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Game 54: Hawks 2, Canes 1
May 7, 2021, 3:01 AM ET [143 Comments]
Theo Fox
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Yesterday was a busy one in the Blackhawks universe including:

* Chicago pulling of a 2-1 overtime victory over Carolina
* Riley Stillman notching his first NHL goal
* Kirby Dach being shut down for the season
* Duncan Keith and Brett Connolly suffering concussions
* Alec Regula making his NHL debut
* Jakub Galvas signing his ELC


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Starting Lineup

The starting lineup with Collin Delia making his second consecutive start as well as Connolly and Regula in for Dylan Strome and Ian Mitchell:

And the starters for the opening shift:

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Scoring Recap

1st Goal: Necas (0-1) SH

Jani Hakanpaa rang a clearing attempt around the boards that Duncan Keith tried to corral at the blueline but got inadvertently kneed in the face by a linesman which allowed Martin Necas to score on a 2-on-0 shorthanded breakaway.

2nd Goal: Stillman (1-1)

After ensuring Jaccob Slavin's clearing attempt stayed in the zone by sealing off the left wall to permit the puck to careen up to Pius Suter, Stillman headed straight for the slot and tipped Suter's shot past Petr Mrazek.

3rd Goal: DeBrincat (2-1) OT

Alex DeBrincat, Dominik Kubalik, and Wyatt Kalynuk teamed up in the extra frame to give the Hawks the overtime win as Kalynuk sent a breakout feed to Kubalik who then left a drop pass for DeBrincat to dance around with and bury.

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Game Notes

Gross Stats

The Blackhawks actually outhit the Hurricanes 36 to 24 but a lopsided stat was Carolina committing 30 giveaways to Chicago's dozen. However, the Canes did have 11 takeaways while the Hawks only had 4.

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Player Notes

Alec Regula

Brief scouting report on Regula: plays both sides, skates well with deceptive speed, has acute hockey sense to make smart plays, connects with crisp passes, and has a booming point shot.

While he could stand to be more physical, Regula is responsible in his own zone. He thinks defense first but can carry the mail. In Rockford this season he learned when to pinch offensively.

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Roster Updates

Kirby Dach

Not surprising to see Dach shut down for the remainder of the season which ends on Monday. No need to risk further aggravation and instead spend the offseason gaining strength and train for 2021-22.

Keith & Connolly


With Keith and Connolly also likely out for the rest of the season as they enter concussion protocol, a spot opens up for Nicolas Beaudin and Mitchell to either platoon or both suit up as Regula sits.

Up front, Strome has a high chance of closing out the season in Connolly's spot unless there's taxi squad maneuvering to recall a forward from Rockford like Evan Barratt or Andrei Altybarmakian.

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Rockford Updates

The IceHogs lock horns with the Wild in a weekend home-and-home series before rounding out the season with a trio of matches versus interstate rivals the Wolves on Monday and next Friday and Saturday.

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Prospect Updates

Jakub Galvas

Brief scouting report on Galvas: while undersized, he competes hard in his own end, skates well, and jumps into the play. He fights for inside positioning and uses his stick to close off lanes.

Similar to fellow D prospect Chad Krys, Galvas is willing to battle and his brain knows what to do but needs to get stronger as he lacks the strength to win a lot of wars in the slot, corners, and boards.

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See you on the boards!

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