The Chicago Blackhawks snapped their road slump with a big win on Monday night, edging out the New York Rangers 2-1 in a tightly contested game. Taylor Hall led the charge for Chicago with a goal and an assist, while goalie Arvid Soderblom delivered a stellar performance with 29 saves to secure the victory.
Tyler Bertuzzi also made his mark, scoring early in the first period to give Chicago the lead. He fired the puck past Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin for his sixth goal of the season. The Rangers answered back late in the period when Will Cuylle, showing off some impressive skill, tied the game with a short-handed goal — his 10th of the season, putting him alongside Chris Kreider for second-most on the team.
But Hall wasn’t done yet. Early in the second period, he teamed up with Connor Bedard on a 2-on-1 break and found the back of the net, putting the Blackhawks ahead once again. That goal turned out to be the game-winner, as the Rangers couldn’t solve Soderblom the rest of the way.
The Rangers pushed hard, but Soderblom came up big when it mattered most. Late in the first, he denied Filip Chytil in close, and in the third, he stopped defenseman K’Andre Miller to preserve Chicago’s lead. It was only Soderblom’s second win in nine starts this season, but his clutch saves made all the difference.
Meanwhile, Bedard continued to shine for Chicago. The rookie notched an assist on Hall’s goal, bringing his season total to 21 points — the most on the team.
For the Rangers, the loss capped off a rough five-game homestand, leaving them with a 7-7-1 record at Madison Square Garden this season. Shesterkin was solid with 30 saves, but the team has now dropped eight of their last ten games.
Next up, the Blackhawks head to Long Island to face the Islanders on Thursday, while the Rangers will look to bounce back in Buffalo on Wednesday.
