You aren’t a good team unless you win a couple of games a season that you don’t necessarilly deserve to win. That was the case for the Chicago Blackhawks against the Detroit Red Wings on Monday night.
They won in overtime after playing a less than perfect game. The Hawks aren’t going to be world beaters or anything like that but they have earned enough respect for us to think that they can beat the Red Wings.
It wasn’t like the effort was bad or anything, the Red Wings were just better for a lot of the game and still lost. They were outshot 29-24 but it was a much bigger gap earlier in the game so seeing them close it a bit was nice. Malcolm Subban played well in the net without as much help as the goaltender probably needs but he got the job done.
Detroit might be bad (4-10-3) but they have great players. If you don’t have your best, they are going to make things hard on you and that is what they did tonight. With players like Dylan Larkin, Anthony Mantha, and Filip Zadina are coming over the boards on a regular basis, you know they are going to create a few chances. The Hawks, Subban included, did a good job of limiting those guys.
Let’s be clear about something, this is a very flawed hockey team that is playing well. That is certainly a reflection of the coach and they should be proud but they are flawed despite their good play. This isn’t a situation like it was in the late 2000s where there were multiple future Hall of Famers on the come up. They work hard and are a proud team but they aren’t that right now.
Dominik Kubalik helped the Chicago Blackhawks win this uglier game.
Because they are a hard-working team like that, you need some of the special players to step up. Well, tonight that guy was Dominik Kubalik. The former Calder Trophy nominee scored two five on five goals which is a sight for sore eyes. One of those scores was the game-winning goal in overtime. If Dominik Kubalik really starts to pick up the goal-scoring pace like this, the Hawks will be even more dangerous in the offensive zone.
Another player of note in this game is Ian Mitchell. That kid can flat out play. Do you know how good he is at his job? Unless he scores or makes a nice pass that leads to a breakout/goal, you don’t notice him that much. He is always in perfect position and makes so many great defensive plays throughout the game.
That was on display in this game against Detroit. In particular, he made a sensational defensive play against Bobby Ryan of Detroit who would have had a clear shot lane to the net if he didn’t make that play. Nicolas Beaudin is a similar type of player to Mitchell and both of them have been so awesome so far.
Now that this one is out of the way, they have another matchup against the Detroit Red Wings at the same time at the same place. After the way this game went for both teams, you can tell that they are each going to want to come out with the best effort possible. If this Blackhawks team is anything, it is fun and easy to root for.
