The Blackhawks won a genuine coin flip — neither side controlled the run of play.
Chicago's scoreline masks a closer contest underneath. By expected goals, New York deserved better: 3.02 xG versus Chicago's 2.84. Yet the Blackhawks won 3-0. Goaltending decided this game.
S. Knight made every shot count. He stopped all 21 attempts—a perfect 1.000 SV%—and saved 3.0 goals above expected. I. Shesterkin faced 25 shots, let three slip, and finished 0.880. That disparity determined the outcome.
Chicago's underlying numbers were modest overall. They controlled 54% of shot attempts (25–21 on goal) but scored at an unsustainable clip: two goals on 27 rush chances. Where they excelled was high-danger range, finishing six of their chances at a respectable rate. New York offered better looks and still went scoreless. They were 0 for 5 on high-danger attempts—a drought that won't repeat when they play again.
The Rangers' real problem wasn't opportunity. They underperformed their 3.02 xG by that full margin, wasting quality looks. Rebound chances—four times crashing the net—yielded nothing. Shesterkin gave the team little margin; any one of those three goals might have stayed out on a different night.
Tyler Bertuzzi's wrist shot from the doorstep (period three, 3:52) iced the result when it mattered. But the actual pivot happened earlier: Knight's command from the opening set a tone Shesterkin never matched.
Chicago's only genuine dominance came on the rush—two goals off 27 attempts. Elsewhere, the scoreline lied. The Rangers generated better chances. Knight's perfection and Shesterkin's struggles decided which team left with the win.
