by The Chicago Blackhawks entered Tuesday night’s game feeling good after a great win over the New York Islanders on Sunday. Their streak of games against Metropolitan Division teams continued with a game against the Washington Capitals.
The Capitals entered the night as the top team in their division, and the Hawks usually thrive in such matchups. However, her recipe was slightly different in this case.
The Blackhawks were good defensively in this game. They allowed just 11 combined shots in the first two periods of the game. The only problem was that two of those shots hit due to two serious mishaps. Both goals came in the first third. There was no scoring in the middle frame.
A 2-0 second-intermission loss to a first-place team didn’t feel like a mountain to overcome for the Blackhawks, but they believed in themselves.
Why did they believe in themselves? They played well throughout the game and it was two bad breaks that led to goals against them. They knew that if they continued to pick up the pace they would have a chance of a breakthrough.
Early in the third period, Ilya Mikheyev scored to give the Hawks life. This shorthanded score was a first class goal after some beautiful play from Teuvo Teravainen and Mikheyev.
With time running out, Ilya Mikheyev and Teuvo Teravainen combined for another good play as they found TJ Brodie who had a clear path to the net. He scored his second goal of the season and equalized the score.
For the second straight game, the Hawks scored a game-winning goal in the final minutes of regulation time to avoid overtime. This time it was Ryan Donato who extended his team’s lead with his eleventh goal.
With the goal, Teravainen ensured he scored two points in two consecutive games. The Hawks now have many players who feel comfortable in their games and can count on a winning streak.
Speaking of playing well: Arvid Soderblom had another good game. He made 20 saves on 22 shots. The Capitals had 11 shots in the third period, which, as previously mentioned, matched the total from the first two periods. Soderblom did very well in this high-pressure situation and gave his team the opportunity to come back. With him in net, they may have a long-term option.
The Hawks continue to play well against top teams in the league. Chicago can add the Washington Capitals to the list of first or second place teams they have beaten so far this season.
Next, the Blackhawks will try to make it third in a row with a game against the Seattle Kraken on Thursday night at the United Center.
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