It seemed like the Montreal Canadiens came into the game with a plan to overpower the Blackhawks. They came out hitting hard, targeting anyone on the ice, with or without the puck.
Less than two minutes into the game, Frank Nazar drew two penalties from the Canadiens, both of which were called. The Blackhawks made the most of a 5-on-3 power play, taking an early lead. However, Cole Caufield managed to tie the game late in the first period when he was left unguarded.
In the second period, Colton Dach made an impact right away, delivering a couple of big hits on his first shift. This helped the Blackhawks take control of the game. Seven minutes in, Wyatt Kaiser took a shot at the net that Nick Foligno tipped in to regain the lead for the Blackhawks.
The game slowed down after that, with less hitting, but Montreal still managed to take more shots. The physical play picked up again in the final minutes of the period, but the Blackhawks entered the break with a 2-1 lead.
The Blackhawks began the third period with a penalty kill. They successfully killed the penalty, and shortly after it ended, they scored again. Craig Smith passed to Ryan Donato, who then fed the puck to Pat Maroon to score.
This goal was critical for the Blackhawks, who had struggled in front of their net. The Canadiens responded with a power play goal to make it 3-2, but the Blackhawks added an insurance goal late in the third to seal the win.
Star 1: Arvid Söderblom
This game could have gotten out of hand in the second period, but Söderblom kept the Blackhawks in it. He faced 30 shots in the first two periods, saving 29 of them, including a remarkable stop in the closing seconds of the second period.
The Blackhawks were outshot 19-8 in the second, but Söderblom’s play kept them ahead.
Star 2: Colton Dach
Dach played a physical game early on, throwing hits and drawing a penalty from Montreal. During that power play, he was a constant presence in front of the net and had a couple of good scoring chances.
In his debut, he delivered a strong performance, leading the team with four shots on goal and two hits in the first period. By the end of the second, he had five shots and five hits, both team highs.
Star 3: Nick Foligno
After the tough loss in the Winter Classic, many in Chicago expected more from the team. The Blackhawks’ captain, Nick Foligno, stepped up in this game. He scored a go-ahead goal in the second period and sealed the win with another goal late in the third. This is the leadership the team needed, and Foligno delivered.
