The Chicago Blackhawks didn’t have as poor a performance at Benchmark International Arena as the 4-1 final score suggests, but nevertheless, the losing streak still reached five games against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday.
Much of that can be blamed on failing to consistently test Lightning standout goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy with threatening scoring opportunities. The Blackhawks recorded 10 high-danger scoring chances in Tampa Bay, including only four in the first two periods.
Additionally, 11 of Chicago’s 26 shots on goal came in the third period, with the Lightning already ahead 4-0 and a comeback out of the equation. When the game was actually still somewhat winnable, Tampa Bay’s defense completely shut them down.
For the 11th time in 17 games, the Blackhawks scored two goals or fewer on Thursday. Had Roman Kantserov not snapped Vasilevskiy’s shutout bid with 48.1 seconds to go, the Hawks would have been blanked for the third time this season.
Since Saturday’s gut-wrenching 5-4 overtime loss to Boston, where the Blackhawks recorded a season-high 73 shot attempts and 42 shots on goal, they’ve now registered 26 or fewer in three straight games. They were credited with just 46 shot attempts on Thursday.
While the Blackhawks have faced top-tier NHL teams Colorado, Florida, and Tampa Bay in those three outings, the Bruins are in that same category, as they’re currently tied for the league’s second-best point percentage.
There’s no excuse for why the Hawks can rack up shots and chances against Boston but not their three most recent opponents.
“We’re playing some good teams that are hard to score on and are good defensively,” Alex Vlasic said after Thursday’s loss. “It definitely feels like some things aren’t going in right now for us. Sometimes teams go through that… At the same time, we’re not creating enough. We need a bigger emphasis on shooting, which we’ve been trying to do. That’s always going to open up things offensively.”
Head coach Jeff Blashill remains confident the Blackhawks aren’t far away from an offensive breakthrough, but he also understands his team must improve at putting the puck on net and getting to the dirty areas.
“We’ve definitely talked about being harder around the net… Definitely talked about shooting the puck more,” Blashill said. “When you’re not scoring, sometimes you start missing the net too much, and we’ve talked about that. Those are all factors. I feel like it’s going to come.”
One reason Kantserov is off to a successful start to his rookie campaign is his willingness to go to the net, with his goal on Thursday stemming from a net-front redirect. His goal against the Panthers one night earlier also came from the blue paint.
“He’s a guy that does go to the net. A lot of his goals are around the net,” Blashill said on Kantserov. “He’s a smart player, he’s good around the net and has good hand-eye coordination, so he can tip pucks. He’s a good shooter… that combination together is really smart.”
Kantserov scored his team-leading eighth goal of the season, which also leads all NHL rookies. With the goal, Kantserov also extended his current point streak to eight games. The Russian rookie remains one of the Blackhawks’ few offensive bright spots.
Hawks Hits vs. Tampa Bay
1. Hawks Bring The Boom
While the offensive production was lackluster once again, the Blackhawks at least improved drastically in another area in Tampa Bay. Their physicality was the best it’s been all season, out-checking the Lightning 31-13.
Now, some of that admittedly stems from the Hawks not possessing the puck enough on Thursday. However, they’ve consistently been outpossessed all season and haven’t come close to that total in most games. It’s a significant step in the right direction in terms of being harder to play against.
One night earlier, TNT analyst Paul Bissonnette slammed the Blackhawks for being a “soft” hockey team, which was an accurate statement. Facing a physically formidable Florida bunch, they recorded only 12 hits in 60 minutes and were pushed around all game.
After Biz called them out on national TV for their lack of physicality and toughness, the Blackhawks responded with their most engaged checking performance of the year. There’s a new standard that’s now been set, and anything less than what they showed on Thursday is no longer acceptable.
2. Boucher Adds Some Nasty
For the second straight game, Dillon Boucher slotted into the Blackhawks lineup on the fourth line, and he was a major reason behind the team’s increased physicality in Tampa Bay.
Despite playing only 8:12 of ice time, Boucher recorded a game-high seven hits, throwing his body into Lightning players with every passing opportunity. The Blackhawks have desperately needed someone like Boucher, who can bring energy and provide a spark by getting involved physically.
“I can’t say enough good things about him,” said Blashill after the game. “I don’t know how many hits he had, but it felt like a number of really impactful hits. That’s a big thing; that’s a momentum-changer. That’s a thing that makes you harder to play against… guys love him. He’s an accountable player. I think he’s done a good job defensively, and he goes out there and is physical. That’s what we want him to bring to the table.”
Boucher also dropped the gloves with Lightning forward Jeff Viel in the second period for his first NHL fight, just the Blackhawks’ second scrap of the season. That’s another aspect Boucher adds to the lineup: a willingness to fight for his teammates. That’s something the Hawks can use more of, too.
3. Smith’s Best Outing
One of Boucher’s two linemates on Thursday, Cole Smith, was among the more effective Blackhawks skaters against Tampa, recording two shots on goal and generating two scoring chances with hard work on the forecheck.
Smith seemed to feed off Boucher’s intensity and was as involved physically as he’s been all season, tallying six hits in 12:47 of ice time.
The Blackhawks need Smith to consistently play with more ruggedness on the fourth line and penalty kill, being one of the most sizeable and experienced forwards on the roster. It was great to see him and Boucher turn into wrecking machines together in Tampa. More of that, please.
4. Soderblom’s Struggles
Between Tampa Bay’s four goals on Thursday, at least two should have probably been stopped by backup goaltender Arvid Soderblom, who made just his fourth start of the season.
In low-event hockey games, the team that makes the bigger mistakes often loses, and that was the case with the Blackhawks against the Lightning. While the defense in front of Soderblom wasn’t squeaky-clean perfect by any means, he failed to make pivotal stops in the first and third periods.
Additionally, the Blackhawks allowed only 16 scoring chances and six high-danger opportunities at even strength on Thursday. Tampa Bay was credited with only 1.95 expected goals at 5v5.
While Blashill defended Soderblom in his postgame media session, the 27-year-old netminder now has a 4.49 goals-against average and .846 save percentage this season. In 116 NHL appearances, Soderblom has a measly .886 career save percentage.
As the Blackhawks backup goaltender for four years now, Soderblom has had every opportunity to rebound and prove himself worthy of an NHL roster spot, but it simply isn’t working out. While the Hawks have greater issues to solve, they might consider another option behind Spencer Knight.
“I think there are a few he’d like to have back,” Blashill said about Soderblom’s performance. “But as a group, we’re going to win or lose as a team. There were mistakes made throughout the game. We have to stick together.”
5. No Kane Saturday
The Blackhawks’ three-game road trip concludes on Saturday, but the finale won’t be any easier than the first two legs. Next up is a date with the defending Stanley Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes, who currently lead the NHL with 28 points this season. Lovely.
While there was some hope that Patrick Kane would return from an upper-body injury in Carolina, Blashill isn’t expecting that to be the case. Kane is considered doubtful for the game, but Blashill has already all but ruled him out.
“My gut says Kane is out on Saturday.”
For more Blackhawks news, visit Chicago Hockey Now and like our Facebook Page.
Follow us on X: