The Chicago Blackhawks came into Thursday night‘s game against the Edmonton Oilers on a four-game winning streak. In order to make it five, they’d have to beat one of the most skilled teams in the NHL which is never easy.
The traits that make the Oilers great are things that the Blackhawks have a hard time resisting. Of course, they are led by the likes of Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl who are two of the best players in the league. They are two of the top three scorers in the league almost annually.
Edmonton also has other great players too. They finally aren’t just run by those two players which makes them a legit Stanley Cup contender.
In this game at the United Center, these two teams played one of the most entertaining games of the season. It had eleven goals scored in regulation which is very rare for this league.
The Chicago Blackhawks and Edmonton Oilers put on a show on Thursday.
This was a game that Edmonton’s two stars took over. Connor McDavid had a hat trick and an assist for a four-point night. Leon Draisaitl had one goal and two assists for a three-point effort. His one goal was scored with 38 seconds left in regulation and it broke a 5-5 tie.
Those two guys are capable of doing those things on random nights. It is no surprise to learn that this night put them in a tie for the lead league in points that they likely won’t relinquish for an extended time for the rest of the season. Edmonton is now 25-0-0 when McDavid has four points.
After their last game, a big deal was made about the fact that the Blackhawks have an insane record when both Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews score. They both had one in this game which dropped the record to 91-9-5 in this instance.
Max Domi deserves some credit for the way that he has played lately. He is certainly having a resurgent season with Chicago and this one-goal/two-assist game is the latest example. It would be great to see the Hawks get something good for him in a trade so he is helping them by playing well.
It is a tough loss but the Blackhawks were always going to come back down to earth. They don’t have a good roster and it is going to show from time to time. Their next game will come Saturday night on the road against the Buffalo Sabres.
