Deuces were wild for the Blackhawks fourth line while Landon Slaggert made it a night to remember with his first two NHL points coming as assists.
Jason Dickinson had two goals, while Joey Anderson and Slaggert each had a pair of assists in the Blackhawks 3-1 victory over Calgary. It was the Blackhawks second straight win, giving them a 6-4 mark in their last ten games. The two assists also marked Slaggert’s entry onto the scoresheet, notching him his first two assists and points as a member of the Blackhawks.
The Blackhawks were on the board early with Jones potting his seventh goal of the season on a power play that got more life thanks to Jones. Twice he kept the puck in on attempted clears, and the third time Bedard drew a penalty, giving Chicago a five-on-three chance. Jones and the rest of the power play unit were out for over three minutes cumulatively before he found the back of the net, giving the Blackhawks a 1-0 lead.
The assist moved Bedard closer to sixth all time in rookie points.
Later it was Anderson and Dickinson on a two-on-one play giving the Hawks a 2-0 advantage. Dickinson’s chance resulted in a terrific patience from Anderson, who waited out Oliver Kylington to send the perfect pass to Dickinson, who scored his 19th of the season. Later in the third period, it was Anderson finding Dickinson in the slot which ended up being his 20th of the season.
Could Have Been a Four Point Night For Landon Slaggert
For the milestone of his first NHL point, Slaggert could have potentially had more, including his first NHL goal. The first time Slaggert was denied as netminder Jacob Markstrom wandered too far out and left a wide open net for the rookie. But his shot was blocked by a Flames defenseman, putting that one to rest.
But the second one hurt even more. On a beautiful sequence that involved the same fourth line, Dickinson had a chance to shoot on a breakaway but drew two Flames to him. He then dropped the pass puck back to Anderson who fed Slaggert. The puck looked to have initially gone in–giving him his first NHL goal. But replay indicated that it banged off the post and to Markstom’s left.
No goal–again.
But hardly a concern as he picked up his two first NHL points while helping the Blackhawks picked up the win. Afterward, a smiling Slaggert even poked fun at himself for the first chance that just didn’t find the net. But in the end, it’s the experience so far in Chicago that matters most.
“Looked pretty big but I managed to miss it,” Slaggert said of the missed chance. “It’s been awesome–I think it’s been a great experience. The guys are great–just making me feel comfortable, and it’s a great group in here.”
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