NEWSLETTER
Another game in Florida for the Chicago Blackhawks, another game where they had a decent start to the game, another game they allow the first goal, and another game giving up five goals against. That trend needs to stop. The Blackhawks fall to the Florida Panthers on Sunday night, 5-2, and it just seems like any time something good happens to the Blackhawks, it has to be matched by two or more bad things.
FINAL: Panthers 5, #Blackhawks 2
Shot attempts: 44-42 CHI
Shots on goal: 29-24 FLA
5-on-5 scoring chances: 13-8 CHI
5-on-5 high danger chances: 4-3 FLA pic.twitter.com/K01iYXTlDi— Charlie Roumeliotis (@CRoumeliotis) January 18, 2021
Chicago went with Collin Delia in net for the second night in-a-row, and it was a decent start to the game for Delia, who made all 12 saves in the opening period. It was a good enough effort to keep the game scoreless after the first 20 minutes of action. It could have been a much better first period, had Patrick Kane not been called offsides on an amazing spin-pass play by Pius Suter.
The best assist that never countered.
WATCH: https://t.co/xqft6THKze pic.twitter.com/7HAYaYODF7
— Blackhawks Talk (@NBCSBlackhawks) January 18, 2021
This might be one of the best non-goals in recent Blackhawks history. But it would not count and the Blackhawks would find it to bite them just 12 seconds into the second period, as the Panthers got on the board with the first shot of the middle frame. Because of course they did. That’s the third-straight game the Blackhawks have allowed the first goal in the contest.
Unfortunately, it would get worse before it got better for Chicago.
I don’t like to throw the term “Clown” around all willy-nilly, but this defensive effort from Delia, Nikita Zadorov, and Adam Boqvist is just a clown-show. The best part, Keith “SONK” Yandle gets the goal. The Blackhawks just can’t have nice things this season, is that it?
https://twitter.com/HeresYourReplay/status/1350976196549480449?s=20
This brings me to a sidebar: Adam Boqvist doesn’t have “it” yet.
Boqvist was never and is never going to be a big player. It’s not his game. He’s a finesse defenseman who relies on his speed and positioning. But my goodness is he playing soft on the puck and opponent this season. It’s something that is not new, but needs to end.
Boqvist was taken off the top powerplay unit later in the second period and then was taken off of his even-strength pairing with Zadorov to end the middle period. He needs to build confidence and sending him to the Rockford IceHogs isn’t an option for another two weeks. Unfortunately, outside of being scratched, his minutes are going to need to be coddled until he can show he can be a positive factor at the NHL level.
On a positive note in the second period, Philipp Kurashev nearly had his first NHL goal but was robbed by Panthers goaltender Chris Driedger.
WHAT A SAVE BY CHRIS DRIEDGER #FlaPanthers pic.twitter.com/NCUFV94iO2
— Here's Your Replay ⬇️ (@HeresYourReplay) January 18, 2021
Rude.
Fortunately, Dreidger couldn’t get to this one from Alex DeBrincat on the powerplay.
DEBRINCAT WITH THE POWER PLAY GOAL!
WATCH:
https://t.co/xqft6THKze pic.twitter.com/HXRoqIARmK— Blackhawks Talk (@NBCSBlackhawks) January 18, 2021
I said it on Twitter, but opponents don’t want to see Alex DeBrincat get hot early. His second goal in as many games, he starts the season with at least one point in each of the first three games for Chicago. A lot of the offensive success for the Blackhawks is going to have to go through DeBrincat this season. He needs to have a bounce-back year from last season, and he looks like he is off to a pretty good start.
Then, the third period. Blackhawks tie the game at 2-2, but just 22 seconds later, the Panthers would make it 3-2. Then 4-2. Then 5-2.
Fin.
Final Thoughts
• The game turned after the no goal call on the Suter to Kane goal in the first period. Just deflating to get that great play called off.
• Dominik Kubalík is not being used on the powerplay and I just don’t get it.
• Collin Delia stopped 24 of 29 shots. I said it in the pregame that the Blackhawks needed to allow 30 or fewer shots to help out their goaltenders. They did that, but it still didn’t make a difference. Maybe it never will.
• Pius Suter eventually did get his first NHL point, a much less exciting second-assist on the Blackhawks 2-2 goal from Connor Murphy.
• I just want to see that non-goal one more time…
The best assist that never countered.
WATCH: https://t.co/xqft6THKze pic.twitter.com/7HAYaYODF7
— Blackhawks Talk (@NBCSBlackhawks) January 18, 2021
