Last night’s game between the Chicago Blackhawks and Columbus Blue Jackets was a roller coaster of emotions. You go from jubilation to frustration to relief to shock and sadness. All in one hockey game.
It was great and terrible at the same time. Even in the loss, the Blackhawks look like a real team that can compete in real hockey games. This isn’t the kind of season we were expecting so far and in a shortened season, expectations and judgements need to be shortened as well. In the short-term, this Blackhawks team is entertaining. Maybe they won’t be playoff contenders, but at least they are not miserable.
The Blackhawks can still score, even without Jonathan Toews and Kirby Dach. And the Blackhawks still can get great goaltending performances/stick in tight games, even without Corey Crawford. I think we were wrong about them.
Colliton: "A lot of lessons we can learn from tonight, no question. We were in a position to win the game multiple times… We did little things as the game went on that gave them momentum… We have to have killer instinct in the 3rd period when we have the lead."
— Ben Pope (@BenPopeCST) February 12, 2021
• I feel like I’m getting to the point of sugar-coating a loss too much. I’m not going to lie to you, the Blackhawks scored five goals last night and should have won that game. Kevin Lankinen, who has been such a breakout star for Chicago looked pedestrian for the first time since his first start of the season. I don’t think that is the real Kevin Lankinen, and I don’t think the “.933 save percentage and 2.17 GAA” version of him is the real Kevin Lankinen either. It’s probably safe to assume in the small sample size he has in the NHL, he’s somewhere in the middle of those performances.
• Lankinen is 10 starts into his NHL career. There are more stinkers ahead, it’s inevitable. But I believe that he has what it takes to be a competent starter in the NHL. At 25-years-old, I’m not sure he’s the long-term starter for the Blackhawks for the next decade, or anything like that. But for the time being, he’s been good enough.
• We are seeing the real Alex DeBrincat again. With 15 points in 11 games this season, DeBrincat is tied with Patrick Kane for the team-lead in goals (7 in 11 games played). He is second on the team behind Kane for even-strength points this season (9) and is also tied for the team lead in powerplay goals (3) with Dylan Strome and Dominik Kubalík.
Alex DeBrincat's shot percentage the last four seasons, including this season:
2017-18: 15.5
2018-19: 18.6
2019_20: 8.7
2020-21: 17.3Last season was the aberration. It's just business as usual for DeBrincat, who is one of the best snipers in the NHL.
— Jimmy Greenfield (@jcgreenx) February 12, 2021
• I’m not saying he’s going to score 40 goals again this season. But would I be surprised if he found himself back in the upper-20s and maybe into the 30s by the end of the year? No sir. And that’s not all. DeBrincat is also distributing the puck at a high-level again, thanks in large part to his chemistry with Patrick Kane. Long-story short: I think DeBrincat is going to be just fine. We can all chill out.
• Speaking of Patrick Kane, he’s still a beast, notching three points last night, including a nasty snipe goal and a sick backhand assist on DeBrincat’s goal. I’m getting a small feeling that without Toews around the team, Kane is stepping into the spotlight on his own for the Blackhawks and he is relishing being THE guy.
Patrick Kane recorded his 90th career regular-season game with 3+ points to pass former @NHLBlackhawks forward Jeremy Roenick (89) for the fourth-most in NHL history among U.S.-born players. #NHLStats pic.twitter.com/wAo0mc98B9
— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) February 12, 2021
• Ian Mitchell and Nicolas Beaudin scored their first NHL goals just 56 seconds apart last night. That was such a cool moment, one I’ll remember as a fan when looking back at this 2021 season.
Did You Know? Thursday marks the first game in nearly 32 years – and ninth in franchise history – in which multiple @NHLBlackhawks players have each scored their first NHL goal in the same contest. #NHLStats pic.twitter.com/XOsKdV94iU
— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) February 12, 2021
• You love to see the confidence growing in these rookies for the Blackhawks. Getting them more ice and seeing their development progress this season has been truly a treat. They have stepped up in times of injury and COVID and performed well above expectations. It has really been fun to watch.
Mitchell: "In that moment, just joy and relief at the same time. I was so excited. I wanted the puck from Kampfy for forever there so he made a great play to get it to me."
— Ben Pope (@BenPopeCST) February 12, 2021
• There lies a future issue: what happens to this lineup when the likes of Connor Murphy, Adam Boqvist, Lucas Wallmark, and Ryan Carpenter return to the roster? Do you sit the rookies who are playing so well in favor of veterans returning? Do you sit the vets because they’ve lost their spots for reasons outside of their control? I’m not sure what the move is, and I’m not paid to make those decisions. But if I were a coach, I think you have to ride with what got to where you are, especially if the goal this season was the development of the young players. They are developing AND taking you further than you expected to go.
Nic Beaudin on Connor Murphy's absence: "It’s huge. He plays huge minutes. He’s so solid defensively, he brings some offense, too. He’s a huge part of this D-corps and we miss him a lot out there."
— Mark Lazerus (@MarkLazerus) February 12, 2021
• In other Blackhawks news and notes, Stan Bowman will be part of Team USA’s World Championships staff:
#Blackhawks president of hockey operations and general manager Stan Bowman will be part of USA Hockey's advisory group for the 2021 men's World Championship.
The tournament is scheduled for May 21 to June 6 in Riga, Latvia. #TeamUSA
— Brandon Cain (@brandonmcain) February 12, 2021
• In Chicago-adjacent news, I hear J.J. Watt is a free agent, eh?
I heard @JJWatt is a free agent now… pic.twitter.com/OqyMknONBN
— Bleacher Nation Blackhawks (@BN_Blackhawks) February 12, 2021
• So J.J., I hear you like the Blackhawks? They’re in Chicago. I hear you like Portillo’s? That’s in Chicago, too.
JJ Watt looked it up: there's a Portillo's a half-mile from the #Texans team hotel this weekend. Said it'll be 'dangerous.'
— Patrick Finley (@patrickfinley) December 9, 2020
• Your wife, Kealia, plays in Chicago too. So that’s cool. Just saying, you know, Chicago’s kinda cool.
Looking fuego, JJ! 🔥👏
Houston Texans defensive end JJ Watt rolled into Soldiers Field in Chicago rocking his wife’s jersey (Chicago Red Stars player Kealia Watt) ⚽️ #thegist
(c/o – @JJWatt) pic.twitter.com/EiifvkJL5A
— The GIST USA (@thegistusa) December 14, 2020
• I’ve done all I can, Bears fans.
• What’s the verdict on these golden helmets by the Vegas Golden Knights? I kind of hate them? But also, it’s nice to see something new in the NHL.
if you look closely you can see your future in our helmet
…and it's looking gold 😉 pic.twitter.com/h6Bay3act9
— Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) February 12, 2021
• Finally, Brian Burke may have made up my new favorite hockey term…
Some foreshadowing here?
Brian Burke with us: "Pittsburgh's the last team to win with a small, fast team. The last 3 Cup winners have been big, they play long pants hockey, they play ugly hockey. I think we need to look at that & see, have we kept up with the joneses here?"
— The Fan Morning Show (@FanMorningShow) February 12, 2021
• This is now strictly a “long pants hockey” site.