Anders Sorensen - Jan. 18 Chicago Blackhawks Media Availability postgame After taking down the Vegas Golden Knights on Saturday, the Chicago Blackhawks welcomed another top team, the Carolina Hurricanes. The Hawks are a struggling team overall but they usually play up to their competition. That was mostly the case in this Monday night game as well. Philipp Kurashev opened the scoring as he was in the lineup with Patrick Maroon out. He needed that goal more than anyone on the roster. This could be his chance to stay in the lineup for a while, especially if he gets going offensively. Tyler Bertuzzi followed that up by banking one in off of Carolina goaltender Frederik Andersen. Frank Nazar made a great play to set up a Seth Jones shot which led to this bank by Bertuzzi. Initially, Nazar wasn't awarded an assist but eventually, the NHL did the right thing. Nazar should be happy with this play as it showed a sample of how dominant he can be with the puck on his stick. Once again, the Hawks had a lead at the first intermission. Second periods are where they struggle the most this season and that continued in this one. Seth Jarvis and Jesperi Kotkaniemi each scored to tie it up for the Hurricanes. For the second game in a row, however, the Hawks ended the second on a high note after blowing the lead. This time, it was Ryan Donato who scored to make it 3-2 with 19 seconds left in the middle frame. Chicago was unable to hold onto this lead as well. The Hurricanes tied it up at 13:37 of the third period. The referee was able to see the puck sitting free under Petr Mrazek and didn't blow the whistle. Jordan Stall jumped on it and put it in the net. You have to play until you hear a whistle. Despite some good chances for each team from there, both goaltenders stood on their heads. For Mrazek specifically, he made 44 saves on 48 shots. Carolina ended the night with 91 shot attempts. There was only so much Mrazek could do to keep his team in it. The game even reaching OT speaks to the great play of Chicago's goaltender. In the extra period, Marty Necas made a brilliant pass across the ice to Sebastian Aho. His one-time shot beat Petr Mrazek and the Hurricanes took it home. It's a tough way to lose as they were fewer than seven minutes away from winning a consecutive game against an elite team. Now, the Blackhawks have a few days to rest, recoup, and practice. They will resume play on Friday night when they take on another very good team in the Tampa Bay Lightning. Expect them to be ready to go for that one. At minimum, they have been in these games recently which is a good sign. Visit The Hockey News Chicago Blackhawks [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/chicago-blackhawks/] team site to stay updated on the latest news [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/nashville-predators/latest-newshttps://thehockeynews.com/nhl/chicago-blackhawks/latest-news], game-day [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/nashville-predators/game-dayhttps://thehockeynews.com/nhl/chicago-blackhawks/game-day] coverage, player features [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/nashville-predators/playershttps://thehockeynews.com/nhl/chicago-blackhawks/players], and more.
