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Photo: Blackhawks Facebook

The Chicago Blackhawks head into their sixth game of the season making history. According to NHL Public Relations, the Hawks’ 3-0-2 record is the first time in league history that a team has started a season taking its first five games beyond regulation.

 

Game One, Blackhawks at Senators

The Blackhawks won 4-3 with 38 seconds remaining in overtime. Hawks goalie Cam Ward saved 22 out of 25 shots while Sens goalie Craig Anderson stopped 39 of 43 shots.

 

 

 

Alex DeBrincat scored first for the Hawks with an unassisted wristshot just 4:40 into the first period.

Approximately two minutes later, Zack Smith (Colin White, Thomas Chabot) tied the game with a deflection past Ward.

About halfway through the period, Captain Jonathan Toews (Erik Gustafsson) regained the lead for the Hawks.

Maxime Lajoie (Matt Duchene, Ryan Dzingle) scored his first NHL goal to knot the score once more with just under 8 minutes left in the first.

Then, on a power play, Colin White (Lajoie, Chris Tierney) gave the Senators the lead to close out the first.

It was a scoreless second period, but Brent Seabrook tied it 3-3 at 12:18 of the third period with a one-timer fed by Patrick Kane in the right circle.

Kane said:

“If you can get [Seabrook] in that position, we’ve seen it before where he’s coming down the slot and he’s not going to miss too many of those. It was a great celebration, too. Good to see him excited.”

Then, 38 seconds into overtime, Kane (Toews) roofed a backhander past Anderson on a breakaway for the win.

 

 

After the game, Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville told media:

“When you’ve got Kaner, you know he’s going to find a way to get something going.”

 

Blackhawks at Blues

 

 

A hat trick from Toews gave the Blackhawks an overtime victory in St. Louis for a 5-4 win their second game of the season. This was Toews’ fifth regular season hat trick and his first time scoring in back-to-back regular season games.

The game started with goals by Colton Parayko (Pat Maroon, Ryan O’Reilly) and Vladimir Tarasenko (O’Reilly), giving the Blues a 2-0 lead with about three minutes remaining in the first period.

Toews (Gustafsson, DeBrincat) cut the lead to 2-1 to head into first intermission.

At 1:33 into the second, Kane (Nick Schmaltz) tied the score for the Hawks. And, about halfway through regulation, Marcus Kruger (Kane, Schmaltz) launched Chicago back into the lead. Kane’s 518th assist, recorded here, moved him into fifth place in Blackhawks history.

But, the Blues came out hot for the third period. Just 3:45 in, Tarasenko (Maroon, O’Reilly) tied the game 3-3.

Chris Butler (Ivan Barbashev, Jaden Schwartz) regained the Blues’ lead about a minute later.

Then, Toews (Henri Jokiharju, DeBrincat) rebounded for a 4-4 game that held through regulation.

And, 2:20 into overtime, Toews (Brandon Saad, Jokiharju) delivered on a breakaway for the Hawks’ victory.

He told media after the game:

“It’s nice to get a chance there and overtime is always that style where you give up one, you’re going to get one right back. I had a chance to walk in and nice to see it go in.

“We knew it was going to be a tough game in this building tonight and all of the guys really bought into the rivalry we have with this team and everyone showed up and wanted to win tonight. It’s fun to win on the road here.”

 

Blackhawks host Maple Leafs

 

 

Chicago lost their home opener in overtime thanks to a hat trick from John Tavares (his career first) and an overtime winner from Morgan Rielly (Patrick Marleau, Auston Matthews).

Ward saved 27 of 34 shots in the game. Garret Sparks stopped 25 of 31.

Toews (Dominik Kahun, Duncan Keith), DeBrincat (Kahun, Keith), John Hayden (Jokiharju, Keith), Brandon Manning (Seabrook, Chris Kunitz), and two goals from Kane (Jokiharju, Schmaltz) kept the Hawks in the game.

Kasperi Kapanen (Matthews), Matthews (Kapanen), Tavares (Zach Hyman, Rielly), Tavares (Mitchell Marner, Rielly), Tavares (Marner), Matthews (Patrick Marleau, Jake Gardiner), and Rielly (Marleau, Matthews) in overtime netted the Leafs’ win.

 

Blackhawks at Minnesota Wild

 

 

 

Minnesota’s Jason Zucker (Zach Parise, Ryan Suter) lifted the Wild 4-3 over the Hawks in overtime.

