x

Already member? Login first!

Comments / New

Into the Night: Blackhawks 4, Utah HC 3

All’s well that ends well, or something like that.

Posted on by Dave Melton
Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images

A two-goal lead in the third period wasn’t enough to get the Blackhawks a win on Friday night at the United Center, but some overtime heroics from Connor Bedard made the difference in a 4-3 win over the Utah Hockey Club.

The visitors grabbed a quick lead just 56 seconds into the game when an Alex Vlasic turnover led to a goal from old friend Nick Schmaltz:

The first period ended with Utah up 1-0 but Chicago tallied a trio of goals in the second to take command of the scoreboard. First, the longest scoring drought of Bedard’s career ended when he picked up the primary assist on this Wyatt Kaiser goal seconds after nearly scoring himself:

Next, some nifty hands from Ilya Mikheyev put Chicago ahead 2-1:

Then Frank Nazar earned a penalty shot and cashed in on the opportunity with this delightful deke:

That 3-1 Chicago lead evaporated in the third, though. First, John Marino’s point shot found some twine behind Spencer Knight:

Then a missile of a one-timer from Clayton Keller with the man advantage tied the game at three:

Sixty minutes wasn’t enough to decide the gamer but Bedard sent the home fans to the parking lot with a smile by providing this winner:

And just like that, Chicago’s won three of four.

Notes

I’ve tried to stop defaulting to the line of ” maybe Connor Bedard will do something cool” every time I write a preview for this website because there are a lot of other players in the lineups these days who can also provide moments of optimism for brighter days ahead. But there are also things Bedard can do which no one else on this roster can, and everything feels a little bit rosier when it’s No. 98 making the plays that bring a pair of points home. This game is a perfect example of that.

That said, hopefully a new coach for next season and some new players on the roster gives the kid some consistent linemates so that he can build some on-ice chemistry and not have to endure seven-game scoring slumps again. It seemed like notching that primary assist on Kaiser’s goal gave Bedard a little jump and it’d be great if he could have some linemates next season who are capable of picking up the scoring slack when Bedard is scuffling so the points are still piling up, as Bedard seems keenly aware of when he is and is not getting points.

Case in point: this excellent pass from Bedard probably should have been a goal for Colton Dach, although Karel Vejmelka did make a quality save here:

To be fair to Dach, though: a few games ago he was placed in a rather similar situation and failed to corral the puck altogether so that the scoring chance didn’t even register a shot on goal. This time he put together a solid move that required an excellent save. Progress, I guess?

Says here on this notepad that “Frank Nazar rules” and no objections were raised, Your Honor. Not only was the penalty shot goal the result of an absolutely filthy move but he also made a subtle play on Kaiser’s goal by lifting the stick of Clayton Keller to keep the play alive. Seems like there are multiple thing to like from him in just about every game.

Another excellent outing from Spencer Knight. The highlight-reel save below is the one everyone will be talking about after this game but it’s his steady, consistent work in all other portions of the game offer so much more encouragement about his long-term projections. The calm, cool demeanor he appears to have in net should serve him quite well in Chicago.

Look, if we’re going to let hockey players have their consistently debunked belief that hockey fights affect momentum, then they need to acknowledge that agreeing to a fight on the faceoff right after your team goes up 2-1 is not the time when any sort of momentum boost is needed. Pat Maroon’s timing for dropping the gloves with Liam O’Brien made zero sense.

The odds of Ilya Mikheyev finding a scoring touch at this stage of his hockey career — he’s now 30 years old and skated 200-plus games in the KHL before coming over for 300-plus games in the NHL — are incredibly slim but it’s a fun thought to entertain when he scores goals like the one he did in the second period of this game. Just don’t spend too much time down that road because it ventures into Fantasyland awfully quick.

More of an observation than a complaint but all four of the Blackhawks goals in this game were more of quick counters or rush plays than the result of sustained possession, and that seems to be the MO of this team for the last several seasons. Think that’ll be a sign that things are pointing towards a more positive direction, when this team can wear down opponents with 30, 40 or 50 seconds of sustained possession in the offensive zone that results in a goal.

Sure as hell was a better watch than the last time these two teams skated against each other, eh?

Game Charts

Three Stars

  1. Connor Bedard (CHI) — 1 goal, 1 assist
  2. Frank Nazar (CHI) — 1 goal
  3. Wyatt Kaiser (CHI) — 1 goal

What’s Next

The Blackhawks hit the road for a game on Saturday night against the Nashville Predators at 7 p.m.

LOGIN SIGN UP

Talking Points