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RECAP: Avalanche Beat the Blackhawks 5-3

  
RECAP: Avalanche Beat the Blackhawks 5-3
(Photograph by Chase Agnello-Dean/NHLI via Getty Images)

It was Margarita Night at the United Center, Friday night, and the Blackhawks looked to use some of that tropical atmosphere to take a bite out of the division rival Colorado Avalanche.  Chicago was coming in as winners of 10 out of their last 12 games and blazing a trail to the Western Conference playoffs.

In goal, Blackhawks head coach Jeremy Colliton went back to Collin Delia, after a tough night against the Senators earlier in the week, while Jared Bednar had Semyon Varlamov backstopping his Avalanche.

This was your Blackhawks starting lineup:
Drake Caggiula – Jonathan Toews – Patrick Kane
Alex DeBrincat – Dylan Strome – Dominik Kahun
Brandon Saad – Artem Anisimov – Dylan Sikura
Chris Kunitz – Marcus Kruger – John Hayden

Duncan Keith – Henri Jokiharju
Gustav Forsling – Connor Murphy
Slater Koekkoek – Erik Gustafsson

Due to defenseman Brent Seabrook’s abdominal injury and Carl Dahlstrom coming down with a flu-like illness, Henri Jokiharju was recalled from Rockford on and emergency basis to fill the roster.

Period One
Neither team showed the other much until the game was over five minutes old. The line of Caggiula/Toews/Kane got the first serious scoring chances of the game, but the Colorado goaltender kept the game scoreless. This opened up the ice a bit, and both teams traded odd man rushes. Again, the goalies stayed tough and held the game scoreless.

The scoreless tie stayed that way as the Blackhawks took the first penalty of the night, in their own end, and trotted out their last ranked penalty kill. Blackhawks center Dylan Strome had a prime opportunity following the Avs power play, but missed the gaping net and was denied by the goal post.

With roughly four minutes left in the first period, Patrick Kane had time and space to size up Semyon Varlamov, but wasn’t able to beat the veteran goaltender. As a result, the Colorado offense turned the play around and created an odd man break back the Blackhawks way. Carl Soderberg took a pass and blew right past Blackhawks defenseman Erik Gustafsson, beating goalie Collin Delia for a 1-0 Avalanche lead.

Veteran wing Chris Kunitz took a late tripping penalty that put the Avalanche on the power play once again, with under two minutes remaining in the first period. Thankfully, the Hawks penalty kill was able to ward off the Colorado man advantage.

Despite going into the intermission down 1-0, the Blackhawks led in shots on net, 16-11.

Period Two
After killing off two power plays in the first period, the Blackhawks came out and gave Colorado yet another powerplay, shortly into the second period. Once again, the Blackhawks killed the advantage off, even getting a good shorthanded chance off a broken play that Varlamov made an excellent save on.

Halfway through the middle period, it was time for the Blackhawks to try their luck with a man advantage and were much more successful.

After a few failed entries, they were able to set up in the Colorado zone. Erik Gustafsson’s long, off-balance shot ended up hitting the end boards and landed right on Dylan Strome’s stick. Strome pounded the puck past the goaltender and the game was tied 1-1. This was Strome’s 37th point (and 10th power play point) in his 38th Blackhawks game.

The Blackhawks’ Slater Koekoek took a penalty after getting beat one-on-one in his own end, which put them back on the penalty kill for the fourth time. Artem Anisimov found himself on a shorthanded break-a-way, but Varlamov beat him. Shortly thereafter, with two minutes left in the period, JT Compher took a nice feed in the slot, and snapped a top shelf shot over the blocker of Collin Delia.

Not to be out done, the dynamic duo of Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane dominated the Avalanche defense for a good 30 seconds, and it resulted in Kane facing a wide open net with 28.9 seconds remaining in the period. Kane extended his point streak with his 39th goal of the season.

Shots favored the Blackhawks once again in the second period, 13-11.

Period Three
Three and a half minutes into the third period Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog wheeled through the Blackhawks zone and was able to get around both Jonathan Toews and Henri Jokiharju to snap a shot over Delia’s shoulder. This gave the visitors a 3-2 lead with plenty of time left to play.

Three minutes later, Patrick Kane drew a terrible penalty by Tyson Jost to put the Blackhawks back on the man advantage. This time, though, the Blackhawks were not as resourceful and the Avs killed off the power play.

The Avalanche took another penalty moments later and this time in the Blackhawks zone. Chicago went right back to work and tied the game up at the ten-minute mark. Erik Gustafsson’s long shot made it on-net, this time, and the save was made but Alex DeBrincat scooped up the rebound and beat Varlamov for his 34th goal of the season.

Moments later, the Avs’ defense intercepted a bad Slater Koekkoek pass and sent J.T. Compher in on a break-a-way. Compher faced in and beat Delia but hit the goal post. The puck went off the post, off Delia’s backside and into the net.

Tough break for the pairing of Gustafsson and Koekkoek.

The Blackhawks ended up back on the power play with less than two minutes remaining in regulation and their goaltender pulled. They had plenty of pressure but Semyon Varlamov made some excellent saves and Carl Soderberg scored a short-handed empty net goal to give the Avalanche a big division win.

Pluses

  • Patrick Kane has just been playing at an insane level.  He had 13 shots on net and a goal in 24:46.
  • Dylan Strome has just been outstanding for the Blackhawks.  He is exactly what the top six needed to get this team rolling.
  • I cannot figure out how this team has been so bad for so long on the power play, YET, it seems like Jeremy Colliton and his staff has found the magical solution to their problem.
  • For the first time in a long time, the Blackhawks gave up fewer than 35 shots on net (31).

Minuses

  • Marcus Kruger was hurt blocking a shot on the penalty kill and did not return.
  • The were bound to level out and this was one of those “leveled” games.
  • The aforementioned Slater Koekkoek and Erik Gustafsson were each -2 on the night.
  • Dylan Sikura, anyone?  This kid’s major upside is, allegedly, his offence and he’s providing none of it.  Anisimov and Saad had moments but their linemate was almost invisible.
  • This wasn’t Collin Delia’s best game, and he might want one of those goals back, but he was not the reason the Blackhawks dropped this one.  Semyon Varlamov stole this game at the other end of the ice.

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