The Chicago Blackhawks came into Thursday night’s action against the San Jose Sharks having taken down the banged up Colorado Avalanche in Denver on Monday night. They would stick with the same lineup that earned them the win in that game, hoping to string a couple of victories together on this road trip.
First period
The Sharks opened the scoring in this one with a goal that Petr Mrazek would like to have had back. Will Smith scored his first NHL goal on a wide-open wrister from the left circle that went stick side on Mrazek, putting the Sharks up 1–0.
Thirty-seven seconds later, the Blackhawks would get one back. Ilya Mikheyev took the puck from the side boards and passed it to the middle of the zone. It got deflected, but Ryan Donato came up with it and wristed it past Mackenzie Blackwood, tying things up 1–1.
a killer shot from Donato😱 pic.twitter.com/dQTkmpnhYv
— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) November 1, 2024
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Just under a minute later, the Blackhawks’ first line showed that they were ready for action. Off the faceoff, Connor Murphy got the puck at the point. He put a shot on net that was saved by Blackwood, but the rebound came right to the side of Tyler Bertuzzi. He tucked it in past Blackwood’s pad, 2–1 Blackhawks.
give ’em pumpkin to talk about🎃 pic.twitter.com/abW6BORRSs
— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) November 1, 2024
That is how the first would end, with the Blackhawks holding their one-goal lead.
Second period
The Sharks knotted things up early in the second. Fabian Zetterlund put a shot on net that Mrazek thought he had. It trickled behind him, with Alexander Wennberg following up and poking it home, tying it up 2–2. Just over nine minutes later, the Sharks were up on the power play due to a Craig Smith high stick. Murphy passed the puck from along the boards to a dangerous area in front of the net. It went right to Will Smith again, who went bar down for his second of the game, 3–2 San Jose.
Third period
The Blackhawks got a couple of power plays, but were unable to do anything with them, including one in the last two minutes of the game, giving them a 6-on-4 advantage after pulling the goalie. Mikheyev was buzzing around the net for most of the period, as the first line was doing what they could to get back even, but to no avail. The Sharks took this one 3–2.
Analysis
Looking at the statistics, the Blackhawks were lucky to be as close as they were. The Sharks blocked more shots, won significantly more faceoffs, got more hits and made the most of the one power play that they got. The Blackhawks could not convert on any of theirs, and also let up a power-play goal on the other end so, all in all, some atrocious special teams play from the Blackhawks in this game. Mrazek also did not have a good game; after losing sight of the puck on the Wennberg goal somehow, and getting beat on Smith’s first on a shot that probably should not have gone past him, either.
Cali-ween…Cali WIN 😎 pic.twitter.com/mye2dP1gyV
— San Jose Sharks (@SanJoseSharks) November 1, 2024
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The Blackhawks’ next game is on Saturday at 3 p.m. CDT versus the Los Angeles Kings on CHSN.