Patrick Kane finally got to celebrate his 1,000th game in style with a ceremony on home ice at the United Center with family in attendance and with a more memorable finish as he led the Blackhawks to victory.
In addition to Kane's pair of assists, Kevin Lankinen came up huge with 33 saves to backstop the Hawks over the Panthers. On Kane's actual 1,000th game, the Hawks lost to the Stars two weeks ago in Dallas.
The game was also MacKenzie Entwistle's NHL debut after spending last season and parts of this season in the AHL. Entwisle used his big body to gain positioning at both ends while also prioritizing defense.
"That's hockey, little baby."
— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) March 24, 2021
We had a mini celebration of Kaner's 1,000th NHL game milestone with his family, thus the attendance of mini Patrick Kane was required. #BlackhawksBabies #1Kane pic.twitter.com/rIpusnDiWG
Congrats to Entwistle on making his @NHL debut!
— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) March 24, 2021
More on Twisty:
“He’s got a lot more offensive touch than people gave him credit for early on when he was framed as that defensive, rugged centerman...He’s got a good release. He wants the puck. He wants to be a difference-maker.…
Starting Lineup
The starting lineup with Lankinen back in the crease and Entwistle suiting up for his first career NHL game:
But it should look something like this when the puck drops:
— Carter Baum (@CarterBaum) March 23, 2021
DeBrincat - Suter - Kane
Kubalik - Kampf - Hagel
Janmark - Carpenter - Strome
Kurashev - Soderberg - Entwistle
Zadorov - Murphy
Keith - Mitchell
de Haan - Boqvist
Lankinen
Subban
💥S T A R T E R S💥@budlight | #CHIvsFLA pic.twitter.com/8A1LNSFckq
— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) March 24, 2021
Scoring Recap
1st Goal: Kubalik (1-0)
Brandon Hagel's whipping up some lovely sauce tonight. pic.twitter.com/W2vjeFK9vp
— NHL (@NHL) March 24, 2021
2nd Goal: Suter (2-0)
Suter's redirects are in ð˜ð—¶ð—½-top shape @NBCSChicago | #CHIvsFLA pic.twitter.com/dz177fWy6r
— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) March 24, 2021
3rd Goal: Soderberg (3-0) PP
Soderberg posts up in the paint and earns a power play goal to give Chicago a 3-0 lead! @NBCSChicago | #CHIvsFLA pic.twitter.com/roHGo7w7Ha
— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) March 24, 2021
4th Goal: Stralman (3-1)
This feed from Acciari is simply stunning 🔥 pic.twitter.com/FowSlGce5D
— Florida Panthers (@FlaPanthers) March 24, 2021
5th Goal: Wennberg (3-2) PP
(No video available)
Jonathan Huberdeau worked his way into the right circle and fired a shot that hit Acciari's stick along the way and landed by Wennberg's skate that he deftly kicked to his blade and deposited into the net.
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Game Notes
No Stick, No Panic
At one point in the game when Boqvist's stick shattered, he swiftly reacted by batting the puck with his glove into his offensive zone instead of panicking or trying to battle the opponent empty handed.
Passing Imbalance
Save for Boqvist and even Zadorov to a certain extent, passing by the blueliners was rather sloppy with overuse of stretch passes. However, passing by the forwards was more quick and crisp compared to prior games. Sometimes one pass too many was made, though, when shots should have been taken instead.
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Player Notes
Adam Boqvist
Although his pinches need to get cleaned up, Boqvist remains on a steady upward trajectory toward defensive stability. His active stick gets in lanes and he does just enough to disrupt the other team.
Brandon Hagel
The way Hagel connected like he did with Kubalik on the game's first goal is becoming a common occurrence for this duo. When thinking of forwards to keep together, they may be at the top of the list.
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Roster Updates
Whole Lotta Roster Moves: #Blackhawks recall six skaters from IceHogs and re-assign four.
— Rockford IceHogs (@goicehogs) March 23, 2021
Bowey, Entwistle, Johnson, Beaudin, Carlsson and Kalynuk all head to the Windy City. https://t.co/pPhW1Yn4km
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See you on the boards!