5 takeaways as Colin Blackwell helps the Chicago Blackhawks stop a five-game skid — without Connor Bedard

CHICAGO — The Chicago Blackhawks didn’t fall apart without Connor Bedard.

The Hawks scored twice in the second period to rally from a one-goal deficit and beat the Calgary Flames 4-3 at the United Center on Sunday and end a five-game skid.

With Bedard sidelined indefinitely by a broken jaw, the question for the Hawks was who would take on the heavy lifting, or at least be a meaningful contributor to the offense?

Colin Blackwell set the tone from the outset and gave the Hawks the final goal they’d need.

He took a stretch pass from Jarred Tinordi and put on the brakes in front of Nick DeSimone to give himself space to score on Dan Vladar.

Then on the Hawks’ first penalty kill, Blackwell broke away on a short-handed chance but missed wide right.

The Hawks successfully challenged Elias Lindholm’s goal for goaltender interference, but Nazem Kadri knotted the score before the end of the first period.

Andrew Mangiapane’s power-play goal put the Flames up 2-1 at 3 1/2 minutes into the second, but the Hawks’ offensive-zone pressure began to pay off.

Alex Vlasic and Jason Dickinson whipped the puck around to Philipp Kurashev, who scored on a whip-around shot to tie the game.

Nikita Zaitsev added to DeSimone’s misery and banked in the go-ahead goal off his skate.

Blackwell notched his second goal in the third period on the power play — and did the Hawks need it. Kadri scored his second goal 42 seconds later.

It was too little, too late for the Flames. Blackwell had a crack at an empty-net hat trick but couldn’t get loose for a shot.

It was a big test for the Hawks, who have eight forwards and a defenseman on injured reserve.

They need coping mechanisms other than “exercise and wine,” coach Luke Richardson’s stated go-to.

“They have to believe that we’re seeing some progression, even with losing guys in our play,” he said before the game. “We’re playing hard and aggressive and we’re getting some things done.

“We have to get a little more done offensively and defensively and it’s coming. So if you believe in it, it’s going to be there.”

Here are five takeaways from the game.

1. Still few details about Connor Bedard.

The Hawks didn’t give much more information about the extent of Bedard’s broken jaw — or when he might come off injured reserve — two days after the fracture occurred in the first period against the New Jersey Devils, the finale of the five-game road trip.

“Still evaluating how he’s doing and settling down,” Richardson said. “We know there’s a jaw fracture and it’s swollen, so the doctors are giving it a few days to see how it settles.”

2. The Hawks can’t peg Nick Foligno to a timeline either.

Foligno landed on IR, too, after breaking a finger on his left hand while trying to pummel New Jersey’s Brendan Smith for his hit on Bedard.

“It’s not this week, for sure,” Richardson said of Foligno’s timeline. “I know he’s going to want to battle and play, but with those things, you can’t grip properly and if you freeze the finger, it’s sticking out straight and if it gets caught it dislocates and creates more problems.

“He’s going to want to play, but it’s going to be a little bit.”

3. Zach Sanford makes his Hawks debut.

Fellow forward Rem Pitlick might have joined him, but snowstorms prevented the former Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguin from flying to Chicago.

Chicago is Sanford’s seventh NHL stop after being claimed off waivers from Arizona this week. He split the 2016-17 season between the Washington Capitals, St. Louis Blues and the AHL, then spent the next three seasons with the Blues.

Richardson said, “I remember him in St. Louis early on and (he) had a really good start to his career. Unfortunately, things happen and it goes up and down.

“I know he’s flipped around a little bit. I remember him in Ottawa for a short time, but we didn’t play against him very much. Just a brief conversation yesterday with him and he’s excited for an opportunity. He was eager to get here and join in right away.”

Sanford carries an $800,000 cap hit with the Hawks and becomes an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season.

4. Isaak Phillips draws back in.

The young defenseman had been scratched for three straight games after a rough showing in Dallas (minus-5 rating).

But he drew back into Sunday’s — by attrition, if nothing else.

With injuries and other circumstances, the Hawks were forced to go with 11 forwards and seven defensemen.

Richardson said, “That’s always a difficult situation for (assistant coach) Kevin (Dean) to run seven D and get everybody into the game and at the right times, but that’s the nature of the beast right now for us.”

5. Jason Dickinson’s at least a “Hawks-Star.”

If Bedard can’t participate in the NHL All-Star Game, Dickinson’s the most likely choice to represent the Hawks.

If there was a vote in the locker room on who Bedard’s replacement should be, it’d probably be Dickinson, hands down.

Not just for the stats — his team-second-best 13 goals or team-high 21.3% shooting percentage entering Sunday’s game — but his low-key, steady presence in the locker room.

With Bedard and Foligno out of commission, the Hawks are reliant on Dickinson on both fronts.

“Those are two big holes that we’ve got to fill,” Dickinson said Saturday. “Yes, a lot of it will fall on me, but I think as a group, everybody can step up and bring something for us, because we need everybody to play bigger than they are and bring everything they’ve got to the table every single night so we have a chance.”