The Chicago Blackhawks were trailing the Vancouver Canucks by three goals going into the third period of Saturday night’s game in British Columbia, but just like they have on so many occasions this season they stormed back and grabbed a 4-3 overtime victory in the contest.
The win gives the Blackhawks two during their current road trip, and it was arguably the most impressive as they clicked into gear at exactly the right time to secure two points in the standings.
So which players were most responsible for the comeback and the victory? To answer that question, here are our Three Stars of the game.
Third Star: Patrick Kane
Over the last few games, Kane hasn’t looked like himself as he is trying to find chemistry with Jonathan Toews and a rotating cast of linemates on the left side of the top line, but on Saturday night, it appeared that Kane got things figured out as he helped drive the Blackhawks’ offensive attack.
In total, Kane had seven shots on goal in the game, but his best play of the game was a pass. With the Blackhawks on a power play early in the third period, Kane stayed patient with the puck and fired a cross-ice pass to Artemi Panarin, who blasted a one-timer past Jacob Markstrom to put the Hawks on the board.
Second Star: Artemi Panarin
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Panarin was expected to struggle a bit after Kane was bumped off of his line, but the winger has actually thrived thanks to a good relationship with Artem Anisimov and a very good connection with right wing star Marian Hossa.
In Saturday’s game, Panarin did reunite with Kane in the late stages of a third period power play, and his goal was a thing of beauty. Kane set things up with a great pass across the ice, but it was Panarin that found paydirt as he uncorked a blistering slap shot that tickled the twine and made it a two-goal game.
In total, Panarin had five shots on goal in the game and played one of his most impressive games of the season as he continues to roll in his sophomore season.
First Star: Vincent Hinostroza
Hinostroza didn’t have a single point in his NHL career going into Saturday’s game, but that is no longer the case as he racked up a goal and two assists in the Blackhawks’ comeback victory.
Hinostroza’s best moment of the game came in the third period, as he broke into the offensive zone with the Blackhawks trailing by two goals. Weaving his way through traffic, the rookie forward got a quick shot off on goal, and when Markstrom made the save and his Canucks teammates were slow to react to the rebound, Hinostroza took the puck himself and potted the goal to make it a 3-2 game.
With his speed and puck-handling, Hinostroza can fit into many different roles for the Blackhawks in their lineup, and if he can continue to play like he did on Saturday night, we should see a lot more of him as the season progresses.
