The Chicago Blackhawks defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning 3-2 in exciting fashion as Ryan Donato converted on the game-winning goal with less than a minute left to stun the Bolts. It was another game in which the Hawks showed more progress this young season, beating a top team on the road. After the game, Donato spoke to Blackhawks beat writer Ben Hope, detailing the nerves he felt on that goal, as he took the puck off a juicy rebound from Andrei Vasilevskiy and fired it into the open net.
“I was a little nervous when it came to me, just because it was such an open net and there was so much spin on the puck. I'm like, ‘If I miss this, I'm going to lose my mind,'” Donato recalled.
The game started off strongly for the Hawks, as they took a 1-0 lead in the middle of the first period when Frank Nazar converted a one-time on a pass from Tyler Bertuzzi for a power-play goal to make it 1-0. Then, the Lightning struck back with a goal from Jake Guentzel in the second period. The Hawks answered back when Donato struck for the first of his two goals by firing a wrist shot past Vasilevskiy to make it 2-1. Then, the Lightning tied it on a goal from Ryan McDonagh.
When Donato got his chance to win it, it was on a 2-on-1 when Nazar fired the shot that bounced off Vasilevskiy. Luckily, the rebound ricocheted right to Donato, who controlled it quickly and answered with the goal that would win it. It was a great win on a night where Connor Bedard did not get on the stat sheet, proving the Hawks could win games without their superstar center. The Hawks started the season slowly, but have recovered nicely, going 4-1-2 since. Next, they will play on Sunday, hosting the Los Angeles Kings at the United Center.
