Blackhawks play well enough to earn point vs. NHL’s hottest team
The Chicago Blackhawks continue to play well and this time they gave the hottest team in the NHL all that they can handle.
Everyone knows about how hot the Dallas Stars have been over the last few weeks. They went into this game against the Chicago Blackhawks winners of six straight and a solid record of 9-0-1 over their last ten games. They were clearly the hottest team in the National Hockey League and the Blackhawks needed everything they have to have a chance against them.
Well, the Blackhawks put together a great effort. They came up short in the shootout but it was a solid game against the Stars. The Stars went up 1-0 on a goal by Roope Hintz but Olli Maatta scored his first goal of the season to tie it up three minutes later. Both of those goals came in the first period. There was no scoring the rest of the way despite the two teams combining for 80 shots. Both Robin Lehner and Anton Khudobin played very well and gave their teams a chance to win.
Each team earned their point by the game going to overtime. The Stars were gifted an overtime power play as the referees called a “too many men on the ice” penalty on Chicago but the Blackhawks did everything they could to kill it off and it got to the shootout. Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane are both money shootout players but they were both stopped by Khudobin. Joe Pavelski and Tyler Seguin each beat Lehner and that was all for the Blackhawks. There is no doubt that each team had a winning effort but the Stars got the best of them in the shootout.
There is no big issue with the way this game ended because the Blackhawks are going to win a lot of games if they play this way every night. Both Lehner and Corey Crawford each have been awesome this season and they are generating plenty of scoring chances for themselves. This is the recipe for success with a roster like this. It might not be built for the playoffs but you have to get there first.
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The Blackhawks are going to be seeing the Stars again on Tuesday night in the second half of a “home and home” with Dallas. This one will be back in Chicago and will be seen by a national TV audience. There is a good chance that each team knows a little more about what to expect this time around. Crawford will likely go for Chicago and there is a good chance Dallas uses Ben Bishop, their number one goalie, in this game.