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Bedard & Celebrini Score, Blackhawks Beat Sharks 6-3
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- Bedard & Celebrini Score, Blackhawks Beat Sharks 6-3
CHICAGO - The Chicago Blackhawks ended the pre-Olympic break portion of their home schedule on Monday night with a match against the San Jose Sharks at the United Center.
Coming into the game, the San Jose Sharks were the only NHL team that the Blackhawks had yet to play. For the next decade, Macklin Celebrini vs Connor Bedard will highlight this matchup, but there is a lot of talent on both sides.
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In the first period, Bedard kicked off the scoring with his 23rd of the season. This goal ended a 0-26 stretch on the power play that spanned multiple weeks. Bedard now has goals in three straight games. He is heating up after a slow return from his injury.
By the end of the period, the Blackhawks had a 1-0 lead and only allowed the San Jose Sharks one shot on goal.
The second period was significantly more eventful. Connor Murphy , Ryan Donato , and Sam Rinzel scored three unanswered goals to make it 4-1.
The Sharks eventually got one when Celebrini set up Will Smith with a beautiful pass through the goal crease. Less than one minute after, however, Ilya Mikheyev took the momentum right back when he made it 5-1.
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San Jose wouldn't go quietly into the night, however, as Celebrini scored a goal of his own to get the Sharks back within three. That 5-2 score held through the second intermission.
In the third period, Shakir Mukhamadullin was set up for a nice backhand goal by former Blackhawks forward Philipp Kurashev . San Jose getting within two made them believe that they could get it tied. They tilted the ice in a big way during the third period.
Despite their pure domination during the final frame, the Sharks had one bad play that led to Ryan Donato's second goal of the game (fourth point). The 6-3 score stood as the final in favor of the Blackhawks.
A key role in the victory, despite all the goals and breaking through on the power play, was the penalty kill.
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San Jose went 0-4 with the man-advantage. They made some nice plays, but good sticks, solid positioning, top-notch instincts, and a few good saves by Spencer Knight allowed the Hawks to kill four straight penalties. They are up to 85.6%, which leads the league by over one full percent.
This is a big win for the young Blackhawks. They are still pretty far below the playoff line, but after a handful of losses in a row, they needed a win for morale. There is a long break coming up, and they'd like to enter it feeling good about themselves.
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What's Next For The Blackhawks?
The Blackhawks are back in action on Wednesday night when they pay a visit to Ohio to take on the Columbus Blue Jackets . This will be Chicago's last game before they break for the Olympics.
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