The Chicago Blackhawks picked up their first win of the season with a 5-2 victory over the San Jose Sharks on Saturday.
San Jose jumped out to an early lead with a pair of first-period goals. Nico Sturm opened the scoring thanks to a defensive lapse by Hawks’ forward Philipp Kurashev.
In the last minute of the opening frame, Erik Karlsson gave the Sharks a 2-0 lead. His shot from the point deflected off Seth Jones’ skate and past Petr Mrazek.
But the visitors dominated the score sheet in the second period with a trio of goals. Jonathan Toews netted his second tally of the season with a nice move to beat Sharks’ goalie Kaapo Kahkonen.
Sam Lafferty scored the next two goals while the Blackhawks were on the penalty kill. Newly acquired forward Jason Dickinson set up each of Lafferty’s shorthanded tallies.
In the third period, the Blackhawks took advantage of some shoddy defense by the Sharks. Taylor Raddysh extended Chicago’s lead to 4-2 with a breakaway goal just over five minutes into the frame.
Dickinson then capitalized on a 2-on-1 opportunity by firing a wrister past Kahkonen on the blocker side.
The former Canuck's tally capped the scoring for the night and solidified a 5-2 Blackhawks win.
Takeaways
Jason Dickinson made quite the impression in his Blackhawks debut. In his first game after coming over in a trade from Vancouver, he posted a three-point night (one goal, two assists).
After a rough showing on opening night, the Blackhawks' penalty kill has been stellar. They went 3-for-3 and produced two shorthanded goals. The unit has now successfully killed six consecutive penalties.
Tyler Johnson hasn't lit the lamp yet, but he continues to set up his teammates. He added two helpers in Saturday's contest after recording an assist in Chicago's first game of the season.
Goaltender Petr Mrazek picked up his first win in a Blackhawks uniform. He stopped 24 of 26 shots, including a perfect 6-for-6 mark on the penalty kill.
What's On Tap Next?
The Chicago Blackhawks have time to regroup after concluding their three-game West Coast road trip. The next time they take the ice will be for their home opener against the Detroit Red Wings on Friday, Oct. 21. Puck drop is at 7:30 PM CT and NBC Sports Chicago will carry the broadcast.
Tune in to the Four Feathers Podcast for further Blackhawks commentary all season.
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