The ‘Hawks were looking to keep the wins coming against the Senators after picking up points against the Anaheim Ducks and being them handily by a score of 4-2. Dominik Kubalik looked to continue his hot streak as he had five goals in four games coming into the game tonight. Let’s go to the action.
First period:
The Blackhawks started off the game in incredibly rough fashion. They lost a big defensive zone faceoff which proved incredibly costly, as the Senators got a puck to the front of the net and an uncovered Connor Brown put the puck past Robin Lehner, making it 1-0 Senators. Then, a couple of minutes later, the Senators got another puck towards the net that Chris Tierney put off of Erik Gustafsson’s skate. The puck then went off of his stick and into the back of the net, changing the score to be 2-0 Senators early on in this one.
The Blackhawks got a power play on a penalty from Mark Borowiecki elbowing Kirby Dach in the face. They weren’t able to do anything with it, ultimately, although Dominik Kubalik continued his strong play by putting the puck towards the net multiple times and finding himself out in front frequently. In the last couple of minutes of the period, Slater Koekkoek got called for a high stick in front of the net which gave the Senators their second power play of the game, with which they didn’t convert. The first period ended with Ottawa having a 2-0 lead.
Second period:
To start the second period, both teams traded great chances back and forth, with the Blackhawks getting a good chance on a Drake Caggiula one-timer and the Senators getting a great opportunity on a wrister from Anthony Duclair. The Blackhawks got a good chance with just over ten minutes left in the period, with Patrick Kane getting the puck out in front to Jonathan Toews, who put the puck wide of the net. With just under eight minutes to go, Drake Caggiula put a shot off of the post. Then Gustafsson blasted one wide, with Marcus Hogberg deciding to hold onto the puck and settle things down.
With just under three minutes to play in the second, Toews got the puck in front to Kane who wristed it off of Kubalik’s shin pads and into the net, bringing the Blackhawks within one. That’s how the second period would end, with the Blackhawks needing to get another goal to come all the way back and tie things up.
Third period:
There was a lot of back and forth to start the third. Both teams were generating chances and getting shots on the opposing teams’ goal. Toews out-waited the Senators’ defense and whipped a pass up to Kubalik who took the puck and wristed it past Hogberg to make it 2-2 in the game. The Blackhawks continued to generate good chances, win faceoffs, and do all that they could do to break the tie that they helped create. Kane tried to set up Kubalik for his first hat trick in the NHL, but wasn’t able to get the pass over to him for a shot attempt. Then, Kubalik was set up again by Kane, who tried to deposit the puck between the pads, but it was stopped by Hogberg. The Blackhawks did a good job of keeping the puck out of their own zone and in their possession, but weren’t able to score. The period would end in the same 2-2 score, sending this game to overtime.
The Blackhawks would end the game quickly on an incredible individual effort by Toews who burst right through the Senators’ defenders, went around the net, and flung a wicked wrister past the glove of Hogberg, giving the Blackhawks a 3-2 victory.
Let’s go around the boards and see what was being talked about tonight during the game:
#Blackhawks line of Kubalik-Toews-Kane in 10:01 of 5-on-5 action vs. Ottawa:
— 11 shot attempts for and 5 against
— 7 scoring chances for and 0 against
— 4 high-danger chances for and 0 against
— 2 goals for and 0 againstThey combined for 3 goals and 4 assists tonight.
— Charlie Roumeliotis (@CRoumeliotis) January 15, 2020
Yes, the Blackhawks’ first line was this good. It’s insane that they only allowed five shot attempts against them, which didn’t necessarily wind up being shots on goal. This is quite an incredible performance, but did come against the Senators, so it should somewhat be taken with a grain of salt.
Patrick Kane this season vs Canadian teams
9 games
9 goals
11 assists (2 tonight)
20 points#Blackhawks— Christopher Kamka (@ckamka) January 15, 2020
Patrick Kane likes to play Canadian teams. I’m really hoping that this point streak is able to continue against a better opponent in Montreal than they saw tonight. But Toews, Kane, and Kubalik looks like a great first line to me!
https://twitter.com/HeresYourReplay/status/1217281265860337665?s=20
Yes, I just had to put up this gorgeous winner for everyone to see again. Man, what an individual effort by number nineteen in white! He looked like the Jonathan Toews of old on this play, and singlehandedly beat all three of the Senators’ defenders, who were barely able to get a stick on him.
Looking to pick up their third win in a row, the Blackhawks will be back in action on Wednesday night versus the Montreal Canadiens at 6:30 p.m. CST on NBC Sports Chicago.