Blackhawks keep defying expectations with 2-1 OT win in Dallas

Wasn't this supposed to be a rebuilding year for the Blackhawks?

One where they'd win 20 games max?

One where they'd get their doors blown off by the best teams?

One where young players might lose confidence to the point we'd never see them again?

Isn't that right?

Well, apparently nobody told the Hawks, who have completely flipped the preseason script by going 5-1-3 in the last nine games. The latest shocker came Sunday afternoon as coach Jeremy Colliton's squad defeated Dallas 2-1 in overtime when Alex DeBrincat redirected a Patrick Kane feed with 2:04 remaining.

DeBrincat scored the Hawks' other goal and Malcolm Subban made 30 saves in net.

So after two impressive performances against the talented Hurricanes, the Hawks (5-4-4) hung an OT loss on the Western Conference's representative in last season's Stanley Cup Final.

Just who do these guys think they are anyway?

"We know what's been said about our group, of course," Colliton said. "You would be only human to have a chip on your shoulder about it."

Said Subban: "We're out here trying to prove people wrong. We want to try and outwork teams. That goes a long way in this league. It's hard to have a lot of success without hard work. ...

"Now it's paying off. It's a great confidence-builder for us. We've got a lot of young guys here and that's not an easy team to play, especially in their building. Hopefully we can build off this and keep it going."

Subban, making just his third start of the season, wasn't tested much early but he made several highlight-reel stops to keep Dallas (5-2-2) off the board for more than 49 minutes. The most impressive came with 18:27 remaining on Denis Gurianov's one-timer from just 16 feet away. A lunging Subban barely got his left skate on the puck to protect a 1-0 lead.

Subban also caught a break late in the second period after Miro Heiskanen sent a blast off the crossbar. The puck bounced off Subban's back side and settled into the blue paint. A second later, Connor Murphy arrived to sweep the puck to the corner.

Subban also robbed Jaime Benn on 2 attempts in a seven-second span early in overtime.

"He was great," Colliton said. "It's tough when you don't play that much. You've really got to find a way to get your head around that it's not life or death (if) you let up a goal because it's too much pressure.

"He came in, he was composed, he made some big saves for us."

With Kevin Lankinen grabbing the starting job, it's beginning to look like Subban has cemented himself as the backup. It's a role he knows well, having never played more than 22 games in the previous three seasons.

"Just take your practices as games," Subban said when asked how he stays ready. "That's the thing that I've built on the most in my pro career. ... Play every situation in practice like you would in a game."

This win came down to a lot more than Subban and DeBrincat, though.

Brandon Hagel made plays all over the ice. It's only a matter of time before he notches his first goal.

David Kampf spearheaded a fourth-line attack that flummoxed Dallas for more than two minutes in the offensive zone in the third period. Nicolas Beaudin made some heady plays on the power play. Dylan Strome found DeBrincat on the Hawks' first goal with a pinpoint pass across the crease.

And on and on.

Bottom line is this team continues to work hard and play for each other.

The buy-in is obvious. And they're reaping the rewards early on.

"There's no better feeling than winning," Colliton said. "After a 2-1 game where you do everything you can as a group to protect the guys you're playing with, and then by doing that, you give the guy next to you a chance to come through and make a play. ...

"That's the best feeling you can have, so I love it when they can have it."