The Blackhawks lost a tough game in OT to the Lightning last night in Amalie, Florida. But if a game qualifies as a more victory, this contest might be it.
Back in the day—I mean, when a shootout was just something that happened on a nightly basis at Lawrence and Broadway—a tie was a tie in the NHL.
For what it’s worth, I love 3-on-3 OT, but I don’t put too much stock in whether you win one or lose one. The last couple of Hawk teams, in my opinion, tended to fatten up their point totals by winning OT’s at 3-on-3, a style of hockey that is entirely irrelevant when the games really matter—in April, May and June.
And we know what happened to those teams at that time of year.
So, the fact that the Hawks lost in OT last night, to a very good team in their building, is not ruining my Thanksgiving. Further, it suggests that for the last three games at least, this team has been playing pretty well: 5 points out of a possible 6 against good teams, 2 of those games on the road.
Sure, I wish Nick Schmaltz didn’t take what was pretty much a lazy stick penalty, that led to a Tampa Bay power play in OT. And that Jonathan Toews didn’t get caught over on the wall, leaving a hapless Jan Rutta to defend three Tampa players on the game-winning goal.
But stuff like that is going to happen.
On a positive note, early returns suggest Connor Murphy is finding his game on his off side, playing with The Official Hawk Whipping BoyTM of 2017, Brent Seabrook. Full marks to Ulf Samuelsson or Joel Quenneville or whoever cooked that idea up, because it appears to be working: for the pair, for Seabrook, and for Murphy.
Alex DeBrincat and Gustav Forsling had the bad games I told you they would yet still have—but both also continue to look more comfortable now than they did even ten games ago.
The Patrick Kane-Artem Anisimov-Schmaltz line continues to look like a winner. Toews, Richard Panik and Brandon Saad have gone a little cold on the scoresheet, but continue to get chances and pressure.
Overall, the team is playing better. A sure bet to even make the playoffs, much less advance? Not yet. But better.
As I reported on Twitter last night, for the second straight game, at least one Buffalo scout was in attendance in Rockford, advancing trade speculation around the Sabres. But as I reminded a few followers also, that’s what scouts do—they go to games and watch players. Could a deal be in the offing? In my opinion, if Stan Bowman is really serious about the old One Goal Mantra this year, he and his staff better be working on some things.
But Bowman’s bargaining position, not to mention the performance of his team, appear to have improved somewhat of late. And all that is good.
More to come. Happy Thanksgiving everyone!