RECAP: Blackhawks Fall to Sharks, 5-4

The Blackhawks led early and often in their 2019-20 home opener, but fell to the San Jose Sharks, 5-4, at the United Center on Thursday evening.

CHI 4, SJ 5
GAME INFO
Full Box Score 
WRITTEN
THREE THINGS: 60 Minutes, Shaw & Kubalik 
VIDEOS
HIGHLIGHTS: CHI 4, SJ 5 
REACTION: Hawks Fall to Sharks 
GALLERIES
GALLERY: CHI 4, SJ 5 
GALLERY: Red Carpet Arrivals 
Blackhawks Player of the Game:Andrew Shaw (2G, +2, 5 SOG, 7 hits)
Stat of the Night: Shaw scored his first goal at the United Center as a member of the Blackhawks in 1,297 days and his first of the year with his first-period tally.

GAME RECAP

The Blackhawks needed just five minutes to find the opening goal as Dominik Kubalik scored his first NHL tally at 5:07 of the first off a cross-ice from Brandon Saad for a 1-0 lead.

San Jose would answer on the game's first power play as Kevin Lebanc fired a quick rebound off the post off of Corey Crawford's glove and in from a low angle at the bottom of the circle, evening the game 1-1 at 11:30 of the first.
Shaw, scored his first goal since re-joining Chicago at 13:22 of the first. Shaw set a screen in front of Sharks goalie Aaron Dell on an Olli Maatta shot from the point, then picked up the rebound at the top of the crease and slotted a quick wrister home for a 2-1 lead.

The Sharks answered in the final seconds of the period as Patrick Marleau tipped home an Erik Karlsson shot on the man advantage at 19:43 of the first, tying the game 2-2.
In the second period, Shaw found the net again off a feed from Alex DeBrincat after the 21-year-old forced a turnover on a forecheck. The Cat fed the incoming Mutt at the top of the circle, where Shaw fired another quick chance past Dell for a 3-2 lead at 9:27 of the second.

The visitors would answer 33 seconds later as Brent Burns scored his second of the year, firing a high saucer pass across the top of the crease that deflected off of Connor Murphy's glove and past Crawford to deadlock the game again, 3-3.
Dylan Strome scored his first of the year at 12:14 off a give-and-go with Patrick Kane on an odd-man rush. Strome fed Kane in the high slot, before putting a one-timer past Dell on the return feed from Chicago's early-season scoring leader for a 4-3 lead.

For the fourth time on the night, the Sharks answered as Marleau scored his second late-period goal of the game at 17:46 of the middle frame. The veteran cleaned up the rebound from a Timo Meier shot from the point, slotting a shot under the outstretched stick of Crawford.
San Jose took their first lead of the night early in the third as Barclay Goodrow found space in front and buried a Joe Thornton feed from behind the goal for a 5-4 advantage at 4:47.
UP NEXT: Chicago hosts Winnipeg on Saturday, Oct. 12 at 6 p.m. (
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