4 Thoughts From Blackhawks Shootout Win Against Kings

Halloween couldn’t have been more of a nightmare for the Chicago Blackhawks after losing 3-2 to the San Jose Sharks, where players were left frustrated. But their game against the Los Angeles Kings was another chance to right the ship. Defenseman TJ Brodie was a healthy scratch, and Isaak Phillips got to slot into the lineup for him, which was a significant lineup change, and a bad start was negated by a strong finish.

Here are 4 thoughts from the Blackhawks 4-3 comeback win against the Kings

1. A Snoozy Start

The Blackhawks’ first period against the Kings was probably one of the most boring periods of hockey I have seen from them all season. Usually, boring is a good thing for them, but it was boring in the sense that it was also bad. It took almost 12 minutes for the Blackhawks to even get a shot on goal, which came from Ryan Donato. Nick Foligno got in a fight with Tanner Jeannot, and Craig Smith had a good scoring chance from Lukas Reichel as the clock expired in the first period, but it was not the most inspiring hockey the Blackhawks have ever played.

2. A Snoozy Second Period

Did I mention the game started snoozy? I don’t think that was emphasized, so I will repeat it. It was snoozy. Taylor Hall said after the first intermission that the Kings were playing harder than they were, which was an honest assessment. It just didn’t get better in the second. They had nine shots total by the end of the period, and were down 2-0.

3. Blackhawks Struggled to Find Spark…

After a snoozy start to the game, captain Nick Foligno fighting in the first period didn’t wake the team up. A handful of second period power plays also didn’t do the trick with the team failing to show much life until a Nick Foligno goal near the beginning of the third period. The Hawks have struggled to find that spark that can change a game, and it seemed like old habits were continuing to die hard when it came to changing the momentum after a bad goal against. It worked out where they found their game in the end, but a poor 45 minutes of hockey needs to be addressed.

4. But The Blackhawks Never Say Die

One habit is that the Blackhawks always seem to have a “never say die” third period, where they really make a push. They tied the game 2-2 in the third period thanks to Nick Foligno and Craig Smith. Unfortunately, the Kings scored shortly after to make it 3-2 from Phillip Danault. But the Blackhawks had the answer to tie the game 3-3 with 30 seconds left, thanks to Tyler Bertuzzi. The third period never seems to be a problem for the Blackhawks, and it usually keeps them in games.

Petr Mrazek was the team’s best player. Even when they were down, he kept them in it. He made some big saves on the penalty kill that would have doubled the Kings’ lead early and saved them in overtime.

It allowed Connor Bedard, Teuvo Teravainen, and Ryan Donato to help win the game 4-3 in a shootout. What started out as a disaster ended in a dramatically exciting fashion. They hope this momentum will carry over against the Anaheim Ducks tomorrow (11/3) for the last game of their five-game road trip.

For more Blackhawks News from Jim Lynch and Brooke LoFurno, visit Chicago Hockey Now, subscribe to our YouTube and like our Facebook page.

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