The Chicago Blackhawks were busy out east before returning home Tuesday night. With a loss to the New York Rangers on Friday, but responded with a shootout win against the New York Islanders on Sunday, Interim Head Coach Derek King’s squad has plenty of competitive spirit in them. A rematch with the Rangers Tuesday night on West Madison Street led to another chance for the Blackhawks to continue to dig out of the hole they dug themselves to start the season.
This 🌸 keeps on blooming.
Congratulations to @NHLBlackhawks goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury who now has 900 NHL games to his name. pic.twitter.com/RAIkgyjoc8
— NHLPA (@NHLPA) December 8, 2021
First period
If you bet the over on Tuesday night, you were one happy human after the first period. The Blackhawks went into intermission up 2–1 thanks to goals from Erik Gustafsson and Kirby Dach. Jacob Trouba tallied the lone goal for the Rangers in the first 20 minutes.
Erik Gustafsson scores his first goal of the season from 59-feet out. #Blackhawks pic.twitter.com/CwbLSWqtkg
— Charlie Roumeliotis (@CRoumeliotis) December 8, 2021
Shots were 21–17 for the Blackhawks after the first frame. They had some great looks and could have easily had three or four goals.
Second period
Now, the outcome of this game is one thing, but a very scary situation occurred in the second period in Chicago Tuesday night. Blackhawks forward Jujhar Khaira took a shoulder from Trouba and lay unconscious on the ice. He was taken off on a stretcher and went to Northwestern Hospital.
Patrick Kane and every Chicago player on the ice went and gave Riley Stillman a fist bump in the penalty box after fighting Jacob Trouba. #Blackhawks pic.twitter.com/kDPnHUlPK8
— Charlie Roumeliotis (@CRoumeliotis) December 8, 2021
Not too long after, Blackhawks defensemen Riley Stillman answered the bell and fought Trouba. His teammates appreciated it. Overall, the good news is that Khaira was released from the hospital Wednesday morning and a full recovery is expected, though there is no timeline for his return to the ice.
Third period
With Khaira in the back of their minds, the Blackhawks fell apart in the final frame. The Rangers tallied four goals in the third and won 6–2 in Chicago.
The Blackhawks were given Wednesday off before hitting the road for two games in Canada this week, Thursday in Montreal and Saturday in Toronto. For you gamblers out there, the Blackhawks are -130 vs Montreal, and the over/under is set at 5.5. Puck drop is scheduled for 6 p.m. CST on Thursday.