10 observations: Blackhawks rally to beat Tampa in SO originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago
The Blackhawks knocked off the Tampa Bay Lightning 4-3 in a shootout on Friday at the United Center.
Here are 10 observations from the win:
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1. The Blackhawks didn't have their best start by any stretch but they rallied from deficits of 2-0 and 3-2 to force overtime and eventually a shootout. Philipp Kurashev scored the lone shootout goal and it proved to be the winner. They played better on Thursday but the Blackhawks should certainly be happy with three points in two nights against the Lightning.
2. Malcolm Subban gave up two goals on the first eight shots he faced then settled down nicely. His most timely save came on Alex Killorn with exactly one minute left in regulation to keep the game tied. He finished with 37 saves on 40 shots for a save percentage of .925 and stopped all three shots in the shootout.
3. Alex DeBrincat is on fire. He recorded his 100th career NHL goal and 200th career point by finding the back of the net in the opening frame to extend his goal streak to four games and point streak to eight. He later scored his second of the game to make it 2-2 and is now up to a team-high 14 goals on the season.
4. Dominik Kubalik had a tough start offensively. He scored only three goals in his first 16 games but has bounced back nicely. His game-tying goal in the third period gave him six goals in his last nine games.
5. The Lightning came out with some serious jump in the first period. They scored the first two goals of the game and generated nine consecutive scoring chances before the Blackhawks recorded their first one.
6. The Blackhawks had only five power plays in their last four games, which is an astonishingly low number. They have five power plays on Friday alone and went 1-for-5, snapping the Lightning's streak of 19 consecutive kills.
7. Patrick Kane had 0:54 of offensive zone possession time in the first period alone, according to Sportlogiq, and finished with 1:33. He also had two primary assists and led the Blackhawks with six shots on goal, five slot shots, 16 controlled exits, 11 controlled entries and two scoring chances off the rush.
8. The Blackhawks had one of their better games at the faceoff circle. They won 14 of 21 draws (66.7 percent) in the first period and finished 34 of 61 for a win percentage of 55.7.
9. The Blackhawks allowed a season-low three high-danger chances at 5-on-5 against the Lightning on Thursday and generated 38 of their own. They gave up 11 on Friday and generated only 15.
10. Calvin de Haan blocked a shot off his leg on the first shift of the third period and immediately went to the locker room upon returning to the bench. He did not return.
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