The rivalry between the Vegas Golden Knights and the Chicago Blackhawks is one of the most exciting in the NHL, filled with intense matchups and thrilling moments. On January 18, 2025, the two teams faced off at the United Center in Chicago, and it was a game to remember
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The Blackhawks came out strong, scoring three goals in the final six minutes of the first period to take a 3-1 lead
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. Vegas’ Victor Olofsson had given them an early 1-0 lead with his 100th career goal, but the Blackhawks quickly turned the tide
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. Tomas Hertl scored twice in the second period to tie the game at 3-3, but Chicago managed to pull away with a late goal and a power-play goal in the third period to secure a 5-3 victory
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Despite outshooting the Blackhawks 35-23 and having a 17-3 shooting edge in the second period, penalties hampered the Golden Knights
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. Chicago capitalized on two of its three power-play opportunities, which were tripping penalties on Alex Pietrangelo and Hertl
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. The Golden Knights pulled their goalie for an extra attacker late in the third period, but a slashing penalty by Mark Stone negated the man advantage
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The loss was a tough one for the Golden Knights, who have now lost five of their last six games and are at risk of falling out of first place in the Pacific Division
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. They are still tied with the Edmonton Oilers for the lead with 61 points each, but the Oilers can take the lead if they pick up at least a point in their game against the Vancouver Canucks
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On the other hand, the Blackhawks managed to snap a four-game losing streak with the win
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. Todd Bertuzzi scored two power-play goals, and Seth Jones had a goal and two assists, helping set up Bertuzzi’s team-leading 15th and 16th goals on deflections at the edge of the crease
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. Petr Mrazek made 32 saves to secure the win for Chicago
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The game was filled with excitement and tension, showcasing the competitive spirit of both teams. The Golden Knights will look to bounce back in their next game, while the Blackhawks will try to build on this victory and climb up the standings.
If you want to relive the highlights of this thrilling game, you can watch the full match on ESPN
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What do you think about this intense rivalry?
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Las Vegas Sun
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apnews.com
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www.espn.com