Blackhawks Postgame
Blackhawks Topped 3-2 By Oilers in Overtime, Still Winless During Road Trip
The Chicago Blackhawks picked up the first point of their long six-game road trip, but they still remain winless after a 3-2 overtime loss to the Edmonton Oilers on Saturday night.
Evan Bouchard scored the game-winning goal in the extra period for the Oilers, with Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid registering the assists.
It was Draisaitl and McDavid who unsurprisingly led the charge for the Oilers offensively on Saturday, as they were involved in all three of the team’s goals. Draisaitl opened the scoring on the power play in the second period, and McDavid set up Jack Roslovic for an easy tap in later on in the middle frame to give the Oilers a 2-1 lead. McDavid finished the game with three assists, while Draisaitl had two points.
An odd atmosphere developed throughout the night at Rogers Place, as most fans in attendance seemed to be more focused on how the Toronto Blue Jays were faring in Game 7 of the World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers. The game was being shown on the jumbotron in the arena until the third period, and the fans gave several groans and cheers amidst the back-and-forth ball game. In the end, the Dodgers pulled off a remarkable comeback to break the hearts of many Canadians all across the country, winning 5-4 in extra innings in an instant classic.
Extra time was needed in both games, but the Oilers were the lone Canadian squad to come away with the victory.
With the loss, the Blackhawks move to 0-1-1 in the first two games of their road trip and are now 5-4-3 on the season. They’ll look to pick up their first two points of the trip on Monday night in Seattle.
Let’s get into the highlights from the Blackhawks overtime loss in Edmonton.
First Period
Neither team found the back of the net in the opening 20 minutes, but there were quality chances generated for both sides.
Frank Nazar had a shot ring off the post from the high slot after a nice feed from Sam Rinzel. Teuvo Teravainen, Tyler Bertuzzi, and Nazar put together a few strong shifts in the offensive zone early in the first period.
After Podkolzin raced by Rinzel in the neutral zone, the Oilers forward was tripped up by Bedard on a breakaway and was given a penalty shot. Spencer Knight rebounded on Saturday after a shaky performance in his last time out against Winnipeg, and he made a sturdy blocker stop on Podkolzin to keep the game scoreless.
The Blackhawks dodged a major bullet in the final seconds of the period, as Draisaitl snuck a shot through Knight’s wickets right as time expired. After a review from the officials, it was determined that the puck crossed the line just after the clock reached triple zeros. The score barely remained 0-0 going into the first intermission.
Second Period
Edmonton still had time remaining on their power play chance to begin the second period, and Draisaitl fittingly cashed in on a one-timer to put his team ahead 1-0. This one definitely counted. McDavid took a hit to make a play on the entry, and then Ryan Nugent-Hopkins found Draisaitl in his office at the right circle.
Just a few minutes after the crowd celebrated Draisaitl’s tally, they were left stunned and in agony as Miguel Rojas tied Game 7 of the World Series in the ninth inning.
While everyone in attendance was locked into the theatrics in Toronto, Connor Bedard found Tyler Bertuzzi for a greasy back door tap in to tie the game 1-1 on the power play. Bedard extended his point streak to four games after showing excellent patience and poise with the puck.
The power play frenzy in the second stanza continued, as the Blackhawks were unable to stay out of the box and keep a dangerous Oilers’ man advantage off the ice. Once again, McDavid made a beautiful play that helped Edmonton grab the lead, as he fed Roslovic all alone in front of Knight to make it 2-1 going into the third.
Third Period
The Blackhawks came up with a pivotal penalty kill early on in the third period, and they might have gotten the best scoring opportunity during the two-minute sequence. Ilya Mikheyev, who returned to the lineup on Saturday after missing the previous two games, was stopped by Stuart Skinner on a shorthanded breakaway to keep the game 2-1 in favor of the home team.
The Blackhawks top line of Bedard, Ryan Greene, and Andre Burakovsky picked up where they left off on Thursday and had another great performance together in Edmonton. Greene built off his best showing of the season and played his part again on Saturday, and he made a huge impact in the third period to help tie the score 2-2.
Greene won a board battle behind the Oilers net and worked the puck to Artyom Levshunov for a one-timer, and Burakovsky was in perfect position to put home the rebound for his fourth goal of the year. Burakovsky now has recorded a point in three consecutive games and has really started to mesh well with Bedard.
Double trouble ensued for the Edmonton/Canadian fans in the third period, as not only did the Blackhawks tie the game, but the Dodgers rolled a double play to complete the comeback and defeat the Blue Jays to win the World Series for a second straight season. Poor Toronto had their souls ripped out on home field. They lost Games 6 and 7 in their own building. Pure pain.
Overtime
It wasn’t the victory most fans seemingly wanted the most on Saturday, but the Oilers went on to dominate in overtime to come away with the extra point over the Blackhawks. The visitors were hemmed into the defensive zone for a long stretch of time, and Levshunov got trapped on the ice for an extended shift. The Oilers big guns ended up capitalizing, as Draisaitl whirled around Donato and found Bouchard in the slot for the 3-2 overtime win.
Levshunov Looks Legit
While Levshunov wasn’t able to get off the ice and was exhausted as Oilers scored the game-winning goal in overtime, he otherwise had another promising performance on Saturday.
Levshunov picked up the primary assist on the game-tying goal in the third, which extended his point streak to three games. The 2024 No. 2 overall pick now leads all Blackhawks defensemen with five assists on the season, and he’s starting to find his groove with each passing game.
After being arguably the team’s best defenseman on Thursday in Winnipeg, Levshunov was effective once again against the Oilers. The Blackhawks led 7-4 in shots on goal, 8-4 in scoring chances, and 3-1 in high-danger chances with Levshunov on the ice at even strength. His 68.56 expected goals for percentage was second among the team’s seven blue liners.
Top Line Clicking
For the second consecutive game, the Greene-Bedard-Burakovsky trio was the most effective line for the Blackhawks. Bedard was the driving factor behind that once again, but both Greene and Burakovsky played their roles nicely.
In just over 12 minutes together at even strength, the Blackhawks led 20-14 in shot attempts, 11-5 in shots on goal, 4-1 in high-danger chances, and 1-0 in goals for on Saturday.
Bedard continues to make noticeable strides early in his third NHL campaign, and he’s now up to 15 points (6G, 9A) through 12 games after picking up an assist on Saturday. He registered four shots on goal, had a team-high four individual scoring chances, and won seven of his 14 faceoffs against the Oilers.
Burakovsky picked up two points (1G, 1A) on the night and tied Nazar with five shots on goal to lead the game. The Swedish forward has been dynamite since returning from a paternity leave, and he’s now up to nine points (4G, 5A) through his first 11 games in Chicago.
Greene looked the part on the top line for a second game in a row, which is remarkably impressive for a 22-year-old in his first NHL season. Two of his three points on the year have now come in his last three contests, and he’ll likely remain with Bedard and Burakovsky when the Blackhawks return to play on Monday. He’s earned that spot.
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