Hagel scores 2 more, but Bruins too much for Hawks in 4-3 loss
Great game for Brandon Hagel.
Brutal ending for the Blackhawks.
While Hagel scored twice to up his season goal total to 20, the visiting Hawks lost in heartbreaking fashion when David Pastrnak scored with just 17 seconds remaining to give Boston a 4-3 victory Tuesday.
The Hawks were victims of a brutal bounce as Taylor Hall's pass ricocheted off Ryan Carpenter's left skate and right to Pastrnak in front of the net. Pastrnak ripped it past Kevin Lankinen for his second goal of the game and 33rd of the season.
"Unfortunate, just the way the puck went," coach Derek King told reporters. "We won the draw, we kind of go into help (in the corner) and maybe we shouldn't have, but we do. It hits (Carpenter's) skate, it bounces up, it bounces over and it's in the back of your net."
The shocking ending dropped the Hawks to 21-30-8.
At this point, though, it's not so much about wins and losses for King's squad as it is about development and growth.
And few players have grown more than Hagel, a former sixth-round pick who joined some elite company in this season's 20-goal club:
• Columbus' Patrik Laine, who was taken second overall in 2016 and has 172 goals in 390 games.
• Tampa Bay's Brayden Point, who has five 20-goal campaigns.
• Winnipeg's Mark Scheifele, who was taken seventh overall in 2014 and has seven straight 20-goal seasons.
Hagel is also ahead of high-profile players like teammate Patrick Kane (19), Pittsburgh's Sidney Crosby (19), St. Louis' Vladimir Tarasenko (19), Dallas' Tyler Seguin (17), St. Louis' Brandon Saad (17) and Carolina's Teuvo Teravainen (16).
Beating Kane to 20 is something Hagel is really proud of.
"I'll check that one off the box," Hagel said. "I guess it's a race to 30 now."
Hagel gave the Hawks a 2-1 lead at 4:12 of the second period by perfectly executing a wraparound attempt to beat Bruins goalie Jeremy Swayman. He then tied the game at 3-3 by scoring on the power play at 3:24 of the third.
Alex DeBrincat (34) also scored for the Hawks. Patrick Kane notched his 1,153rd career point by assisting on DeBrincat's tally.
That ties Kane with Bobby Hull for second place in Hawks history and leaves him behind only Stan Mikita (1,467).
"It's every game he's passed somebody," King said. "I can't keep up. A special player, a special person."
Hagel has followed up a solid rookie campaign by taking his game to an entirely new level. He's been so impressive that other GMs are reportedly dangling a prospect and a first-round pick in hopes of acquiring the Saskatoon, Saskatchewan native. After recording a hat trick in an 8-5 win over New Jersey on Feb. 25, Hagel joked that maybe the price tag went up to two first-round picks, a couple of prospects and Edmonton's Connor McDavid.
"He's been great for us, scoring big goals all the time," DeBrincat said. "I mean to tie it 3-3 was huge, and his one before was pretty nice too. He's obviously been ... pretty clutch for us. Hopefully we can start winning some games and use him more."