Jets Spoil Blackhawks Interim Head Coach's Debut in 4-2 Win – Hockey Writers – NHL News

In Saturday's game, the Chicago Blackhawks (8-17-2) host the Winnipeg Jets (20-8-0) at the United Center. It was the first game for the Blackhawks since firing coach Luke Richardson and replacing interim coach Anders Sorensen. The Jets lost four games in a row last night against the Buffalo Sabres. Both teams were looking to generate momentum after facing the inevitable mid-season struggles.

The Jets came out on top at 4-2, looking very much like the team that took the NHL by storm to start the season. A disappointing effort by the Blackhawks was not enough to carry Sorensen to his first NHL win.

Recap of the game

The first half had a little bit of everything: debate, exchange goals, and score goals. The Jets started the game by controlling most of the game and shutting down the Blackhawks in the first nine minutes. After a controversial delay of game penalty against the Jets, Alex Vlasic fired a one-timer from the penalty spot, finding its way into the pads of Connor Hellebyuck.

With the Blackhawks seemingly finding their footing, Petr Mrazek left 11 minutes into the game after saving the game. Arvid Soderblom replaced Mrazek and made a crucial save soon after. But Gabe Vilardi tied the game with a beautiful curling goal that would have missed the net by three meters.

The tie appeared to be heading into the first break, but Alec Martinez shot past Hellebyuck with 12 seconds left in the period, giving the Blackhawks a 2-1 lead.

Related: Thoughts on Luke Richardson Firing & the Blackhawks Future

Unfortunately, the Blackhawks were unable to capitalize on the momentum of Martinez's goal. They killed off a penalty early in the second half and narrowly avoided a tie when Brad Lambert missed a wide open net five minutes into the game. Nino Niederreiter finally tied the game on a backhand, high shot with 6:50 left in the period. In fact, the Blackhawks were lucky to escape that tie, as the Jets were the better team.

SCHEIFS IS JOHNNY IN THE PLACE 😎 pic.twitter.com/3OwbYD3rgU

– Winnipeg Jets (@NHLJets) December 7, 2024

An uneventful third period continued until Mason Appleton hit the post with 13 minutes remaining, sparking a late rush that saw Tyler Bertuzzi nearly score the go-ahead goal. Instead, Mark Scheifele scored his 14th of the season with about 10 minutes left to give the Jets the lead. It was the game-winning goal even though the Jets' Appleton scored on an empty net with 1:41 left. Final score: 4-2.

The Jets Don't Deserve This Win

The Jets deserved this win, outscoring the Blackhawks 29-14. The Blackhawks stayed with the Jets for the first half, but the Jets stayed strong, allowing a few opportunities and capitalizing on their own. Hopefully for Jets fans, this is a return to what they are used to watching. For Blackhawks fans, unfortunately it looked very much the same despite the coaching change.

The Blackhawks will head to New York to face the Rangers on Monday, while the Jets return home to Winnipeg tomorrow to face the Columbus Blue Jackets.