The Chicago Blackhawks came into Sunday afternoon’s action against the Philadelphia Flyers in a bit of a rut. They had lost their previous seven games, going all the way back to an overtime loss versus Nashville on March 8. Many changes have gone on since that date, and the team has still looked like a better team than before, but the results were not coming yet. Only a couple of lineup substitutions were in order for this game. Spencer Knight got the start in net, with Philipp Kurashev subbing in for Jason Dickinson and Louis Crevier taking the place of Alec Martinez on defense.
First period
This game got off to a fast start, with both teams generating plenty of chances. Just under four minutes into the period, Philadelphia opened the scoring. Jamie Drysdale was credited for the goal, even though it looked like Travis Konecny tipped the puck in front. Regardless, it put the Flyers up 1–0. The Blackhawks would knot things up a couple of minutes later. Nick Foligno took the puck back in the offensive zone and got it in front to Pat Maroon. He tipped it past Ivan Fedotov to make it a 1–1 game.
The Big Rig gets the @NHLBlackhawks on the board! #Blackhawks | #NHLNShowcase pic.twitter.com/3JYt1ItyGb
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Just under a minute later, Tyler Bertuzzi was fighting to keep the puck in the offensive zone. He managed to get the puck over to Joe Veleno, who put a wrist shot home for his first as a Blackhawk. The Flyers wasted no time in tying things back up, though. Twelve seconds later, Travis Sanheim put a shot on net that snuck through the arm of Knight and across the line, 2–2. Just under four minutes later, the Flyers would strike again. Bobby Brink got a scrappy goal out in front, fighting to get the puck through Knight, and the Flyers were up 3–2.
With 1:48 left in the period, Connor Bedard took the puck right off the faceoff and wristed it past Fedotov, knotting it up again 3–3.
bedsy wasted no time at all😮💨 pic.twitter.com/UangoEaOy8
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The period would end after all that action the same way that it started, with everybody all tied up.
Second period
The Blackhawks got the scoring going in the second period. Bertuzzi put a backhand shot past the Flyers’ goaltender after Veleno and Kurashev put shots on net, putting the Blackhawks in front 4–3. The Blackhawks went on the power play shortly thereafter, as two Flyers got called for tripping, sending the Blackhawks to a 5-on-3 advantage. After a great keep-in by Teuvo Teravainen, he put a shot-pass on net. It was tipped in front by Ryan Donato past the Flyer’s goalie, 5–3 Chicago. The Flyers got one back three and a half minutes later. Drysdale took a shot from the point that went off of Konecny out in front, bringing the Flyers within one.
The Blackhawks got another power play with six and a half minutes left in the period. Like watching a replay, the puck found itself in front on the stick of Donato again. He put home his second on the power play, making it a 6–4 game.
RYAN DONATO IS ON HAT TRICK WATCH! @NHLBlackhawks | #Blackhawks | #NHLNShowcase pic.twitter.com/LsnPLtFXpF
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The Blackhawks would take that lead into the intermission, after their 16-shot second period produced great results.
Third period
The third period was uneventful compared to the first two. Lukas Reichel got a flukey goal past the Flyers’ netminder. He took a pass from Maroon and beat the Flyers’ goalie in outwaiting him. He threw the puck right in front, deflecting off of the Flyers’ defenseman and into the net, putting the extra point on this one for the Blackhawks, 7–4. Though not quite as intense as game one of the 2010 Stanley Cup Final, the same result came to pass, with the Blackhawks taking the victory.
Analysis
The Blackhawks took advantage of some sloppy play by the Flyers in all areas of the game. Defensively, there were a good number of lapses from the Flyers that allowed Blackhawks players to get in close on net, or steal the puck along the boards, or just beat them with a move to get to the net. The Hawks took advantage of power play chances, too, putting two in the net, and killing off the two penalties taken on their side. It is nice to see Maroon getting a couple of points after announcing that this will be his final season, as he has proven to be a good mentor to this young team, and is a good presence and influence on the younger guys.
The Blackhawks’ next game is on Wednesday night at 6:30 p.m. CDT. That game will actually be watchable without an antenna, as it will be on TNT and truTV.