5 Observations From Hawks 2-1 Win Over The Kings: Captains Back?

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Kevin Garcia
November 4, 2022 (0:37)

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The Blackhawks took the ice against the Kings on Thursday, coming away with a 2-1 win in overtime. Here are 5 observations from the game:

1. Arvid Soderblom!!!! This guys has been FANTASTIC during his short stint in the NHL. Through 3 starts in the NHL this season, Arvid Soderblom now has just 7 goals allowed on 108 shots, following his 32 save performance against the Kings. That is good for a whopping .935 save percentage. He has been great since Mrazek went down with a groin injury, and has been even better since Alex Stalock went into concussion protocol. He is forcing the front office to have to make a difficult decision once all three goalies are healthy since he has shown that he can play with the big boys.

2. PK showed up tonight. The penalty kill was great in the 2-1 OT win. They only were on the PK twice tonight, but in 4 total minutes of penalty kill time tonight, the LA Kings were held to zero shots on goal. That is truly a dominating performance. The PK continues to be extremely up-and-down to begin the year, but unless it is against a solid PP unit, the Hawks' PK should be just fine.

3. Toews stays hot. Following his OT game winner on a beautiful feed from Jake McCabe, the captain extended his goal streak to seven straight games. He now has 9 points in 11 games and is continuing to be a beast near the net. Opposing teams should really try to not let Toews get near the crease.

4. Caleb Jones has entered the chat. Since getting put back into the starting lineup after being a healthy scratch, Jones has been on fire. Tonight's beautiful assist to set up Dickinson for the game's opening goal, Jones extended his point streak to six games. He now has 6 assists in 9 games with a +2 in the +/- department. He has also been a force on defense, consistently shutting down opposing players along the boards in the defensive zone. If he can clean up his puck management a little bit, he may find himself playing with his brother near the top of the defensive lines.

5. Another good team, another good game. It seems I have been saying this a lot, but it is true. The Kings will definitely make a push for the playoffs this year, and will most likely find their way to the postseason. The Kings have a really good defense, and it was great to see the Hawks match that defense on Thursday night. In 11 games this year, it is fair to say that the Blackhawks have truly struggled on both ends of the ice in just one game, and that was against the defending Stanley Cup champs in the Colorado Avalanche. The next 3 games are important for the Hawks as they have matchups against teams that are very similar in terms of overall talent in the Jets, Kings, and Ducks. If they can win two of those three, then they will have a ton of confidence heading into a tough stretch against the Canes, Blues, Bruins, Penguins, and Stars. The offense needs to get a little more production with shots on net, but the Hawks are in a good spot.