RECAP: Blackhawks Drop Winter Classic 4-2 To Boston

  

The Boston Bruins and Chicago Blackhawks met up in South Bend, Indiana for the 2019 Bridgestone Winter Classic, on Tuesday afternoon. Both teams nailed their special event uniforms and there was no shortage of the circus-like NHL public relations stunts.

This was your Blackhawks starting lineup:
Brandon Saad – Jonathan Toews – Dominik Kahun
Artem Anisimov – Dylan Strome – Patrick Kane
Alex DeBrincat – David Kampf – Dylan Sikura
Brendan Perlini – Marcus Kruger – Andreas Martinsen

Duncan Keith – Erik Gustafsson
Gustav Forsling – Brent Seabrook
Carl Dahlstrom – Connor Murphy

Newly acquired Drake Caggiula was not able to make his Blackhawks debut because of work visa issues, while veteran Chris Kunitz, and John Hayden both got a birds-eye view of the game from the press box.

After over thirty minutes of fluff and pre-game nonsense, there was actually a hockey game that needed to be played. Shocking, I know…

Period One

Boston came out early and tested Blackhawks goalie Cam Ward, but Ward’s old school veteran style kept the Bruins off the board. The Blackhawks didn’t get a significant scoring chance until the game was five minutes old.

Following a mostly ineffective power play, the Blackhawks took a surprising 1-0 lead. Even more surprising was the player that scored the aforementioned goal. Brendan Perlini scored his fifth goal of the season, and third as a Blackhawk. The goal would have never been possible without the ferocious forecheck of David Kampf, who stole puck behind the Boston net and fed a wide-open Perlini.

After Artem Anisimov was assessed a penalty for tripping up former Blackhawk Joakim Nordstrom, the Bruins took their first shot at the man advantage. Thirty-three seconds into the power play Bruins forward David Pastrnak intercepted a long Patrice Bergeron shot on it’s way to then net. Pastrnak caught Ward committing to the original shot and was able to slide the puck under the goaltender’s right pad, tying the game.

The Blackhawks had another power play chance in the closing minutes of the first period but were unsuccessful once again. Each team also had solid scoring opportunities in the final minute, but the goalies stood tall and sent the teams into the locker rooms tied at one goal apiece.  Shots favored Boston 14-12.

Period Two

The middle frame of the game was pretty slow moving for the first half, as the Blackhawks held an early 9-2 shot lead. Bruins goalie Tuuka Rask remained calm and held the home team off the scoreboard, initially.

Shortly after the 10-minute mark, Blackhawks forward Dominik Kahun gave the men in black a 2-1 lead. Jonathan Toews worked hard behind the net to hold possession of the puck and fed Erik Gustafsson at the blue line. Gustafsson, who is no stranger to the offensive end of the rink, sent a shot towards the Boston net that Kahun slightly redirected.  That slight redirection was all that the puck needed to fool Rask and give the Blackhawks a 2-1 lead.

Unfortunately, A poor Erik Gustafsson penalty in the final moments of the second period eventually ended up turning into the game tying goal. Following an unsuccessful shorthanded Kahun break-a-way at one end of the rink, the puck came back down to the other end and Patrice Bergeron beat Ward, from the slot, following a nice pass from David Pastrnak.

Patrick Kane drew a late penalty with nine seconds remaining and the teams headed into the final intermission tied at two goals. The Blackhawks fought back to take the shots on net lead, 28-24.

Period Three

Just two minutes into the third period, the Blackhawks got themselves into an awful position, after taking two undisciplined penalties to negate their original power play. As a result, the home team faced a 90-second two-man Bruins advantage. Luckily for the Blackhawks, they were able to kill off the Bruins red-hot power play and the game remained tied.

Another sloppy penalty, this time in their own end by Gustav Forsling, brought the Bruins power play back out on the ice just five minutes into the third period. The Blackhawks once again stepped up and killed the penalty off.

If only they could have figured this out in the first two periods.

