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Hawks Hits: 3rd Line Comes Alive, Gritty Pushback After Slow Start
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- Hawks Hits: 3rd Line Comes Alive, Gritty Pushback After Slow Start
Hawks Hits: 3rd Line Comes Alive, Gritty Pushback After Slow Start
The Chicago Blackhawks desperately needed two points in the final game of the long homestand on Tuesday, and they got 'em with a 2-1 win over the Los Angeles Kings at the United Center.
After a shaky start in which they allowed the opening goal just 2:31 into the game and fell behind 8-0 in shots on goal through 4:04, the Blackhawks had their best 55-minute stretch of the season to snap the three-game losing streak.
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During that stretch, the Hawks outshot the Kings 27-18 and recorded more shots than their opponent in a full game for only the second time this year. They also limited Los Angeles to four high-danger scoring chances at even strength over the final two periods.
With the Kings playing the back end of a back-to-back in Chicago, the Blackhawks capitalized on having fresher legs as the game wore on. They constantly pressured LA's defensemen on the forecheck and forced many turnovers, leading to more time in the offensive zone than they've had in a while.
While the Blackhawks scored two goals or fewer in their fourth straight game, it wasn't due to a lack of chances. It was yet again because of faulty finishing. Before Roman Kantserov tied the game 1-1 in the second period, the offense's sour puck luck carried over from Sunday's frustrating 3-2 defeat to the Florida Panthers.
Despite getting the result they wanted, the Blackhawks still must convert on their most dangerous opportunities at a higher clip moving forward. Tuesday's game could have and probably should have been a multi-goal victory, but many of their best looks either failed to find the target or were miraculously saved by Kings netminder Anton Forsberg.
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Fortunately, Wyatt Kaiser picked the perfect time for his first goal of the season, slipping a shot five-hole on Forsberg at 7:17 in the third period for the eventual game-winner. The offense came up clutch when it needed to, but better finishing earlier would have made the final moments much less stressful.
Defensively, the Blackhawks didn't shoot themselves in the foot nearly as much as they had in their previous few games, making cleaner decisions with the puck and having fewer overall breakdowns in their own end and in transition. Los Angeles had at most two or three odd-man rush chances, with a full five-man defensive unit consistently on the same page for one of the first times this year.
The cohesion and tighter gap control were noticeable from the blue line, which played a major role in the Kings going without a goal in the final 57:29 of Tuesday's game.
"Obviously, we're in a spot where we need wins," head coach Jeff Blashill said postgame. "I thought we did it in a way that's conducive to continuing to win. We didn't give up a lot, we stayed on top of them. That's the way we need to play to be successful. It was our best defense through large parts of the game, and I thought we defended pretty hard as we went through the third period."
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Hawks Hits vs. Los Angeles
1. Third Line Gels
The new-look third line of Oliver Moore , Frank Nazar , and Patrick Kane led the Blackhawks' charge on Tuesday, being the most effective trio from start to finish against Los Angeles. Moore and Nazar have worked well together in a small sample this season, and Kane's addition to the combo finally gave Blashill a line he can feel confident about moving forward.
With that line on the ice at 5v5, the Blackhawks led 17-6 in shot attempts, 10-1 in shots on goal, 9-2 in scoring chances, 7-2 in high-danger chances, and 1-0 in goals for. Almost every time that line hit the ice, something good happened for the home side.
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"It's three dynamic players. Moore and Frank have had spurts of playing really well together," Blashill said. "Then you put Kane on there, who has a great brain and can put pucks in spots for those guys. I thought it was a really dynamic line. That gives us a good line moving forward."
On the forecheck, Nazar and Moore were hounds all night and forced the Kings into poor defensive-zone decisions, while Kane added some needed playmaking to the line. Kane tallied a secondary assist on Kaiser's game-winning goal, extending his point streak to three games. It was also his 899th career NHL assist, as he's now one helper away from becoming the 21st player in league history to reach 900 assists.
2. Moore's Response
Moore was arguably the Blackhawks' most engaged forward against the Kings, leading the team with five individual scoring chances and four individual high-danger chances in just 11:48 of ice time. He used his swift skating to create chaos on the forecheck and often put himself in position to score, but the finish eluded him.
