The Chicago Blackhawks entered Tuesday night’s game on a high note after a blowout win over the New York Islanders on Sunday. Their streak of games against teams in the Metropolitan Division continued with a tilt against the Washington Capitals.
The Capitals came into the night as the top team in their division and those are the types of matchups in which the Hawks usually thrive. However, their recipe was a little different here.
The Blackhawks were good defensively in this one. They allowed just 11 combined shots in the first two periods. The only problem was that two of those shots came in due to two major breakdowns. Both goals came in the first period. There was no scoring in the middle frame.
Down 2-0 going into the second intermission against a first-place team didn’t feel like a mountain for the Blackhawks to conquer, but they believed in themselves.
Why did they believe in themselves? They played well all match and it was two bad breaks that led to goals against them. They knew if they kept pushing the pace, they would have a chance to keep it going.
Early in the third period, Ilya Mikheyev scored to give the Hawks life. This short goal was a top-shelf goal after a beautiful action by both Teuvo Teravainen and Mikheyev.
With the clock running thin, 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 to level the score.
For the second straight game, the Hawks scored a goal in the final few minutes of regulation time to avoid going into overtime. This time it was Ryan Donato who extended his team’s goal lead with his 11th.
On goal, Teravainen made it two games in a row with two points. Now the Hawks have a lot of players who feel good about their play and a winning streak to rely on.
Speaking of playing well, Arvid Soderblom had another good game. He made 20 saves on 22 shots. There were 11 Capitals 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 it allowed his team to come back. They may have a long-term option with him in net.
The Hawks continue to play well against top teams in the league. Chicago can add the Washington Capitals to the list of first- and second-place teams they have beaten so far this season.
Next, the Blackhawks will look to make it three in a row with a matchup against the Seattle Kraken on Thursday night at United Center.
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