The Blackhawks defeated the Montreal Canadiens 3-2 in overtime at the United Center on Thursday.
Here are 10 observations from the win:
1. Kirby Dach and Dylan Strome were placed in COVID-19 protocol before the game and did not play. The Blackhawks now have four players (Seth Jones and Jake McCabe) and two staff members (head athletic trainer Mike Gapski and head equipment manager Troy Parchman) in protocol.
Stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Chicago sports teams! Sign up here for our All Access Daily newsletter.
2. Well, the Blackhawks won their third straight game in one of the weirdest overtime finishes you'll ever see. Philipp Kurashev crashed hard to the net, which came off its moorings before the puck crossed the goal line. Or so it seemed. The call on the ice was no goal, but was later overturned after a lengthy review. Another lengthy review ensued after the Canadiens challenged for offside and the Blackhawks won it.
3. Lukas Reichel made his NHL debut and centered a line with Patrick Kane and Brandon Hagel. He had four shot attempts (three on goal), six controlled entries and five controlled exits in 15:55 of ice time, per Sportlogiq. He passed on a few opportunities to shoot in the first period, perhaps respecting his linemates to a fault, but having the confidence in himself to shoot will come over time. He has really solid instincts.
4. The Blackhawks absolutely dominated in the first period but only came away with a 1-0 lead. They led in shot attempts (21-6), shots on goal (13-2), scoring chances (9-1) and high-danger chances (5-0), according to Natural Stat Trick. The Canadiens didn't record their first shot on goal until the 14:30 mark.
NHL
5. The script completely flipped in the second period, where the Canadiens led in shot attempts (30-10), shots on goal (17-6), scoring chances (18-7) and high-danger chances (9-1). The Canadiens also outscored the Blackhawks 2-0 in the middle frame.
6. Alexander Ramonov laid a massive hit on Sam Lafferty late in the second period and Ryan Carpenter immediately stepped and dropped the gloves. Carpenter was given a two-minute instigator penalty, five minutes for fighting and 10-minute misconduct. It was a 1-1 game at the time and Montreal scored on the power play to go ahead 2-1. Fortunately for the Blackhawks, it didn't turn out to haunt them in the end.
7. Speaking of which, the Canadiens were 0-for-24 on the power play in their last nine games. They scored their first goal on the man advantage since Dec. 4.
8. One day after calling this season one of the most "frustrating" of his career, Patrick Kane ended a 13-game goal drought when he scored a power-play goal in the third period. It was his first goal since Dec. 4. That had to feel good.
9. The Canadiens were credited with 33 hits in the first two periods. They finished with 39 total. Their season average on a per-60-minute basis is 26, which ranks No. 5.
10. Andrew Shaw, who hung up his skates last season, was honored as part of the Blackhawks' "Legacy Night" series. Every Blackhawk player wore No. 65 sweaters during warmups, and Shaw also dropped the ceremonial first puck. A well-deserved night for The Mutt.