Pick a favorite adjective. Absurd? Ridiculous? Bizarre? Outlandish? Stunning? Improbable? Unexpected? Wild?
Then add it in in to this paragraph in the appropriate place to describe the Blackhawks’ <insert adjective here> 5-4 comeback win in San Jose over the Sharks — game in which the Blackhawks were trailing 4-0 after 21 minutes.
That 4-0 San Jose lead developed quickly, starting with those power-play goal from Thomas Bordeleau about four minutes into the game:
Bordeleau scored again about six minutes later, navigating into some open space and using a bit of a screen from Ryan Donato to fire this wrister past Petr Mrazek:
The start of the second period suggested no comeback was imminent, as Fabian Zetterlund scored 16 seconds into the middle period:
Just over a minute later, Zetterlund added a second goal, this time on the power play, as TV screens across the Chicago area likely were switched off following this tally:
The comeback did not start immediately, either, as Connor Bedard was denied on these consecutive golden scoring chances during the second period:
Ryan Donato was the first one to get a puck past Cooley, scoring at the 6:45 mark of the second:
Donato was skating on a line with Tyler Johnson and Taylor Raddysh, and that trio combined for another goal later in the second period that made it a 4-2 game:
That two-goal deficit shrank to one at the 6:20 mark of the third, as Seth Jones found some open space with the Chicago net empty during a delayed penalty call and sniped this one into the San Jose goal:
The comeback was not completed until the final minute of regulation, when Philipp Kurashev jammed this loose puck home to tie the game up at 4-4:
Overtime was not a lengthy affair: Jones scored just 18 seconds in to give the Blackhawks one of their more interesting victories of the last few seasons:
Still not entirely sure what transpired during this game but let’s talk about it anyway!
Notes
- Donato turns 28 in a few weeks and is under contract through next season, so the idea of him being around this team beyond that deal is not too far-fetched, based on his age. But there also haven’t been many noticeable moments from him on the ice which would suggest he’s someone the Blackhawks will begin negotiating with before that potential free agency arrives or a team comes calling for his services at the next trade deadline. He’ll probably need more games like this one to hang around Chicago, because he’s felt like more of a passenger along for the ride in most games this season. A welcome exception to that rule in this game, though.
- As for someone who’s a much more plausible future piece: Lukas Reichel had himself a very strong performance. Yeah, it was against the worst team in the league in a late March game which means little in the long run, but it’s better than the alternative. The clips below highlight some of his better moments, including a shift in the third period (it’s towards the end of the first clip) where he moved the puck around and then moved himself into open space, immediately raising his stick into the air — the universal hockey sign that someone’s ready for a one-timer. Reichel missed the net, but the hockey IQ to navigate to that open space and then the confidence to immediately call for a pass all feel like positive signs. Just need much, much more of those in future games.
- Some credit can be given to Luke Richardson for shuffling up the lines after the first period in an attempt to spark something on his team. The fact that the Hawks fought back from a 4-0 deficit when they certainly could’ve folded up the tent for the night is another notch in his favor. At the same time, though, this was a game against the literal worst team in the league in late March, so any positives for him (or for Reichel and Donato above) won’t have the longest shelf life.
- That may be the biggest takeaway from this game overall, really: the lack of a shelf life for any of it. This was just a weird, wacky night where something memorable happened in spite of all the forgettable things involved with both franchises entering this game. For the few who stayed up to watch or woke up from a second-period snooze to catch the final portions of it (/raises hand), this game offered reasons to pay attention when so many other evenings this season have not. It’ll be a game to remember from a season that won’t be for all parties involved.
- Chicago is now five points ahead of last-place San Jose and six points behind Anaheim, with the Blackhawks at 71 games and the other two teams at 70. It’s almost certainly going to be a No. 31 finish for Chicago this season now. Feel free to lament the loss of draft lottery odds if desired, but the Blackhawks already received the most fortunate of fates at the right time when it jumped to the No. 1 draft spot last year.
Game Charts


Three Stars
- Ryan Donato (CHI) — 1 goal, 2 assists
- Seth Jones (CHI) — 2 goals, 1 assist
- Fabian Zetterlund (SJ) — 2 goals, 1 assist
What’s Next
The Blackhawks enjoy a few days off to return home for a Tuesday night game at the United Center against the Calgary Flames.