10 observations: Andreas Athanasiou, Blackhawks end winless skid in Calgary
10 observations: Athanasiou, Hawks end winless skid in Calgary originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago
The Blackhawks ended an eight-game losing streak by beating the Calgary Flames 4-3 at Scotiabank Saddledome on Tuesday.
Here are 10 observations from the win:
1. The Blackhawks were the better team for two of the three periods, and they broke an offensive slump by scoring four goals without having a single power play. It was just the eighth time this season the Blackhawks scored more than three 5-on-5 goals in a game.
2. I don't know how the Blackhawks survived the second period but they did. The Flames led in shot attempts (30-10), shots on goal (19-4) and scoring chances (21-7), per Natural Stat Trick, and found the back of the net only once. They easily could've had more, but it was a 2-2 score going into the third period.
3. Petr Mrazek deserved these two points. He's the sole reason the second period didn't get out of hand for the Blackhawks after making 18 saves in the middle frame alone. He finished with 33 saves on 36 shots for a save percentage of .917.
4. Andreas Athanasiou is on a heater. He scored in his third straight game after going 14 in a row without a goal and added a second goal in the third period. He also has five points in his last three games after having only two in his previous 10. He's two goals away from hitting the 20-goal mark for the second time in his NHL career.
5. Austin Wagner's line was having a tough night, but then he scored what turned out to be the game-winning goal in the third period to extend Chicago's lead to 4-2. It was his first goal as a member of the Blackhawks in just his third game and his first in the NHL since April 12, 2021 — almost two years to the day.
6. A common theme all season long for the Blackhawks has been giving up late-period goals. It was nice to see them be on the other end of that when Jujhar Khaira scored with 37.1 left in the first period to put his team ahead 2-1. It was only the second goal for Khaira since November.
7. Lukas Reichel registered two assists, and he's now picked up at least a point in five of his last six games. He has two goals and four assists over that stretch. His confidence is continuing to grow.
8. The Blackhawks brought nine healthy defensemen on the road trip with Jarred Tinordi returning to the lineup after missing the last three games with a recurring hip injury. I wrote about it this morning but I think it's a no-brainer for the Blackhawks to bring him back. The fit has been great for both sides.
9. The Blackhawks went 3-0 against Calgary this season, and they scored 13 goals in those three games. Who would've thought?
10. The Flames are fighting for their playoff lives right now, which is surprising. At the beginning of the season, I had them pegged in as the No. 2 seed in the Pacific Division. I think Winnipeg locks up that final wildcard spot in the Western Conference over Calgary.
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