TAKEAWAYS: Mrazek Secures Shutout in Win Over Ducks 

For the first time since 2021, Petr Mrazek earned a shutout win and the 25th of his career in the Blackhawks 1-0 victory over the Anaheim Ducks on Thursday night. 

The 31-year-old netminder made 37 saves to receive his sixth win through 15 games this season. Since the start of the matchup, he felt confident in his play and remained focused in between the pipes to help the team end their four-game losing streak. 

“In the first period, they were coming early, and they got a few shots there, so that’s where I felt comfortable,” Mrazek said.

Despite a few losses under his belt throughout the first quarter of the season, Mrazek showcased strong plays to help keep the Blackhawks in the game. Tonight was no different.

Head coach Luke Richardson praised the goaltender for his help on the team’s penalty kill that went 3-for-3 and made two saves in that time. He also pointed out the way Mrazek provided some major saves after the team’s opening shift. 

“He was great for us early, especially when I think we weren't as sharp after the first shift,” Richardson said. “I didn't think we followed through it in our skating legs and Petr was there to clean that up for us.” 

When Mrazek plays well, Bedard described how much the team believes in both him and Arvid Soderblom when they are in the net. 

“He's been that [way] all year,” Bedard said. “Every game he's been a rock back there for us. We have so much confidence in him [and Soderblom], but he's been unreal.”

Last season, Mrazek missed some games throughout the season after he suffered a groin injury early on. As for this season, the netminder has been a consistent player for the Blackhawks against some tough opponents. 

While he hopes to stay healthy, he is also proud of the year he is having and the wins he produced. 

“It's been a really exciting year for me that I can stay healthy and I can do what I love to do,” Mrazek said. 

POWER PLAY LUCK 

In the second period, Bedard fed a pass to Phillip Kurashev on the team’s power play to help find the Blackhawks’ lone goal for the night.

Despite some power play struggles early on, Richardson sees the improvement his players are making to find success on the special team unit. While they only scored one goal, the second-year head coach admired the chances and decisions they made to provide a strong performance. 

“We didn't really force a lot tonight, especially on that four-minute [power play],” Richardson said. “There's no reason to force it and I thought we did an excellent job there to get that goal that was huge to come out of a four-minute minor.” 

Kurashev also noticed the puck movement the team created and the opportunities they made to help put the Blackhawks on the board. 

“I think we're moving the puck way quicker and we're opening up lanes for the shots,” Kurashev said. “So I think we've got to keep working on it and it was nice to get one and hopefully we can get some more.” 

Chicago’s power play unit scored a goal in the last three of five contests. 

In the team’s 4-1 loss to Minnesota, Taylor Raddysh scored the one goal for Chicago on the power play. While they still trailed for the rest of the matchup, it still added confidence that the team can find some offensive spark on the unit 

“That power play goal meant a lot for us,” Mrazek said. “I think the confidence kept getting there and we're moving the puck quicker and that's when we get the chances.” 

Although they might not score every time, Bedard can see that they are starting to find their groove and understand how to find success that can build over the next few games. 

“I think even the games we didn't score, [we were] creating a lot,” Bedard said. “I think we just have to keep improving. It feels good to go out there and get good touches and feel like you're creating so we got to keep that up for sure.”