In the NHL’s final week of the regular season, in a game between two non-playoff teams, the Chicago Blackhawks defeated the Philadelphia Flyers 3–1 at the United Center on Monday night.
Erik Gustafsson started the scoring for the Hawks less than two minutes into the game. After a good breakout pass from solid rookie prospect Alec Regula, Dominik Kubalik found captain Jonathan Toews just inside the Flyer blue line. Toews turned at the top of the far-right circle and found Gustafsson at the point. Gustafsson sent a wrist shot to the cage that found the twine to make it 1–0.
yeah what they said https://t.co/fVa4Hx9KFj
— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) April 26, 2022
About five minutes later, Chicago extended its lead. Just as a penalty was expiring to Toews, Sam Lafferty intercepted a pass from Bobby Brink right inside the Hawks’ blue line. Lafferty then sprung Toews on a breakaway, and the Captain, in vintage style, slid a wrist shot through the five hole of Flyer netminder Felix Sandstrom to make it 2–0.
Toews are you serious 😱 pic.twitter.com/lWqTnwkMiM
— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) April 26, 2022
The Flyers cut the lead in half before the end of the first period off a goal from Kevin Hayes, and the two teams skated to a scoreless second period.
In the third period, the Hawks regained the two-goal advantage. At the 7:45 mark, Alex DeBrincat tallied his 41st goal of the year. After Patrick Kane and Jake McCabe played a little pitch and catch off the right boards, Kane found DeBrincat at the top of the left circle, and the winger clapped a one-timer past Sandstrom.
It's about drive, it's about power
he stays hungry, he devours pic.twitter.com/7FSEUSMX7h— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) April 26, 2022
In the game’s final minute and the Flyers on power play, the Hawks fought off Philadelphia’s final push to secure the win. Kevin Lankinen had a strong game in the pipes for the Hawks, turning away 33 shots.
The Blackhawks play their final home game of the season against the Vegas Golden Knights on Wednesday with a chance to knock the Golden Knights out of playoff contention. Puck drop at the United Center is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. CDT.