CHICAGO — In a thrilling matchup on Saturday night, Tyler Bertuzzi netted two goals on power plays, leading the Chicago Blackhawks to a 5-3 victory over the struggling Vegas Golden Knights, thus breaking their four-game losing streak.
Seth Jones contributed significantly with one goal and two assists, playing a pivotal role in setting up Bertuzzi’s impressive 15th and 16th goals, which came from deflections right in front of the net. The Blackhawks also saw scoring from Lukas Reichel and Taylor Hall, while goaltender Petr Mrazek made 32 saves. This win marked only their third triumph in their last 13 matches, with a record of 3-9-1.
For the Golden Knights, Tomas Hertl shone by scoring twice and providing one assist, while Victor Olofsson found the net as well. However, the team is currently facing a tough stretch, having lost three consecutive games and five out of their last six. In goal for Vegas, Ilya Samsonov tallied 18 saves during the game.
Olofsson kicked off the scoring early, netting his 100th career goal at 9:29 into the first period, giving Vegas a brief 1-0 advantage.
The Blackhawks struck back toward the end of the first frame, as Reichel, Bertuzzi, and Hall all scored within the final four minutes, flipping the score to 3-1 in favor of Chicago.
Hertl, who has been on a roll with four goals and five assists in his previous five games, leveled the match by scoring two goals in the second period. However, Jones managed to regain the lead for Chicago with a decisive goal just before the second period concluded, making it 4-3.
Key Takeaways: For the Golden Knights, this trip was disappointing, as they fell to 0-3-0 against teams in Nashville, Carolina, and now Chicago, with a total goal deficit of 13-8. Conversely, the Blackhawks struggled notably in the second period, getting outshot 30-10 in the last two frames, but managed to secure the critical tiebreaker and extend their lead in the third.
A pivotal moment occurred when the game was tied at 3-3; Connor Bedard skillfully maneuvered the puck off the boards and delivered a precise pass to Jones. In turn, Jones rushed in from the right point to score the winning goal past Samsonov.
Key Stat: Notably, Blackhawks captain Nick Foligno reached a career milestone by participating in his 1,200th NHL game, becoming just the 133rd player in league history to achieve this feat.
Looking ahead, the Golden Knights will be back in action on Monday against the St. Louis Blues, while the Blackhawks will host the Carolina Hurricanes.
