Mrazek makes 37 saves, Blackhawks blank Ducks to end 4-game losing streak

CHICAGO -- Petr Mrazek made 37 saves for the Chicago Blackhawks in a 1-0 win against the Anaheim Ducks at United Center on Thursday.

It was Mrazek’s 25th shutout in the NHL and first since April 4, 2021, for the Carolina Hurricanes against the Dallas Stars.

“Yeah, it's been a long time,” he said. “I don't remember the last time when I had one. It feels good. I would say first period they were coming early and you've got a few shots there, so that's where you feel comfortable.”

Philipp Kurashev scored a power-play goal for the Blackhawks (8-16-1), who ended an 0-3-1 skid.

"Yes of course, it was a great game overall,” Kurashev said. “Especially the special teams and Petr. It's nice to get a win again. Win is [a] win. We just try to get them any way we can, and today was like that, so let's keep it going.”

Lukas Dostal made 24 saves for Ducks (10-16-0), who have lost 10 of 11.

“Not to feel sorry for ourselves, but it kind of feels like it’s been the tale of our team the last little bit,” Anaheim forward Troy Terry said. “You always get told that if the scoring chances are there and you’re doing the right things it will come. But it’s obviously hard. Me, specifically, I’m supposed to be scoring. Guys on our team are getting these Grade A [chances]. It’s hard, but I think that’s the game. We need to take a lot of good things from it. Honestly, we did a lot of good things defensively. They had the power-play goal. We did the right things to win. We’ve got to execute and find ways to put the puck in the net.”

It was the first game between the top two picks in the 2023 NHL Draft, No. 1 Connor Bedard of the Blackhawks and No. 2 Leo Carlsson of the Ducks. Bedard had the primary assist on Kurashev’s goal. Carlsson had two shots on goal in 19:39 of ice time.

“We were only out there for kind of one shift against each other,” Bedard said. “I asked him about what he thought of the [national] anthem and he said it was pretty cool [with the crowd cheering]. That's it. He was great tonight, so it was fun to go against him and that team.”

Kurashev scored on a four-minute power play at 9:21 of the second period. Bedard took a cross-ice pass in the left face-off circle from Tyler Johnson and dropped it to Kurashev, who scored from the slot.

“’T.J.’ made a great play over to Connor, and I was just ready if he needed me,” Kurashev said. “The puck was bobbling a little bit, so he needed me and yeah, I was good.”

Mrazek made several key saves in the second when the Ducks outshot the Blackhawks 18-10. He stopped Ryan Strome in close at 11:02 and Frank Vatrano coming down the left wing and shooting from the circle at 19:20.

“Yeah, that was big, like we got caught on a bad [line] change,” Chicago coach Luke Richardson said of the save on Vatrano. “We were really talking about it. We have to do a better job of getting pucks a little bit deeper, but sometimes you just can't. So in the second period, especially like our rules, you only change one [defenseman] at a time. So in that second period, it would be the left [defenseman], and the right [defenseman] has got to come up the middle of the ice and hold. And when the left [defenseman] is changed and coming on, maybe they can switch, or maybe you have to stay.

“So, those guys came off. And, I mean, that's dangerous. Petr stood tall and made a great save on a really good shooter. So that was probably a big turning point to make us feel confident going into the third.”

The Ducks outshot the Blackhawks 9-1 in the third period.

“We’re moving the puck on the outside; we’re not throwing into the net,” Anaheim coach Greg Cronin said. “If you watch [the Blackhawks] in the first period, they just kept getting pucks down to the net front. We’re trying to tell our guys to do that, but they refuse to do it, whether they were afraid of getting blocked or whatever. Then you can always throw it off the end wall and pick it up off the end board. We just kept going to the outside. We had possession, which is great, but we weren’t getting any quality scoring chances.”

NOTES: Bedard has 11 goals and 10 assists in 25 games. The only other players in Blackhawks history to reach 10 NHL goals and assists in 25 or fewer games are Denis Savard (20 games) and Jonathan Toews (23). … Mrazek is the fourth Blackhawks goalie to make 37 or more saves in his first shutout with the franchise. He joined Bob Sauve (45 on Jan. 28, 1987), Marc-Andre Fleury (40 on Nov. 21, 2021) and Denis DeJordy (38 on Dec. 13, 1964). ... Ducks defenseman Cam Fowler played 27:44.