ANALYSIS: Blackhawks Fall, Toews 'Humbled' in 1,000th Game Ceremony

The pregame ceremony for Jonathan Toews' 1,000th NHL game seemed to spark the Blackhawks out of the gate on Sunday night, but a slumping second period let the Coyotes back in the contest and a bad bounce in overtime sealed the 3-2 victory for the visitors.
Dylan Strome opened the scoring just 75 seconds into the game and Patrick Kane tied things back up at 2-2 in the third to force overtime. Kevin Lankinen made 32 stops on the night, including five in overtime.

POSTGAME LINKS
GAMECENTER: CHI vs. ARI
RECAP: Blackhawks Fall in Overtime to Coyotes, 3-2
RELEASE: Vosters Named TV Voice of the Blackhawks
WATCH: Toews Honored for 1,000 Games
WATCH: 1,000 Games of Toews
HIGHLIGHTS: Blackhawks at Coyotes
GALLERY: Blackhawks at Coyotes
"It was kind of a funny game," interim head coach Derek King said, who admitted he worried about the team's jump after the festivities before puck drop. "I thought we started well and second period, we just stopped thinking, shut our brains off and let them get back in the game obviously and take the lead… I thought Lanks played a great game. He was awesome. He deserved a better outcome the way he played, we just got a little too sloppy and a little too high risk in front of him there at the end. We just can't do that."
"We've been on the road for quite a few days these last two weeks. Sometimes you've got to know, you've got to have that experience you're not going to have your legs and it's not going to be one of those games where you're just going to roll over the team in the first period in your own building," the captain said. "You're going to have to stick with it, be patient and make things harder on them and we don't stick with that. We do it sometimes and other times we fall apart and we're not putting each other in good positions. It's just puck management in a lot of situations. The ability to do it is there."

TOEWS 1,000

Toews is not one to enjoy the sole spotlight as he did for much of the evening, with a well-deserved pregame career highlight reel, silver stick presentation and messages from from former teammates and competitors sprinkled throughout the game. But the captain appreciated the moment nonetheless.

"I was pretty humbled and pretty touched with the recognition from my teammates and [Patrick Sharp] and [Marian Hossa] and [Brent Seabrook] and [Andrew Shaw] showing up," Toews quickly offered, including his longtime brethren in the spotlight like the leader his is. "I owe so much to those guys. I feel embarased or even stupid being recognized like that because we were all in it together and it was a special ride and I'm just so thankful to be able to have shared it with guys like that."
Those who donned the 'A' under the longest-tenured captain in Blackhawks history surprised No. 19 on the ice after a montage of career highlights played, Hossa carrying the customary silver stick for his longtime linemate.
"No," Toews said when asked if he knew of their inclusion in the ceremony ahead of time. "Shawzy can't keep a secret. I didn't know about Seabs. I had an idea Sharpy might be coming, but it was pretty awesome to see them out there, so that meant a lot."

TOP-LINE DOMINANCE

The high-powered top line for the Blackhawks continued their late-season dominance early on Sunday night as Dylan Strome netted his 20th of the season, assisted by Alex DeBrincat. Linemate Patrick Kane scored on the power play -- the top unit largely comprised by the top-line trio -- in the third period, also assisted by DeBrincat.
The three have combined for 12 goals and 21 assists over the last eight games. In those contests, Chicago has totaled 24 goals.
"I think the three of them just seem to click," King said.
"(We) try to create as many chances as you can without giving up too much on the defensive side. Our line's been better at not giving up as much," Strome explained of the recent run. "It's important to win that faceoff or do whatever we can to get it out of our zone as quick as possible. That's where we're at our best is kind of transitioning and when we play in their zone."
The game's opening goal was just that as DeBrincat tracked back into the neutral zone to glove down a Coyotes clearance attempt and quickly tilt the ice back the other way with a feed to Strome for the partial break score.

With his 20th of the season, Strome tied a career high with still 12 games to go. He's scored 11 goals over his last 15 games and figures to continue his hot hand down the stretch. From being scratched early in the year, to having to earn King's confidence over the first few weeks of the interim coach's tenure, to finishing off the year like he is, is no doubt meaningful.
"I think it was good for myself to go through that a little bit. You know I've gone through it for a while where I've been on both sides, where you're in the top six and on the power play or you're out of the lineup or maybe on the fourth line,' Strome explained. "You want to work up to where you're going to be playing. I feel like this is where I want to be playing with the spot I'm in and you've got to produce and help the team win to show that you should stay there."
"He works without the puck now. It's not always perfect, but he is working. (After) turnovers, you got a backcheck and he's the guy that's back. He's got his stick in the lane and it gets deflected out of the way and breaks up a play. These are the things he wasn't doing," King explained of Strome's in-season evolution. "I think he's doing so much better with that. And it's helped him. It's helped his offense. It's funny how that works."