The Chicago Blackhawks defeated the New York Islanders 4-3 in overtime on Friday at the United Center.
Here are 10 observations from the win:
1. This was a strong all-around game for the Blackhawks. From start to finish, it felt like they were in control. They had to overcome some tough officiating, too. The third period got dicey again when they blew a 3-1 lead but they found a way to get the two points.
2. For the first time this season, the Blackhawks won on the second of a back-to-back. They were 0-7-0 going into this game. They're 3-5-0 in the first game.
3. Seth Jones had a solid night. He recorded an assist for his 100th point with the Blackhawks, and then scored the game-winner in overtime for his first goal of the season. The monkey is finally off his back.
4. Boris Katchouk and Joey Anderson scored two goals in 1:07 late in the second period to put the Blackhawks ahead 2-1. The Blackhawks scored only two goals in their previous three games, so of course they match that total in a 67-second span.
Chicago Blackhawks
5. Heck of a game for the line of Joey Anderson, Colin Blackwell and Jason Dickinson. The three of them combined for six points. Anderson had a goal and an assist, Blackwell had an assist, and Dickinson finished with a goal and two assists for a three-point outing.
6. Zach Sanford's slashing penalty in the first period was maybe the worst call I've seen all season. It negated Chicago's power play, too. The call was so bad that Blackhawks head coach Luke Richardson was laughing on the bench.
Feeling out of the loop? We'll catch you up on the Chicago news you need to know. Sign up for the weekly Chicago Catch-Up newsletter.
7. Lukas Reichel failed to record a shot on goal for the third game in a row. He hasn't scored in 15 straight. His last goal came on Dec. 19, and he has just two assists over that stretch. He's still fighting it.
8. Connor Murphy missed his third consecutive game with a lower-body injury. He's still listed as day to day. Ryan Donato was also sidelined with an illness for the second consecutive contest but he'll likely be back in the lineup on Monday.
9. The Blackhawks are 4-0-1 on HawkCast nights. Four of those games have gone into overtime or a shootout. The next HawkCast is on Feb. 13 vs. Vancouver. Place your bets now.
10. Nick Foligno (fractured finger) is expected to practice over the weekend and will travel with the team for their upcoming four-game road trip. Great news. Once he takes contact, it's simply a matter of getting up to game speed. I imagine he'll try to push to play on Monday but we'll see.
