The Chicago Blackhawks were on their first winning streak this season coming into Sunday night’s action. They had defeated the Anaheim Ducks and St. Louis Blues behind strong goaltending performances from Petr Mrazek, as well as stronger defensive play than we have normally seen this season. Mrazek would be replaced in net by Arvid Soderblom for the second game of this back-to-back, but otherwise the lineup stayed the same.
First period
After the first few minutes of the game, both sides traded penalties, with Nick Foligno and John Carlson getting called for tripping. Those penalties overlapped, giving an extended 4-on-4 period. Once the Capitals’ power play had expired, the Blackhawks went on the man advantage. It seemed like they had scored, with Philipp Kurashev celebrating in front of the net, but it was called back due to a kicked puck. The Blackhawks’ fourth line showed up once again, getting the best chances of the period. Lukas Reichel got a huge rip right on that was saved by Darcy Kuemper. The rebound came right out to MacKenzie Entwistle, who put the puck hard off the boards, but that was covered up by Kuemper. The period would end as it had started, with neither team putting a puck in the net.
Second period
It took a while into the second period for some serious action to happen, but then it started to come fast and furious. After maintaining possession in the offensive zone, the Blackhawks switched players out for fresh bodies. Connor Bedard got the puck down to the right circle to Seth Jones, who put the puck in front to Kurashev, who put the first of the game home, 1–0 Blackhawks.
Philipp Kurashev gets on one knee and scores his sixth goal of the season. And this time it counts. #Blackhawks pic.twitter.com/Pyg7ABPDJG
— Charlie Roumeliotis (@CRoumeliotis) December 11, 2023
Just a couple of minutes later, the Capitals would answer with a goal of their own. After a couple more Blackhawks opportunities, the Capitals took the puck back up ice. Connor McMichael dished the puck across to Anthony Mantha in the neutral zone. He took the puck in on net, beat two Blackhawks defenders and slid the puck backhand past Soderblom, tying things up 1–1. Five minutes later, the Capitals would gain the lead. T.J. Oshie freed the puck up with a huge hit on Alex Vlasic behind the net. The puck found its way to Joel Edmundson between the circles, who got the puck to old friend Dylan Strome. He tapped home the goal to put the Capitals up 2–1.
Physical forecheck by TJ Oshie made this possible. Stromer finished it. Osh plays so hard it changes the way the whole team operates. #Caps pic.twitter.com/5lcwaLe7cB
— Grant Paulsen (@granthpaulsen) December 11, 2023
Unfortunately, the Capitals were not done yet in this period. A few minutes later, after a goalmouth scramble, Nic Dowd tapped home another goal for the Capitals. He got the puck on net in the first place, and never gave up on the play, putting the Capitals up 3–1.
Third period
It took a while for more goals to be scored, but there was a lot of action in the third. Nic Dowd of the Capitals was all over the place, single-handedly giving the Capitals their best chances by himself. With four minutes left in the game, he was left in front of the Blackhawks net and wristed his second of the game past Soderblom, 4–1 Capitals. All the Blackhawks’ players on the ice were right around him, and still were not able to stop him from scoring. The Blackhawks would pick up another goal a few minutes later. Bedard saucered a filthy backhand pass across the ice to Connor Murphy, who tucked home his first of the season, 4–2 Washington.
Saucy backhand pass by Connor Bedard. #Blackhawks pic.twitter.com/7Owi0bTw2q
— Charlie Roumeliotis (@CRoumeliotis) December 11, 2023
That is unfortunately how the game would end, as despite a late-game power play, the Blackhawks were not able to claw their way back in this one. Final score, 4–2 Capitals.
Analysis
The Blackhawks looked like they were exhausted in this game. There were so many defensive lapses that they did not make in the previous two games that were made constantly in this one. Vlasic looked especially bad, as he was out of position constantly, and looked lethargic when he was on the ice. Bedard, true to form, looks like he will be such a great player in the future. He has such good hockey sense, and he makes his teammates better just by being on the ice.
Soderblom has been a struggle bus so far this season. Some games he has been the only reason the team is still in the game, but that has not been the case lately. He does get left out to dry some games, but he also needs to make more saves, as an .852 save percentage is horrid. The second Dowd goal really got me mad. I cannot for the life of me understand how you end up looking like a peewee team because you all bunched up defensively to cover one player with five people. They left everyone on the ice wide open besides the one guy who had the puck.
The Blackhawks’ next game is on Tuesday night versus the Edmonton Oilers. That game will be at 9 p.m. CST on NBC Sports Chicago.