Three Takeaways from the Blackhawk's Impressive 2-1 Win vs Vegas

The Chicago Blackhawks looked rejuvenated and won an impressive 2-1 game against the best team in the West.

This Blackhawks team just defeated the top team in the West in the Vegas Golden Knights after losing in horrible fashion against the worst team in the entire league in the Arizona Coyotes. Whatever the team discussed in that meeting was put on full display: A full effort by the entire team, no passengers. Marc-Andre Fleury was amazing yet again, beating the team that traded him away for nothing with a spectacular 31 save effort.

Something about this team is that they ALWAYS do well with an aggressive forecheck. This was the case last season as well where they kept the pressure up on the opposition, closing off space and taking away passing lanes and time.

The Golden Knights looked overwhelmed at the start of the second period, and the Blackhawks didn't hold back at all. They outhit Vegas 35-17, which brings back yet another past theme of success: Physical, gritty play opens up their chances offensively. Let's hope this build momentum and confidence moving forward.

With that said, here are my three takeaways.

Physicality and Forecheck

The Blackhawks finished with 35 hits, Jujhar Khaira leading the way with 10 total hits on the night. Next in line was Jake McCabe with 4, but everyone brought the grit this game on the forecheck. The forecheck is an underrated part of this game as a good one can change the momentum as the opposition tries to counter it with different breakout plays. The Blackhawks took away time and space with their forecheck strategy this time around and Vegas was not prepared to counter it.

It's hard to fault Vegas for this, though, as the Blackhawks didn't aggressively forecheck the defensemen since beating Nashville in November. Since last season, I have noticed that the fast tempo and grit of this team would cause problems for the opposition, and they finally brought it back. On that forecheck, two forwards would attack the puck carrier with another cheating at the blue line, ready to defend the breakout play. Tonight was different, with a new coverage of a single guy pressuring the puck carrier and two more ready to either double and swarm the guy or get back to defend with four guys instead of three. They wore down the defensemen this time by either hitting the guy or making sure that their presence was felt.

Hopefully this forecheck returns as this is a huge step for this team to bring a much-needed winning streak. Next takeaway was the lack of special teams... In a good way this time.

Grit and Response by the Blackhawks

The Blackhawks had the perfect response to a bad game following the closed-door meeting. This team came to play last night and proved that they are indeed better than people think by defeating the top team in the conference. They had an entire period where they dominated Vegas, playing with grit and speed to cause the defensemen fits as they tried to find a breakout play. The depth got on the board last night with a Khaira wrister and Fleury put forth a spectacular effort to make sure he left Vegas with a win.

The Blackhawks played with speed and didn't come into the game with a tense aura, but instead came with determination. Right off the bat, though, Vegas would score on a screened wrister but the Blackhawks didn't collapse as they would have before. They got right back into the game and made sure that Vegas wouldn't get that second goal. Instead, the line of Dylan Strome, Patrick Kane, and Henrik Borgstrom had an amazing second period with lengthy offensive zone time and chances. They wore down the Golden Knights' defense with their speed, and Strome looked revitalized. If the Blackhawks can get this line going, it could be among the most electrifying lines in the NHL.

To Conclude...

The Blackhawks responded as they needed to with a full 60-minute effort. Despite the early goal, the Blackhawks played a dominate second period and closed out the win with a solid defensive game. They didn't try to force anything and played each play as they had to: not rushed but relaxed and driven. They needed a win, but they didn't force anything fancy and definitely worked on puck management. The Blackhawks were horrible in every facet of the game against the Coyotes, but the lack of puck management brought the worst results.

The Blackhawks won this game with speed, grit, and puck management. They positioned as they had to and worked on patience with the puck. I didn't see random, stupid passes this game and they made sure to watch the play as a whole rather than just their man. I am a huge fan of their forecheck and this has brought them a winning streak before. Let's hope it brings another one.

The Blackhawks play two non-playoff teams in their next two. A perfect chance to string together some wins and confidence.

Next Game: @ Columbus, Tuesday, January 11. 6 PM puck drop