NEWSLETTER
Another slow start for the Blackhawks in the first period; who would have thunk it?
For as not good as the Blackhawks are, the Flyers are worse. But that didn’t stop Derek King’s guys from digging themselves a 1-0 hole in the opening frame on Saturday afternoon. Oskar Lindblom got one by Kevin Lankinen thanks to a timely screen by … Riley Stillman. It was all Philadelphia in the opening period, with the Blackhawks generating absolutely nothing in the first. Philadelphia led the Blackhawks 6-2 in scoring chances, and the Blackhawks turned the puck over six times to Philly’s zero.
The second period was a complete heel turn as the Blackhawks offense awoke from their slumber, a page out of their book this season. Alex DeBrincat started the scoring early with a goal just 34 seconds into the middle frame to even things up at one-a-piece.
Great shot by Alex DeBrincat but check out this nifty faceoff win by Jonathan Toews. #Blackhawks pic.twitter.com/gQvzv5rtq9
— Charlie Roumeliotis (@CRoumeliotis) March 5, 2022
DeBrincat’s goal was set up by a faceoff win by Jonathan Toews, who won 9-of-16 faceoffs in his return on Thursday night. With Toews out of the lineup for a month with a concussion, the Blackhawks won only 44.4 percent of their draws. Alex DeBrincat’s goal was his 31st of the season and No. 150 of his young career.
Then it was the Dylan Strome show, with Strome scoring a pair of goals in the second period, including this one courtesy of a beauty of a no-look apple by Patrick Kanes.
the pass from 8️⃣8️⃣, the goal from 𝘿𝙮𝙡𝙖𝙣 Strome is just 🤌 pic.twitter.com/Xw43fcmxLh
— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) March 5, 2022
Dylan Strome put the Blackhawks back on top after a Cam Atkinson goal late in the second to tie it up at two-a-piece. After a lifeless first period, the Blackhawks’ offense exploded in Philadelphia with a three-goal second period.
What’s perplexing (more so frustrating) about the Blackhawks is they do such an excellent job of playing to the level of their opponents. Thursday night, they played a strong game against a potent Edmonton offense, and they looked good in all three phases, and then they look like a team that can’t defend anything against a crappy defensive team like Philadelphia. This chameleon-like adaptability has been the most confounding part of this season, and today was no different.
Cam Atkinson struck again, beating Kevin Lankinen for the second time on the afternoon to give Philly a 4-3 lead midway through the final frame, and that’s all she wrote in this one and the Blackhawks’ 25-year road losing streak in Philadelphia marches on.
This type of loss is a microcosm of the Blackhawks this season, and it’s the root of all the frustration this season.
You can find the complete box score!
