INSTANT ANALYSIS: Blackhawks Add Offense to Shutdown Defensive Game

In its biggest test of the season, the Blackhawks defense stuck to its simplified game plan against the high-powered Capitals offense, while Chicago's offense found its own stride en route to a 4-3 shootout win in Washington.
"Throughout the game we had some ups and downs like any other game, but we stuck with it," Seth Jones said. "We were resilient in the way we wanted to play and it took us to the very end to get a win."
Alex DeBrincat, Dominik Kubalik and Jones all found the scoresheet in a back-and-forth contest that saw three separate leads before a thrilling overtime and eventually a skills competition to decide it. Marc-Andre Fleury made 25 saves in his sixth win of the season and fifth in his last seven starts.

POSTGAME LINKS
GAMECENTER: CHI at WSH
RECAP: Blackhawks Top Capitals in Shootout
HIGHLIGHTS: Blackhawks at Capitals
GALLERY: Blackhawks at Capitals
INSIDER: McCabe on Improvements, Blocks and Murphy

BUILDING FROM THE BACK

After what interim head coach Derek King said was the best performance of the season on Sunday in a shutout loss to the Sharks -- one without luck around the net offensively -- the Blackhawks continued to build on their defensive fortitude Thursday night against the league's highest-scoring offense coming into the night.
The difference in Washington, though, was that the Blackhawks did find the offense at the other end, scoring a pair of goals at 5-on-5 and a power-play tally to support the shutdown play. Chicago also scored the game's opening goal in a game for the first time in the last four contests.
"That's a good hockey team -- big, fast, skilled. It was a challenge for us," King said after the win. "They pushed the pace, they tilted the ice here and there, but we stuck to our game plan, played as simple as we could. We still made some mistakes, but we stayed in the fight. It was a challenge for us and they rose to the occasion."
The biggest Capitals push on the night came after Connor Murphy was hit up high by Alex Ovechkin seconds into the middle frame with the Blackhawks leading 1-0. Murphy left the game and did not return. Washington then put seven shots on goal in the ensuing 6:30 of game time, including netting a 1-1 equalizer.
Chicago settled, though, and closed out the second period with just three shots allowed the rest of the way -- with a little added help from the posts behind Fleury that were rung on a few occasions. The Capitals found one rebound chance in the crease and later in the third sprung Garnet Hathaway on a break out of the penalty box as the only two defensive lapses from the visitors the rest of the way.
"We always talk about greasy road wins," Jones said. "The crowd's not on our side, we have to create our own energy and you don't do that by turning pucks over and giving them odd-man rushes. I thought we did a great job of taking the crowd out of it in the first, sticking to our game, keeping it low eventful and just giving ourselves a chance. Flower made big saves (too)."

IMMEDIATE IMPACT

Playing in his first NHL game on Thursday night, forward Josiah Slavin felt the butterflies early in Washington.
"First shift, there was a little bit of nerves, but I think after that I settled in a little bit," Slavin told Eddie Olczyk at the first intermission. "It (was) surreal out there, been fun."
Settle in he did, though, putting three shots on goal, earning some penalty kill time and creating several scoring opportunities on the night, none bigger than teeing up Jones for the late equalizer to earn a point and send the game to a shootout. Bringing the puck into the zone while the Blackhawks were mid-change, Slavin was calm and collected as he worked towards the goal line, bought time and then circled back up the boards to find the late-trailing Jones with the setup.

"It was a great play by Slavin… He looks extremely comfortable out there," Jones said. "He was making plays out of our own end, skating through the neutral zone with speed and creating offensively. He set up [Mike Hardman] a couple times off the rush for some great chances. I thought he looked great, didn't look out of place at all and definitely helped us get the win tonight."
"I really liked his performance," King added. "His parents should be very happy, very proud of their son today."

KUBALIK CONNECTS ON PP

Hours after discussing his 15-game goal drought ahead of Thursday's game in Washington, Dominik Kubalik found pay dirt on the power play in the second period.
"Personally, I'm just trying to be positive and do my things," he told reporters before the game. "Obviously it's a little frustrating but that's just the way it is. You've just go to battle through and create your own luck."
Create his own luck he did as the winger finished a saucer pass from DeBrincat on a short breakaway attempt, catching the feed on his backhand and quickly popping a wrist shot into the top corner over Vitek Vanecek's glove for a 2-1 lead.
"We'll take it," King said. "It's like that and Kuby, patience with him. You've just got to let them get through it (scoring droughts) and hopefully that just snowballs into more goals for him."
The goal also snapped a season-long six-game stretch without a power-play tally for the Blackhawks.

STILLMAN NEARING RETURN

A welcome sign for the Blackhawks on Thursday was Riley Stillman skating in morning skate and being termed a game-time decision ahead of the game in Washington. He did not return to the lineup, but getting the defenseman back on the ice is a win in itself after suffering a nasty knee injury on Jan. 21 in Vancouver.
"When he left the ice, I was very concerned that it was going to be a long injury," King said before the game. "But we got some good news earlier on after he got hurt, and he was just strengthening and working with it and then here he is skating again."