OT loss doesn’t negate a ‘good, solid effort’
It’s not too often Marc-André Fleury will see a statistic like 29 saves on 29 shots on goal and still come out on the losing end.
The Blackhawks goaltender and Dallas Stars counterpart Jake Oettinger waged a pitcher’s duel that lasted through three periods of regulation, five minutes of overtime and 12 shootout skaters — the 12th being Stars forward Jacob Peterson, who finally put one past Fleury to give the Stars the 1-0 shootout win Friday at the United Center.
“Ah, it happens,” Fleury said. “We didn’t play bad, though, right? All game we hung in there . ... Had to go all the way to settle it. Still disappointing to come out with a loss when (it was) so close to get that win.”
Hawks coach Derek King will take the point and the effort.
No “passengers,” like in the 7-4 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets.
“None at all,” King said. “It was good, it was a good, solid effort, and that’s a good hockey team.”
Added defenseman Jake McCabe: “I liked our response after laying an egg against Columbus (Thursday) night. We came out with a lot more compete throughout the lineup.
“To come away with only one point is a little frustrating but I did like the patience of our group, being comfortable in a 0-0 game and not pressing the issue and getting away from what was working for us throughout the game.”
Here are three takeaways.
1. Marc-André Fleury had the save of the game.
Roope Hintz almost had the heartbreaker.
After a two-on-two rush, Hintz received a centering pass from Jason Robertson and took a backdoor shot with mere secondsremaining in the second period, but Fleury gloved it midair with that big swing he’s known for.
Fans at the United Center rose to their feet. Hintz looked up to the rafters.
“Sometimes I think I’m lucky — ‘That’s what I meant to do,’ right?” a playful Fleury said. “I’m hoping to stop it, obviously. As a goalie those are the ones I play for and I love doing. Those are the ones that feel good inside . ... Makes me smile.”
Said King: “That’s just an everyday thing for him, making saves like that. Because he’s a special guy, right? A special player and this is why he’s probably going to be a Hall of Famer.”
McCabe saw it from a different perspective: He was defending Robertson on that play.
“(Fleury) saved my ass at the end of the second,” McCabe said. “Me and (Connor) Murphy had that two-on-two. I’m not sure if it was Robertson, but somebody passed it across to Hintz with five, six seconds left and (Fleury) makes that glove save.
“Those goals at the end of periods are big swings of momentum, so that was an absolutely huge save for us to go into the third period 0-0.”
2. Lukas Reichel got his bell rung, but did just fine.
Early in the second period, Stars defenseman Jani Hakanpää hit Reichel so hard the Blackhawks prospect was upended into the Dallas bench.
“You know what? That’s a big hit,” King said. “That’s a big guy. Reichs is, what, 130 pounds soaking wet? But he took the hit, came back and he didn’t shy away from anything.
“Maybe earlier on in the season he’d maybe shy away, but I like how he came right back out.”
Reichel is listed at 170 pounds, but the hit should serve as a friendly reminder of the level he’s playing in now.
And King is right: Reichel held his own centering a line with Patrick Kane and Brandon Hagel.
Reichel played nearly 18 minutes, saw time on the power play, overtime and shootout and won 4 of 7 faceoffs (57%).
“Reichs was great. I really liked how Reichs played,” King said. “He wasn’t shying away, he was strong on pucks maybe lost a battle with one puck, but he stays in the fight. The kid’s going to be a special player.”
Reichel was called up before the game, so it could be another game or two before he is sent back down to Rockford.
“We have to watch we don’t rush him into this,” King said.
3. Jake McCabe, shootout specialist?
The shootout cycled through 12 players, and on the Hawks side it went: Alex DeBrincat, Kane, Reichel, Philipp Kurashev, Dominik Kubalík and McCabe. That’s right, McCabe.
Seth Jones is a blueliner known for offense, but not McCabe.
“I think he was shocked when I picked him,” King said of McCabe, “but I told him we did a little shootout game, he went down and scored a couple of goals. I’m like, you know what, if we’re getting second round and going, I might call on you. He was like, ‘Really?’ I said, ‘Yeah, so be ready.’ “
For McCabe, he just sounded as if it were business as usual.
“I was hot this week in shootouts, so Kinger gave me the chance and I thought I made a pretty good shot, the goalie got his (stick) on it, so it’s unfortunate that one didn’t go in for me,” McCabe said.