10 observations: Kane, Domi lead Hawks to comeback win over Stars originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago
DALLAS — The Blackhawks overcame a three-goal deficit to beat the Dallas Stars 4-3 at American Airlines Center on Wednesday.
Here are 10 observations from the win:
1. The Blackhawks won their first game of the season on the second of a back to back. They were 0-8-1 prior to Wednesday and had been outscored 32-13 in the previous nine games.
2. The Blackhawks had a solid first period, and yet still found themselves in a 2-0 hole after giving up two goals in a span of 1:19. The Stars later made it 3-0. It looked like they were going to run away with the game, but the Blackhawks pushed back again by scoring three goals in a span of 7:55 to tie things up. It was a wild swing, especially against one of the best goaltenders in the league in Jake Oettinger.
3. Patrick Kane is on an absolute heater. He scored two goals and added a primary assist in the second period alone, giving him 10 points (seven goals, three assists) over his last four games. What a crazy run he’s on. Think he’s motivated to prove to teams that he’s still a gamebreaker going into the trade deadline?
4. How about the run Max Domi is on, too. He also had a two-goal and three-point effort and extended his point streak to five games. He has 11 points (three goals, eight assists) over that stretch. Just a filthy sauce pass to Kane on his second goal, returning the favor after Kane gave him a beauty about five minutes earlier. Domi, by the way, was also credited with four takeaways.
5. The Stars’ first line of Roope Hintz, Joe Pavelski and Jason Robertson has logged the second-most minutes of any line in the NHL this season, and it’s arguably the league’s best trio. When the three of them are on the ice together, the Stars are outscoring their opponents 36-15, per Natural Stat Trick. The Blackhawks kept them quiet for most of the night. Robertson scored a goal, but it came on the power play, not at even strength.
6. The Stars went into this game 0-for-19 on the power play over their previous six games. They ended that drought by scoring a power-play goal six seconds into their second opportunity of the game.
7. The last time the Blackhawks were in Dallas on Nov. 23, the Blackhawks blew a three-goal lead by allowing five goals in the final 10 minutes in a 6-4 loss. This time, the Blackhawks overcame a three-goal deficit and won. They now have eight multi-goal comebacks this season, which leads the NHL and is a new franchise best in a single season.
8. The Stars lead the league in overtime/shootout losses with 12. Good news for them is that there’s no 3-on-3 overtime or shootouts in the playoffs. The West is wide open, and they have a decent chance at making a deep run.
9. I’m not sure if the interest is mutual, but Dallas has been viewed as one of the potential landing spots for Kane. They’re looking for a winger to play with Tyler Seguin, and Kane played with Seguin overseas during the 2012-13 lockout. Kane has also played with Joe Pavelski and Ryan Suter for Team USA at the Olympics. Again, the most important part of all this is whether Kane wants to go there if he decides to explore a trade. The New York Rangers reportedly are back in play, which probably changes everything.
10. The Blackhawks made a trade before the game, acquiring defenseman Nikita Zaitsev and two draft picks (a second-rounder in 2023 and a fourth-rounder in 2026) from Ottawa for future considerations. A solid deal for GM Kyle Davidson, who acquired future assets from a Senators team that was looking to shed Zaitsev’s $4.5 million cap hit for this season and next. It also gives Chicago an NHL defenseman for the rest of the season in case the likes of Jake McCabe and Jack Johnson are traded before March 3.
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