
Kurashev was appearing in just his second game since Dec. 29 because he’s taken up a residency in the press box. Why? He hadn’t scored a goal since Nov. 10! And he was minus-15 since his last goal. Well, a beautiful feed from Donato and a smooth finish and he erased the drought and the doughnut on the board for the Blackhawks. He picked up an assist on Donato’s go-ahead goal late in the second period to give him a two-point night.
#Blackhawks take a 1-0 lead
— Bleacher Nation Blackhawks (@BN_Blackhawks) January 21, 2025
🚨 Philipp Kurashev
🍎 Ryan Donato, Louis Crevier
pic.twitter.com/a1bkJLOhBg
Star 3: Ryan Donato
The more I watch Donato motor the more I hope he’s back in Chicago beyond the end of his contract this summer, but he’s going to become an increasingly valuable trade chip with an affordable cap hit and now 14 goals on the season. He had the primary assist on Kurashev’s goal to open the game, giving him a two-point night and 27 points on the season — just four points away from his career high of 31.
#Blackhawks get the lead back late in the second period Score
🚨 Ryan Donato
🍎 Taylor Hall, Philipp Kurashev
2-point nights for Donato & Kurashev
pic.twitter.com/f9lOuS6anM— Bleacher Nation Blackhawks (@BN_Blackhawks) January 21, 2025
Key Takeaways
- Here’s Tyler Bertuzzi‘s goal from the first period, his 17th of the season:
#Blackhawks lead 2-0
— Bleacher Nation Blackhawks (@BN_Blackhawks) January 21, 2025
🚨 Tyler Bertuzzi
🍎 Seth Jones
pic.twitter.com/pAxOhevRJf
- The Blackhawks’ top line of Connor Bedard, Frank Nazar and Bertuzzi had a 0.37 expected Goals For rate in the first period — they had some really good jump. That line was still the Blackhawks’ best thru two periods at 0.58.
- Looking for an engaged Seth Jones again? How about this line in the first period: 7:28 time on ice, one shot on net, one assist (on Bertuzzi’s goal above), three blocked shots and three hits — he led the team in blocks and hits. He got beat by Seth Jarvis on the short-handed goal in the second but that would have been a tough angle for anyone this side of Cale Makar to catch Jarvis from. He had a big hit late in the third period as well.
- Bedard and Colton Dach (two each) were the only Blackhawks credited with more than one shot on net in the first period.
- I asked this on twitter, but it bears asking here as well: how many penalty kill forward tandems in the NHL have straight up jets as fast as when the Blackhawks put Nazar and Ilya Mikheyev on the ice together? They had a great short-handed scoring chance in the first period. Speed for days with those two and together? Short-handed nightmares loading…
- Jason Dickinson got hit on the arm by a shot late in the third period. He dropped his stick and skated straight off the ice and went down the tunnel immediately. That would be a huge loss for the Blackhawks.
