The first half of the final four games before the National Hockey League’s March 7 Trade Deadline landed the Chicago Blackhawks at the Palace in Paradise(NV) for a tilt with the 2023 Stanley Cup Champion Vegas Golden Knights.
Keegan Kolesar opened the scoring with his 11th of the year just over a minute in after Brett Howden grabbed a mishandled puck from TJ Brodie, sent a pass zone wide to Kolesar through Brodie and an outstretched Philipp Kurashev, allowing Kolesar to snap the puck past Petr Mrazek amidst his side to side shuffle in the crease, 1-0 Golden Knights.
From Ilya Mikheyev’s play-saving pass at the offensive zone halfwall, Teuvo Teravainen reset the Blackhawks attack with a pass to Alex Vlasic at the blue line. Vlasic found Nick Foligno around Alex Pietrangelo in front of the Golden Knights’ net, where Foligno grabbed a rebound off his initial poke attempt on Ilya Samsonov, besting a fluttering Samsonov, tying the hockey game at one with 13:02 to play in the opening frame.
Vegas grabbed it’s second of five in the first period off a play beginning in their defensive zone. Pietrangelo rimmed the defensive zone, from behind Samsonov, finding Kolesar, who played the puck off the boards to Ivan Barabashev headmanning the offensive attack for the Knights with Howden to his left and Nicholas Hague in tow. Barbashev dropped the puck for a cycling Howden, who sent a shot off the body of Connor Murphy directly onto the stick of a full-steam-ahead backcheck by Hague, allowing Hague to tally his fourth of the season, 2-1 Golden Knights with 11:04 remaining in the first.
Las Vegas went 2/3 on power plays in the first period and the game as a whole.
Barbashev’s first of two goals on the night, the 17th of the season, and second of four points, was quarterbacked by the Russian on a man-advantage for the Knights. Teravainen was locked away for two minutes after tripping Pavel Dorofeyev at the offensive zone blue line for the Blackhawks. Barbashev cycled the puck to fellow European Victor Olofsson, who forwarded the puck to Pietrangelo, leading to an 85 mph slapshot getting knocked down in the lane by Barbashev and beating Mrazek between the pipes, 3-1 Golden Knights with 7:43 to play.
Vegas grabbed another special teams tally in the first with Connor Bedard in the box for interference on Kolesar at 15:50 of the first period. Jack Eichel carried the puck in from the halfwall on Mrazek’s stick side down to the red line, before centering Tomas Hertl for his 23rd of the season, grabbing Eichel his team leading 70th point with the primary assist and adding a 19th assist of the season for Noah Hanifin, 4-1 Golden Knights with just over three minutes to play in the first.
Dorofeyev wrapped the Golden Knights only multiple goal period with a turnover capitalization with 1:03 to play in the first, his 24th of the year, assisted by Hertl for his 23rd of the season, 5-1 Golden Knights.
Chicago’s youth shined in the second period, as Colton Dach got his second of the season and brought the Hawks within three at 1:01. Dach tipped a shot from 2022 13th overall pick Frank Nazar, assisted by the veteran forward Tyler Bertuzzi, 5-2 Golden Knights with just under 19:00 in the second period.
With a dump in behind Samsonov from Bedard, Murphy connected with Ryan Donato to grab the primary and secondary assists on Ethan Del Mastro’s first career NHL goal with 14:30 on the clock in the second period, 5-3 Golden Knights.
Kolesar returned the pleasantry after an odd bounce off the posts of Arvid Söderblom’s net. Kolesar slammed the puck past the diving goaltender, with the primary assist being credited to Barbashev for his third point of the night and the secondary given to Nicolas Roy, 6-3 Golden Knights with 6:22 to play in the second.
Mikeheyev and Kurashev scored less than three minutes apart in the final regulation period for the Blackhawks.
Mikeheyev’s 11th of the season came on a wrister from the blocker side, finding the net around Samsonov’s stick and was assisted by Nazar and Murphy with 13:04 to play, 6-4 Golden Knights.
Kurashev got his redemption for not closing the lane between Kolesar and Howden in the first with his sixth goal of the season coming on a point blank one-timer setup by Craig Smith’s rush into the offensive zone, grabbing Smith the primary assist, his sixth of the season, and Murphy the secondary, his 15th of the year, 6-5 Golden Knights with 10:16 to play in the third.
Barbashev’s final tally of the night, and goal number 12 of 12 in the 60-minute affair, was another well-placed stick in the lane by Barbashev. His second tip in of the night came off a shot by Howden after Hanifin cycled him the puck, 7-5 Golden Knights.
Vegas looks to continue their Pacific Division leading season when hosting the New Jersey Devils on March 2nd.
The Blackhawks return to the drawing board before the deadline with a trip to Anaheim and a meeting with the Ducks on Saturday.
ITR 31: Let Them Fight – Inside The Rink
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