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Along the Boards: Chicago wakes up to defeat Detroit 4–2.

  
Along the Boards: Chicago wakes up to defeat Detroit 4–2.
Dylan Sikura #95 of the Chicago Blackhawks reacts after scoring against the Detroit Red Wings in the second period at the United Center on January 5, 2020 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Chase Agnello-Dean/NHLI via Getty Images)

The once storied rivalry between Chicago and Detroit has fallen to the levels of not even being a must watch game anymore. Fans will always chant “Detroit Sucks” but one can only reminisce about the games of yesteryear.

If Patrick Kane is good then Chicago has a chance to win on most nights. Chicago dressed 17 skaters that do not combine for Kane’s 991 career points.

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Kane’s 53 points tonight is also 23 more than Jonathan Toews this season. Rookie forward Dominik Kubalik has scored 11 goals, falling short of Kane’s 24 goals. The one man show continued tonight.

Chicago’s last place penalty kill looked exactly like it should when forward Filip Zadina beat Corey Crawford to give the away team an early lead. Crawford looked to lose his post, giving the 20-year-old Czech sniper just enough room to bury his chance. Zadina’s shot is wicked and Chicago fans were able to see for themselves.

Detroit forward Luke Glendening scored to give the Red Wings a two goal lead before the first intermission. The 30-year-old forward found himself in front of the net and tipped home a defenseman Patrik Nemeth shot. Glendening made the play while being knocked to the ice by Duncan Keith. Chicago fans may not have known this but going to the front of the net is legal in the National Hockey League.

Kane and rookie Kirby Dach generated some scoring opportunities, mostly from nice individual plays for both, but Chicago could not find the back of the net until Dylan Strome buried a shot with just under five minutes to play in the second period. The good news about playing Detroit this season is you can sleepwalk for two period and still be in the game. The goal gave Strome 10 on the season.

Dylan Sikura scored his first NHL goal, tying the game only 25 seconds after Strome’s marker. And just like that Chicago gained some momentum going into the third period of play.

In between periods, Mike Milbury fed the natives the “anything can happen” when talking about Chicago making the playoffs. Milbury stated it all depends on the general manager getting the team a defenseman to help. One can only hope Stan Bowman would not mortgage any future assets as Chicago chases the ninth seed in the Western Conference. Chicago had a 16.6% chance of making the extra season coming into tonight’s contest.

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Right on cue, Chicago’s youngest defenseman Adam Boqvist gave the home team the lead midway through the third period. The offensively gifted Boqvist fired a wrist shot by Howard after leaving Detroit’s forward Darren Helm in his dust after a nice play at the blue line. The Falun, Sweden native now has two goals this season.

Chicago managed a win with Kane only registering one assist in a 4–2 victory but here is a telling stat that probably says more about Detroit than it does Chicago.

With the victory, Chicago stands four points behind the Winnipeg Jets for the final playoff spot. Do fans lean toward the 16.6% chance of making the playoffs and have a major problem along the blue line or toward the “anything can happen” narrative that the St. Louis Blues made possible after last season? Make sure to comment below with your thoughts.

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