CHICAGO - For the first time this season, the Chicago Blackhawks have won a hockey game that counts. They defeated the Utah Mammoth at the United Center by a final score of 3-1.
This is not a game in which the Blackhawks played particularly well, especially in the second period, but their goaltender, Spencer Knight, did everything he could to keep them in the game. Over the course of these 60 minutes, Knight made 22 saves on 23 shots to preserve the victory.
Ilya Mikheyev earned heavy praise from his teammates and head coach after the last game, when he played a huge role in killing penalties when the Blackhawks had to do it 10 times. In this game, he was rewarded for his effort with two goals.
Mikheyev scored the first goal of the game by driving the puck to the net and squeaking it past Mammoth goaltender Vitek Vanecek. He later sealed the game with an empty net goal, his second of the game and season.
After Mikheyev's first goal, the Mammoth tied it early in the third on a goal scored by J.J. Peterka. It was Andre Burakovsky's power play goal that gave the Blackhawks the lead, setting up that aforementioned empty netter by Mikheyev.
Burakovsky's goal on the power play came compliments of the second unit. Colton Dach won the puck back to Nick Foligno from a board battle, who then found Burakovsky alone in front of the net. It was as wide open as he'll be all season long, and he didn't miss.
This first win of Chicago's season is the first in the tenure of head coach Jeff Blashill. After the game, the team was excited for their head coach. He later admitted that he "really likes this group".
Blashill deflected any praise about his first win to the guys on the team and how they go about their business. He enjoys them as players, people, and athletes. That is the sign of a good coach, the players and how they grow come first before any personal accolades.
"Huge appreciation for what he's done already for the group and what he wants to do, moving forward." Jason Dickinson said about his head coach.
"We try to recognize that, and like he did a good job of vocalizing it, and he was very receptive."
It doesn't sound like they did anything crazy for Blashill to celebrate his first win, but they are a very appreciative bunch in that locker room. Nick Foligno had some words for him in the locker room.
"I didn't seem like it," Dickinson said when asked if Blashill was emotional about his first win with the team. 
"He probably holds things close to his chest. I think he's got a good poker face if he was emotional."
You're not going to get a lot of crazy takes from Jeff Blashill along the way. He is hyper-focused on making everyone around him better, and it shows in the way everyone responds to him.
That killer instinct that Nick Foligno was talking about after the last game showed in the late stages of this game.
Instead of letting Utah tie the game after they took the lead, they found a way to throw one into the empty net and hang on for the win. They made sure to avoid losing another one-goal game by earning a two-goal victory instead.
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