Chicago Blackhawks: DeBrincat, Crawford get past Nashville

The Chicago Blackhawks beat the Predators 2-1 in overtime last night. With that win, the Blackhawks are back in the playoff hunt.

Alex DeBrincat and Corey Crawford deserve a lot of credit for last night’s win against the Predators. The Chicago Blackhawks played up and down all night. They couldn’t stay consistent until late in the third period.

Crawford stood on his head making 42 saves during the Blackhawks’ win. That game showed that Crawford still has a lot left in the tank. He wants one more playoff run and proved it. I think the goalie competition has made him better. Adding Robin Lehner was a smart move. They have two solid goalies that make the other one better.

DeBrincat has put a few good games together now. Not only did he get the tying goal, but he also had the game-winning-goal. He had a Patrick Kane-like night shooting the puck eight times.

On his game-tying goal, Duncan Keith got his 600th career-point. We’re just waiting for his 100th career-goal.

Now, looking at the standings, the question becomes, are they back in it? I would say yes, they are. If the Blackhawks win on Sunday, they’ll be just four points out of the playoffs.
It’ll be tough going into Dallas and winning though.

The season series is tied at one win each. Dallas is coming off of a 5-1 loss to the Blues last night on home ice. The Blues are better than the Blackhawks, but if they can ride off of the momentum, they could pull a win out.

Form there, the Blackhawks will have to play the Blues themselves. These next few games are going to be a challenge for Chicago. If both Lehner and Crawford can stand on their heads, the Blackhawks will be in it.

It comes down to how bad this team wants it. They can’t wait until late in the third period to tie a game up. They have to score early and keep a commanding lead.

Anything is possible but right now, let’s focus on Dallas. The rest will come.