The Chicago Blackhawks came into Tuesday night’s matchup feeling good after a big win over the New York Islanders on Sunday. Their streak of games against Metropolitan Division teams continued with a tilt against the Washington Capitals.
The Capitals came into the night as the best team in their division and those are the types of matchups in which the Hawks typically thrive. However, their recipe was a little different on this one.
The Blackhawks were good defensively in this one. They only allowed 11 shots combined in the first two periods. The only problem was that two of those shots went in due to two serious malfunctions. Both goals were in the first half. No goals were scored in the middle frame.
Being down 2-0 at the second intermission against a first-place team didn’t seem like a mountain the Blackhawks could overcome, but they believed in themselves.
Why did they believe in themselves? They were playing well throughout the game and it was due to two bad counterattacks that led to goals against them. They knew that if they kept pushing the pace, they would have a chance to tie.
Early in the third period, Ilya Mikheyev scored to give the Hawks life. This slim tally was a top-notch goal on a beautiful play by both Teuvo Teravainen and Mikheyev.
With time dwindling, Ilya Mikheyev and Teuvo Teravainen combined for another nice play and found TJ Brodie, who had a clear path to the net. He scored his second goal of the season to tie the game.
For the second game in a row, the Hawks scored a decisive goal in the final minutes of regulation to avoid going to overtime. This time it was Ryan Donato who increased his team’s lead in goals with his eleventh.
Regarding the goal, Teravainen added two games in a row with two points. Now, the Hawks have plenty of players who feel good about their games 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 mentioned above, matched the total from the first two periods. Soderblom did very well in this high-pressure situation and that allowed his team to come back. They may have a long-term option with him in the net.
The Hawks continue to play well against the best teams in the league. Chicago can add the Washington Capitals to the list of first or second-place teams they’ve beaten so far this season.
Next up, the Blackhawks will look to make it three in a row with a game against the Seattle Kraken on Thursday night at the United Center.
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