10 observations: Petr Mrazek shines again as Blackhawks beat Sharks in shootout
10 observations: Petr Mrazek shines again as Blackhawks beat Sharks in shootout originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago
The Chicago Blackhawks knocked off the San Jose Sharks 2-1 in a shootout on Tuesday at the United Center.
Here are 10 observations from the win:
1. The Blackhawks probably deserved some points over the last few games. They got it in this one even though I didn’t think it was their best effort. They allowed a game-tying goal in the third period again but this time they found a way to win.
2. The Blackhawks and Sharks went nine rounds into the shootout before it finally ended. Jason Dickinson nearly scored the go-ahead goal in the fifth round but his shot went off the post, off the goaltender’s back, and stopped right on the goal line. Zach Sanford came so close in the eighth round, too, but his shot went off the inside of the left post and then trickled through the crease and wide. Boris Katchouk finally closed the deal in the ninth round.
3. Petr Mrazek made his fifth consecutive start, and he was excellent. He stopped 37 of 38 shots for a save percentage of .974 and also turned aside eight of the nine shootout attempts.
4. The Blackhawks came into this game 0-for-7 on the power play over their last three contests. They haven’t been able to generate many chances over that stretch, either. They went 1-for-4 on the man advantage against the Sharks thanks to Cole Guttman‘s first-period goal. A better effort.
5. Jarred Tinordi drew back into the lineup. He might’ve had the fight of the year with Scott Sabourin. It was a straight-up heavyweight fight.
6. The Blackhawks are now 3-24-0 this season when they score two or fewer goals. They’re 10-5-2 when they score at least three. A rare low-scoring win for Chicago.
7. Connor Murphy did not play due to a lower-body injury that the team hopes is just a minor issue. He’s listed as questionable for Wednesday’s game in Buffalo, as is Nikita Zaitsev, who left the game in the second period against San Jose with an undisclosed injury. Murphy was one of only two Blackhawks that had played in every game so far. Now only Dickinson is left.
8. The Sharks rank dead-last in goals per game (2.00), goals against per game (4.05), and penalty kill percentage (71.3). The Blackhawks won the lottery last year, but San Jose will probably be the favorites to do so this year, even though Chicago is 31st in the standings.
9. Connor Bedard hit the ice on Monday exactly one week after undergoing surgery to repair his fractured jaw. He skated again on Tuesday morning. Blackhawks head coach Luke Richardson said there hasn’t been a change in his original 6-8-week timeline but I wouldn’t be surprised if he comes back earlier than that.
10. Dickinson and the Blackhawks have agreed to a two-year contract extension at a cap hit of $4.25 million. The Blackhawks probably could have gotten future assets for him at the trade deadline, but since they have so many picks in the coming years, it made more sense to extend him so he can help be part of what the Blackhawks are building.
