TAKEAWAYS: Blackhawks Earn 2-1 Victory in Shootout Over Sharks 

After nine rounds in the shootout, Boris Katchouk secured the Chicago Blackhawks’ win over the San Jose Sharks on Tuesday night. 

While Petr Mrazek joked that he stopped counting the rounds after a few attempts, head coach Luke Richardson praised the way his team found a way to pull a victory to end their three-game losing streak. 

“It was interesting, that's for sure,” Richardson said. “But we found a way to get it done. It wasn't a pretty night for both teams, I thought but, we grounded out and got it done.”

In the Blackhawks’ last few games, the team struggled to maintain their 1-0 lead in the third period against the opponents. However, the players rallied together to come out on top.

Cole Guttman described the intensity that players brought to the game but also to protect each other. With a tied 1-1 game in the third, the determination to push it to overtime only grew. 

“When it comes down to the third period, the intensity is going to come up when it's a close game like that,” Guttman said. “I thought we pushed hard especially once overtime started and great move by [Boris] in the shootout.” 

While the team struggled on power plays over the last few weeks, the team continued to make it a focus point in their most recent practices. Tonight, it paid off as Guttman recorded the first goal of the night. 

By the end of the matchup, the special teams unit went 1-for-4 and helped create a momentum shift for Chicago. 

“I think getting on the scoreboard early on the power play was huge just because of the way the game was,” Richardson said. “I think that kind of helped us through to the end.”

Another top performer in the win included Mrazek after he made 37 saves off of 38 shots. Richardson described the veteran netminder as one of their most consistent players and his ability to communicate with the defensemen in front of him. 

As for him, he feels he is performing at his best level by staying healthy and focusing on his game. 

“Well, I've been feeling good and I'm playing a lot of games,” Mrazek said. “Like I said before I’m being healthy and focusing on just hockey. It's fun and playing every game puts you in the game.”