10 observations: Blackhawks beat Ave for third straight win originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago
The Blackhawks defeated the Colorado Avalanche 3-2 at the United Center on Thursday.
Here are 10 observations from the win:
1. Patrick Kane (lower body) was placed on injured reserve before the game retroactive to Jan. 3, but it was to open up a roster spot for MacKenzie Entwistle (right wrist), who returned to the lineup. Alex Stalock did not dress either, so Jaxson Stauber was recalled and served as the backup. That’s why the Blackhawks were at the 23-player max. It sounds like Kane is expecting to play on Saturday.
2. The last time these two teams met on Opening Night, the Avalanche scored four power-play goals. In this game, they had three opportunities in the first period alone and five total but the Blackhawks killed them off without much issue. That’s a confidence-builder.
3. The Blackhawks scored the first goal for the sixth consecutive game. They scored first only six times in their previous 34. What a weird turnaround.
4. The Avalanche thought they tied it up at 3-3 with 4:51 left in regulation, but the Blackhawks challenged for goaltender interference and won it. It was a lengthy review, but the right call was made. Mikko Rantanen pushed Petr Mrazek’s pad into the net, and it prevented him from getting back into position and having a chance to save the Alex Newhook follow-up shot.
5. The Blackhawks are 3-0-0 without Kane and they’ve scored nine goals over that span. Who would’ve thought? Sometimes when your best players are out and you’re forced to pick up the slack with a committee-type approach, everyone plays sharper and tighter knowing there’s no margin for error and that’s what the Blackhawks are doing.
6. Mrazek recorded a secondary assist on Andreas Athanasiou’s goal in the second period that made it 2-1 Chicago. It was the fourth point of Mrazek’s career and the first since the 2018-19 season with Carolina. He also stopped 31 of 33 shots for a save percentage of .939 in his first start since New Year’s Day.
7. Because of Colorado’s four power plays, Lukas Reichel had only 8:08 of ice time through two periods. But the Blackhawks also had three power plays over that stretch and he saw only 44 seconds of the six minutes. I can’t think of a better time to put Reichel on the first unit than now, even though the first unit was really good. His development matters the most.
8. I thought Isaak Phillips had a strong performance after being a healthy scratch in the last two games. He recorded a primary assist on Athanasiou’s goal in the second period with a 65-foot stretch pass, wasn’t afraid to join the rush and nearly scored his first NHL goal, and also drew a penalty.
9. Since the start of the 2017-18 season, the Blackhawks have faced a lefty goaltender 20 times. They’ve won only six of those (14-4-2), and this was one of those nights. Pavel Francouz was a perfect 4-0-0 in his NHL career against Chicago prior to Thursday.
10. The Avalanche have been decimated by injuries this season, which is why they’re on the outside looking in right now. I don’t think there’s much doubt they’ll find a way to get into the playoffs, the real question is seeding. Imagine being the team that wins your division and the prize for doing so is a first-round matchup against the defending Stanley Cup champions at full strength.
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