Defenseman Kaiser makes debut in Blackhawks 4-2 loss to Arizona
The Blackhawks had leads of 1-0 and 2-1, but dropped a 4-2 decision in Arizona on Saturday when Juuso Valimaki scored with 3:12 remaining and Matias Maccelli added an empty-netter.
The Hawks dominated possession and outshot Arizona 34-21. They took a 1-0 lead just 35 seconds after puck drop when Jujhar Khaira tipped in a long shot from defenseman Jarred Tinordi.
Arizona evened things up in the second period, but Caleb Jones restored the Hawks' lead with a power-play goal at 4:14 of the third period. The tally was set up thanks in part to an aggressive drive to the net by Lukas Reichel.
Tyler Johnson and Jason Dickinson took 6 shots on goal each for the Hawks, and Khaira had 5 hits to go along with his fourth goal of the season.
The Hawks (24-39-6) took 13 shots on goal on 5 power-play chances.
Arizona (27-32-11) has won six of seven.
New guy:
The Blackhawks made only one change to the starting lineup at Arizona - but it was a fairly significant one. Defenseman Wyatt Kaiser, a third-round draft pick of the Hawks in 2020, made his NHL debut just four days after inking a three-year, entry level contract.
Kaiser looked completely at ease during his 16-plus minutes. He made a nice play against Nick Schmaltz, thwarting a scoring chance by the former Hawks forward near the net in the first period.
Kaiser, who was paired with Nikita Zaitsev, played for the University of Minnesota Duluth from 2020-23. He had 5 goals and 18 assists in 35 games this season.
Incredible feat:
When Alex Stalock prevented Nashville's Matt Duchene from scoring on a penalty shot Thursday, he became the first goaltender to make a save on a penalty shot in three consecutive appearances (since 1934-35 when the stat was tracked).
Stalock made his 17th start of the season at Arizona and made 17 saves.
Slap shot:
Former Hawks forward Patrick Kane has 3 goals and 4 assists in eight games with the Rangers. Kane had 2 assists in New York's 6-0 victory over Pittsburgh on Saturday. ... The Hawks continue their five-game road trip at Colorado on Monday. The Avs have won five straight.