Chicago Blackhawks Game Recap: Hawks Lose 3-2 in OT to WPG

A game recap of the Chicago Blackhawks’ 3-2 OT loss to the Winnipeg Jets at home.

In the third game of the season, the Chicago Blackhawks lost another heartbreaker on home ice — a 3-2 overtime loss — to the Winnipeg Jets on a goal by Mark Scheifele. The ‘Hawks got their first point of the season, but they are still searching for that ever-elusive first win.

The Blackhawks really needed to win this Central Division matchup, but a point is better than nothing. This was the first of 5 meetings between the Jets and Blackhawks this season.

First Period

Tonight’s game started off with a bang for the Blackhawks. A shorthanded goal by Brandon Saad was set up by a great play from newcomer, Ryan Carpenter, which got the scoring started. The penalty kill has been struggling to kill penalties, so it was interesting to see the unit find twine.

Later in the period, Brent Seabrook rifled home a power-play goal, on a broken play, to put the Blackhawks up 2-0. The strong start was needed by the ‘Hawks, as the defensive play looked solid and the offense was getting good chances, one after another, as Connor Hellebuyck was having rebound control issues tonight.

Second Period

The second period was a bit of a different story as the Jets held the puck for most of the period and cashed in on one of their two power plays, on a goal by Nikolaj Ehlers. The Blackhawks had a lot of issues clearing pucks out of the zone and played one of their sloppier periods of the season. Robin Lehner was the star of this period though, saving 10 of 11 Winnipeg shots, most notably a point-blank chance by Mark Scheifele in which Lehner did a half pinwheel save.

Third Period

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More of the same from the Jets in the third period, as they once again controlled the play and had the ‘Hawks pinned. The thing that stood out the most was the lack of puck possession by the Chicago Blackhawks’ stars. They need to play better if this team wants to start winning games.

Andrew Copp scored the game-tying goal with about 8 minutes to go in the third, on a breakdown by Erik Gustafsson, whose defensive deficiencies have been on display lately. This third period had an eerily similar vibe to the game against the Sharks on Thursday night, in which it looked like the ‘Hawks just decided to stay in their defensive zone.

Robin Lehner continued to stand tall in his Chicago Blackhawks’ debut, clearly showing that he has the upper-hand on Corey Crawford thus far. The game needed more than sixty minutes and gave the Blackhawks their first point of the season.

Overtime

Overtime did not go as planned for the ‘Hawks, as Mark Scheifele scored the game-winner on a one-timer after another breakdown by Erik Gustafsson. This game was one in which the ‘Hawks played well enough to win, but would come up short once again.

The story of this game was much of the same for the ‘Hawks, as they start 0-2-1, and lose another winnable game. The holes in the defense were clear, but not as glaring as the first two games. This one is on the offense, as they created practically no chances after the first period. With the undefeated Edmonton Oilers coming to town on Monday, it is not looking good that the Blackhawks couldn’t get it done against the Jets.

All signs are pointing to this team heading into a similar hole they dug themselves during the beginning of last season. The Chicago Blackhawks’ stars need to step up, plain and simple.