The Chicago Blackhawks are currently at the bottom of the NHL standings, but they have managed to earn impressive victories against strong teams this season. On Saturday night, they hoped to carry that momentum when they hosted the Vegas Golden Knights at the United Center.
The Golden Knights, who were tied with the Edmonton Oilers at the top of the Pacific Division, came into the game as one of the top contenders for the Stanley Cup.
From the start, Vegas didn’t look like the team that had played the night before. At 9:29 of the first period, Victor Olofsson scored to put the Golden Knights up 1-0. Tomas Hertl and Alex Pietrangelo set up Olofsson with a nice passing play, and he made a perfect shot on goal.
After that, the Blackhawks took control of the period. Lukas Reichel, Tyler Bertuzzi, and Taylor Hall each scored before the first intermission, giving Chicago a 3-1 lead. While every goal is important, Reichel’s was especially impressive. He showed off a move reminiscent of Patrick Kane’s style of play.
With a 3-1 lead going into the first break, the Blackhawks were feeling good about their chances. However, the second period became more challenging. Tomas Hertl scored twice to tie the game at 3-3.
It seemed like the game would stay tied going into the second intermission, but Seth Jones took matters into his own hands with a goal late in the period.
Connor Bedard made a nice pass to set up Jones, who capitalized on the opportunity and gave the Blackhawks a 4-3 lead heading into the break. Leading by one after almost losing a two-goal advantage was a much better situation for Chicago.
In the final frame, Tyler Bertuzzi scored his second goal of the game at 4:08. Positioned in front of the net during a power play, Bertuzzi tapped in a perfect pass from Teuvo Teravainen. That extra goal gave the Blackhawks the cushion they needed to finish the game confidently.
The final score was 5-3 in favor of Chicago, as they once again beat a top team. The Blackhawks played a complete 60-minute game, and this victory was one they could build on moving forward.
For Blackhawks captain Nick Foligno, this game was especially meaningful. It was his 1,200th career NHL game. His father was in attendance for the special occasion, as it was the team’s dads/mentors weekend. Having such a milestone moment with his dad there made the victory even sweeter.
Foligno also contributed to the win, registering an assist on Reichel’s first goal of the game.
Next up, another high-level team comes to the United Center. The Carolina Hurricanes will visit on Monday, giving the Blackhawks another chance to play a complete game against one of the NHL’s best teams.