DeBrincat (Toews, Jan Rutta) and Kahun (Toews, DeBrincat) gave Chicago a 2-0 lead in the first period.

Eric Staal (Jason Zucker, Suter) and Zucker (Staal, Jordan Greenway) tied it up in the second.

DeBrincat (Kane) gave Chicago the lead again with a power play goal, but Suter (Parise, Staal) scored shorthanded to tie the game in regulation and allow for Zucker’s overtime game-winner.

Ward saved 42 of 46 shots while Devan Dubnyk stopped 27 of 30.

Blues at Blackhawks

 

 

 

Two goals from DeBrincat led Chicago past the Blues Sunday. His goal (assisted by Toews, Keith) with just under seven minutes in regulation tied the score and a second goal (assisted by Gustafsson, Artem Anisimov) less than five minutes into overtime allowed the Hawks to skate away with a victory.

Anisimov (Saad, Kahun) and an unassisted power play goal from Kane had Chicago in the lead early in the game.

But, Brayden Schenn (Schmaltz, Tarasenko) brought the Blues within one goal in the second period.

Then, in the third, David Perron scored an unassisted power play goal and Scheen (Steen, Parayko) gave St. Louis a 3-2 lead. And, with nine seconds left, DeBrincat (Toews, Keith) knotted the score at 3-3 to close out regulation.

At 4:51 in overtime, DeBrincat (Gustafsson, Anisimov) brought home the Hawks’ win.

 

Strong Start

According to The Daily Herald, Toews’ leadership—not to mention his hot start—has helped lead the team to a strong start.

He knew last season took a toll on the team:

“We let those little things—the little mistakes, the losses here and there—just build into bigger things.”

Hoping to turn that around, Toews offered his team some perspective on handling high-stakes situations. He invited a Navy SEAL to address his teammates two days before this season began in Ottawa.

“We wanted to start the right conversation with positive dialogue in the room (by) holding each other accountable and doing the little things right. With Special Ops and military guys, obviously the stakes are a lot higher if they make mistakes on the battlefield. They have to be over-prepared for every situation and make sure that they’re accountable to their teammates.

“It’s fun to hear from guys like that as far as the little things you can bring to mind and assess your own performance. I think he helped us create the right mindset in the locker room.”

 

Milestones

Keith celebrated his 1,000th game with the Blackhawks Sunday.


He’s the 12th active NHL player to hit that milestone and the sixth in Blackhawks history.

Keith told the press:

“It’s obviously a huge accomplishment. I’m proud of it. More than anything, I’m proud to be in the NHL this long and play with a lot of great players and a great organization for a great coach. Just all the good players and good guys that I’ve been able to be on this ride with.”

Keith was honored with a special presentation and commendations from his coach and teammates.

Kane said:

“What a great career he’s had. You look at two Norris Trophies, three Cups, a Conn Smythe Trophy, how well he’s played in the playoffs, how he’s able to come in in tip-top shape every year and be able to play so many minutes, be the backbone of our defense for a long time here. Even though he’s played 1,000 games, it doesn’t seem like he’s getting any older or slowing down. Pretty impressive.”

 

Crawford Comeback

Corey Crawford has been officially cleared for play and is expected to rejoin the team for the first time since last December for tonight’s game against the Arizona Coyotes.

 

 

 

Carly grew up needing to know more about icing than its deliciousness on cupcakes. She's the lone daughter of four children, with a father who was among the last cut from the Midwest tryouts for the 1980 Miracle on Ice Olympic team. And she knows very little matches the thrill that happens from puck-drop to handshakes. A rink didn’t return to her hometown until she was gone, but she’s been able to see two younger brothers on the ice. She's their feistiest fan. Her other hockey loyalty lies with the Blackhawks--whether it's meant seeing games for $8 with student IDs when the Madhouse didn’t have much of a temper at all, or dancing to Chelsea Dagger at standing room only--there’s something magical about a roaring anthem, the Indianhead sweater, and the Original Six. A former journalist and current editor, she carries a penchant for excitement (and maybe even fighting) with a resume that includes working for Chicago-area newspapers, and television, including The Jerry Springer Show, as well as NBCUniversal in New York. After East Coast living and a return to the Chicago area, the new Mrs. is giving Graceland a go with her Southern Gent, who now shares her adoration of the game, and their rescue dog, Doc Holliday. Other interests include Cubs, Bears, Illini, Crimson Tide, Pumpkin Spice Lattes, baking a mean pineapple upside-down cake, Kate Spade accessories, and a properly coordinated cardigan for every ensemble.

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