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After being healthy-scratched in Sunday's game against Florida, Moore played with a chip on his shoulder and made a huge difference in Tuesday's outcome. He tallied three shots on goal with a plus-one rating.
Blashill admitted Moore might not have deserved to come out of the lineup, but he felt it was an opportunity to remind his young team they need to improve their puck play in the defensive zone. Moore committed a costly turnover that led to the Montreal Canadiens' opening goal in Friday's 4-1 win over the Blackhawks.
"He was actually playing good hockey. I just felt it was a moment where he and our team needed to learn these lessons about not beating ourselves. But he's been playing good hockey. It's not like he went through a stretch where he hadn't been playing well… He's so self-accountable. He can shake that stuff off."
Evidently, Moore shook off his minor setback and ultimately played his best game of the season on Tuesday.
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3. Deserved Win For Knight
Knight has been used like a workhorse early this season, as Tuesday was his seventh straight start and already his 10th in 12 games. But despite the results going against him in his previous three outings, his level of play actually continued to improve. During the Blackhawks' three-game losing streak, Knight had only allowed ten goals, but received just three goals of offensive support.
While his team only scored twice against Los Angeles, it was enough to get the job done thanks to another splendid performance from the 25-year-old netminder. Knight stopped 25 of 26 shots and was credited with 3.38 goals-saved above expected. An improved defensive effort forced him to make just 16 saves over the final two periods.
Over his last six starts, which have all occurred in the last 14 days, Knight has allowed more than three goals in a single game only once. His .897 save percentage for the season does not accurately depict how well he's played to start his second campaign in Chicago. It was great to see the Blackhawks finally get him a win for the first time since Oct. 15.
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"He's done a good job," Blashill said. "I said to our group this morning, for goalies to be great, they need great defense. You can't give up tons of grade-A [chances] and expect them to have unreal numbers. I think if we can give Spencer the type of support w need to give them in terms of limiting big chances, I think [he] can flourish."
4. Special Teams Bounce-Back
Another determining factor in Tuesday's outcome was the Blackhawks winning the special-teams battle, something they failed to do during the three-game slide. Not only did the power play break the 0-for-17 skid with Kantserov's tally in the second period, but the penalty kill came up clutch in key situations, too.
With Rinzel in the penalty box for a double-minor high-sticking infraction, the Blackhawks successfully killed off the Kings' four-minute power play early in the third period, keeping the game tied 1-1 and preventing momentum from switching sides. Overall, the penalty kill went 3-for-3 on the game and only surrendered four shots on net.
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The Blackhawks struck on their second power-play opportunity of the night, but they were so close to converting several times on the first attempt. Tyler Bertuzzi somehow had two net-front deflections that trickled just wide of the net, while Kane, Kantserov, and Bedard also generated prime chances.
After going 0-for-16 on the man advantage in the last three games, Blashill flipped Kane and Bedard's spots on the top unit. Kane moved to the left circle, while Bedard swapped to the right side. The change ultimately seemed to create more scoring chances for the unit. They recorded seven scoring chances in 2:11 of power-play time in the second period.
"We could have scored on both power plays," Blashill said. "The first power play we could have scored multiple times and we kept [the puck] in the O-zone for the entire two minutes… we're putting Connor in a spot where he's excelled throughout his career, and I actually think Kane is good on his downhill side. It doesn't mean [they] can't flip back, but I thought both power plays were good."
5. Teuvo Up With Top Line
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Ryan Greene opened Tuesday's game on the top line with Bedard and Kantserov, but after an ineffective first two periods, Blashill made a chance for the final 20 minutes, and it paid off.
Blashill bumped Teuvo Teravainen to the top line in Greene's spot, and the combination almost instantly started creating offense. Bedard had his most impactful shifts of the game with Teravainen rounding out the line.
In just 4:24 of ice time together in the third period, the Kantserov-Bedard-Teravainen line led 8-2 in shot attempts and 5-1 in scoring chances at 5v5. Expect that trio to remain together for Thursday's game against the Detroit Red Wings.
While Bedard didn't find the back of the net against Los Angeles, he certainly had his chances. The captain recorded a game-high nine shot attempts and was second on the Blackhawks with four individual scoring chances.
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