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Walk On By: Blackhawks 2, Jets 0

A much-needed win as the Captain returned.

Posted on by L_B_R
Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images

Spencer Knight delivered a 32-save shutout and the Chicago Blackhawks ended their three-game losing streak with a 2-0 win over the Winnipeg Jets on Monday night at the United Center.

After a scoreless first period, the Blackhawks finally broke through at 13:21 of the second. Ryan Donato flipped a long pass to a streaking Jason Dickinson, who settled the bouncing puck in the offensive zone and slipped a wrist shot between Connor Hellebuyck’s pads to make it 1-0.

The Blackhawks put the game away late, as Connor Bedard converted an empty-netter with 1:20 remaining in the third, going bar-down to cap the 2-0 win.

Notes

So, this wasn’t a dominating performance from the Blackhawks, but it didn’t need to be: they played the Jets fairly evenly, capitalized on one of their chances, and held firm when it mattered most at the end. Given where this team is at this point in the season, there’s not much more you can reasonably ask for.

The first two periods were fairly even on the surface in terms of shot attempts and time spent in the offensive zone, but the Jets felt like the more dangerous team. Their shifts in the Chicago end were more concentrated and, when they got looks, they tended to be better ones. It had the familiar feel of the Blackhawks’ recent losses: a game that was technically winnable, but one where the offense never quite found another gear, especially after failing to cash in on a 5-on-3 power play. At 5-on-5 through two periods, the Blackhawks were only narrowly out-attempted (38-36), but the quality gap showed up elsewhere as they were outshot 21-16 and managed just 37.3 percent of the expected goals. Still, the Blackhawks did have a few stretches of genuinely strong play, and they made one of those moments count, and sometimes that’s all it takes to swing a game.

Chicago carried some momentum into the third period, moving the puck well through the neutral zone and generating a few solid looks early on. After the Jets’ power play, though, the ice tilted the other way with the Jets controlling possession for long stretches, out-attempting the Blackhawks 18–8. Still, the Blackhawks’ defensive work held up: they limited the Jets to just nine shots on goal and only five total scoring chances, with just one classified as high-danger. All told, it was one of the Blackhawks’ best close-out efforts in recent memory.

Jonathan Toews spoke about the defensive efforts from the Blackhawks post-game:

Since this was a win, I’ll keep this to positives only — let’s go with five tonight!

Bedard was had a nice, well-rounded performance tonight. In just over 19 minutes of ice time, he finished with eight shot attempts — second only to Logan Stanley’s nine for the Jets — along with three shots on goal and five scoring chances. Winnipeg played him tightly all night, which made the volume and quality of those looks even more impressive. His line (with Greene and Tyler Bertuzzi) ended up being out attempted 15-11, but the Blackhawks owned the expected goals share at 53.64 percent thanks in part to Bedard’s chances. His playmaking stood out as well as he was crisp and creative with the puck, consistently putting his linemates in good spots, even if it was only Greene who turned those touches into legitimate looks. Bedard has had solid linemates this season, but neither is truly on his level, which only makes it more exciting to imagine what his game will look like once he’s flanked by players closer to his billing.

He also flashed some defensive growth, including a strong stick lift in the first period (clipped below), another reminder that Bedard is steadily becoming a more complete, multi-faceted player rather than just an offensive driver.

Vlasic quietly had one of his best play-driving performances of the season, and it went well beyond the two assists on the scoresheet. He was consistently pushing play in the right direction, especially through the neutral zone, where his efficiency stood out. He did an excellent job turning defensive-zone retrievals into clean exits, beating forecheckers with calm, well-timed decisions rather than forcing pucks into trouble. Vlasic’s in-zone passing was also pretty sharp, helping sustain offensive zone time, even if it didn’t necessarily result in a lot of shots, and he was quietly strong on the defensive side of the puck as well. Vlasic’s season hasn’t necessarily been as standout as his rookie year, but he’s been really steady for months now and has been on point as of late — it’s been great to see him getting more of these types of games recently.

Vlasic and Louis Crevier have been getting the top-quality assignments in recent weeks and been more than holding their own. For example, when Vlasic was on the ice with the Jets’ top line with Kyle Connor and Mark Scheifele, the Blackhawks out attempts the Jets 17-8, outshot them 10-3, and owned 56.42 percent of the expected goals.

Wyatt Kaiser continues to be one of those steady bright spots for the Blackhawks. He didn’t hit the same offensive highs he’s shown at times this season — though the clip below shows how effective he can be in generating scoring opportunities — but it’s always striking how quickly he can assert himself when the moment calls for it. Kaiser just thinks the game well, using his stick and body efficiently, picking the right moments to be aggressive, and leaning on his skating to close gaps or jump into space in both ends of the ice. He also had some good moments of shutting down lanes, stepping up at the blue line, and breaking up plays before they could really develop. It was a quietly effective performance that underscored why his floor remains so valuable, regardless of what shows up on the scoresheet.

Ryan Donato was reunited with Jason Dickinson and Ilya Mikheyev, and the trio delivered a strong, dependable performance. Serving as a checking line and workhorse unit, they logged 12:49 of ice time — almost three minutes more than any other Blackhawks combination — largely because they were leaned on heavily in the third period to help protect the lead. Chicago controlled 53.57 percent of the shot attempts when this line was on the ice, and while their expected goals share was lower at 41.57 percent, that only dipped into the red in the third as score effects kicked in. Offensively, the line wasn’t overwhelming outside of Dickinson’s goal, though he tied for second on the team with four shot attempts, and Donato and Mikheyev each contributed three of their own. What stood out most, however, was their composure: no matter where the puck was, this line consistently looked in control and reliable, which was exactly what the Blackhawks needed in that stretch.

And of course, Knight really earned the shutout tonight. Despite the Blackhawks doing a good job closing things out in the third period, the first and second periods favored the Jets in terms of the number of chances Knight had to face, and he was on his A-game. This was a perfect example of the type of goalie Knight typically is: he wins with strong positioning rather than flash, playing big in the net and letting his structure do the work so the saves look easy — even when they’re not. He’s been a bit more average lately than he was at the beginning of the season, which is absolutely expected over the course of a full season, but he was the No. 1 star of the night easily, saving 3.2 goals above expected and clinching the win for the Blackhawks.

Last, below is the tribute video to Jonathan Toews and the crowd reaction — he’ll always be The Captain to Blackhawks fans.

Game Charts

Three Stars

  1. Spencer Knight (CHI) — 32-save shutout
  2. Alex Vlasic (CHI) — 2 assists
  3. Jason Dickinson (CHI) — 1 goal

What’s Next

The Blackhawks have two days off before heading to Raleigh to take on the Carolina Hurricanes on Thursday at 6 p.m.

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