10 observations: Kane leads Hawks to comeback OT win over Send originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago
The Blackhawks wrapped up their four-game road trip with a 4-3 overtime victory over the Ottawa Senators at Canadian Tire Centre on Friday.
Here are 10 observations from the win:
1. The Blackhawks had a strong first period, maybe their best of the entire four-game road trip. The second period? Pretty uninspiring, and it looked like the third period was headed that way too after they fell behind 3-1. But the Blackhawks dug deep and found a way to score twice and push it to overtime, where Andreas Athanasiou scored the winner to complete the comeback. I have to say: The Blackhawks looked mentally distracted by the trade rumors on this road trip, and understandably so. This is the time of year where it legitimately starts to weigh on players. I’m sure they’ll feel a little lighter on the plane ride home after picking up a victory.
2. Patrick Kane ended a seven-game goal drought by scoring 44 seconds into the game and then again with 3:05 left in regulation to tie it up at 3-3. It was his 33rd career point in 20 games against Ottawa, 12 of which have been goals. He also moves past Jeremy Roenick for third all-time in points (1,217) among American players; he needs 15 more to tie Phil Housley for second. Kane needed a confidence-building game like this.
3. The Blackhawks desperately needed something from their power play in this game but didn’t get anything. They went 0-for-3 and fell to 0-for-17 on the power play over their last six games and 1-for-29 over their last 13 games for a percentage of 3.5. They have really struggled in that department.
4. On the other side of special teams, the Blackhawks killed off all three penalties, including a 5-on-3 for 34 seconds, against a team that had the second-most power-play goals (53) going in. They improved to 38-for-42 in their last 15 games for a success rate of 90.5, which now ranks No. 1 in the league since Jan. 12. They’ve tightened things up significantly since changing to a diamond formation around Christmas time.
5. On another note: Sam Lafferty scored his fourth shorthanded goal of the season, which is now tied with Vegas Golden Knights forward Reilly Smith for first in the NHL. His stock continues to rise, and it’s hard not to see him being moved before the March 3 trade deadline at this point. His $1.15 million cap hit for this year and next year is pretty appealing, too.
6. Alex DeBrincat played against his former team for the first time since he was traded to Ottawa over the summer, and he finished with an assist and one shot on goal in 22:30 of ice time. Senators GM Pierre Dorion said he won’t be traded ahead of the March 3 deadline, but I do wonder what the future holds for DeBrincat. Does he sign his one-year, $9 million qualifying offer and then walk himself to free agency or does he sign a long-term extension over the summer?
7. Random thought: Everyone says DeBrincat benefitted from playing with Kane all those years, but I think Kane misses DeBrincat just as much. Kane is on pace to finish with the lowest point total of his career and DeBrincat is on pace for 28 goals, which would be the second-fewest total of his career. They are both better together than they are apart.
8. The Senators rank No. 3 in hits per 60 minutes at 28.7. They had 18 hits in the first period alone and finished with 38. Brady Tkachuk led all skaters with eight.
9. The Blackhawks are 9-0-0 in their last nine games against the Senators and have a +18 goal differential in those nine games. The last Ottawa win came on Dec. 20, 2016, which was a 4-3 final score at the United Center.
10. Jonathan Toews did not play in the road trip finale, meaning he hasn’t played in six straight games because of a non-COVID illness. The Blackhawks host Toronto on Sunday and Vegas on Tuesday before embarking on another four-game road trip on the West Coast. Have to wonder if this will impact the potential market for Toews ahead of the March 3 trade deadline.
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