At the midway point of the third period, the Bruins took a 3-2 lead due to some bad Blackhawks defense. Initially, the Blackhawks lost a faceoff in the Bruins zone, which eventually led to the puck ending up deep in the Chicago end. Gustav Forsling failed to clear the puck under an intense Bruins fourth line forecheck. Eventually, Sean Kuraly found a loose puck in front of the Blackhawks’ net and shoveled the puck past Cam Ward.

That goal stood as the game winner, with the Bruins getting an empty netter in the waning moments. The final shot total favored Chicago 38-36, but they left South Bend and Notre Dame Stadium 3-2 losers.

RECAP: Blackhawks Drop Winter Classic 4-2 To Boston

Photo courtesy of the Chicago Blackhawks twitter

Pluses

  • Nice to see Brendan Perlini get a goal and be noticeable in a positive manner.  I might want to see him succeed more than Dylan Strome.  He really could make that Schmaltz trade absolute larceny.
  • Cam Ward played more than adequate.  He deserved a better fate from his teammates.  Goaltending was not an issue in this game at all.
  • The Blackhawks got shots off the post by Connor Murphy early on, and Jonathan Toews later.  Either could have easily been the game tying goal.
  • Despite playing the least amount (by a significant margin), the Blackhawks fourth line were possession monsters and scored the first goal of the game.
  • Generally, this game was pretty even.  Shots were within two, and high danger scoring chances were within one.  This is the result when a team loses focus as the game goes on.

Minuses

  • Gustav Forsling had a rough game.  His turnovers were costly and egregious.
  • It is about time Dylan Sikura started doing something on the ice that results in something positive on the scoreboard.  His job is to score and set up scoring opportunities.  If he’s not going to accomplish that he needs to be in Rockford and someone else needs a shot like Anthony Louis.
  • The Blackhawks fell to 1-5 in outdoor games.  Can we stop this nonsense for a while?  They simply don’t show well nor do they deserve it.

Center Ice Forums RECAP: Blackhawks Drop Winter Classic 4-2 To Boston

Viewing 14 posts - 1 through 14 (of 14 total)
  • Author
    Posts
  • #11244
    Jeff Osborn
    Keymaster

    The Boston Bruins and Chicago Blackhawks met up in South Bend, Indiana for the 2019 Bridgestone Winter Classic, on Tuesday afternoon. Both teams naile
    [To continue reading full article, click here: RECAP: Blackhawks Drop Winter Classic 4-2 To Boston]

    #11245
    Under Qs moustache
    Participant

    the Hawks should be given a 5 year ban on the New Year’s Classic.

    If the home team could be allowed to pick any opponent, the Hawks would be in this every year!

    Anyone wanna take a bet on the Hawks winning 25 of their next 40 games? Let the sell off begin!

     

    #11250
    Alan Parsons
    Participant

    Waive Forsling.   Waive 42. Trade him.   He is just not an NHL player.

    #11251
    Alan Parsons
    Participant

    Going to completely disagree about Sikura.  He has played a very good shutdown game, has kept the puck going in the offensive zone, has done a great job defensively and has created some chances for himself.  I think he looks like he is going to be just fine.  Im not arguing he is the next 50 goal scorer, but he is fast and has good instincts.   Put him with Kruger and Caggiula on the 4th line.   Hayden and Martinsen never need to see NHL ice again.  Along with Forsling.

    #11252
    Alan Parsons
    Participant

    this team has sucked because they suck at defense, and they are getting better at defense!  but forsling needs to go, asap, and then they can work on finding a new home for seabrook.  but sikura isnt the problem.  offense isnt the problem.  they can score goals!  But forsling…he really really sucks ass.

    #11258
    Alan Parsons
    Participant

    And Sikura has the best possession numbers on the team by a mile.  He hasnt been given much ice time so that is admittedly a small sample size, but it should be enough to garner him some more minutes at least.   I dont get the Sikura hate, let him play and I think the points will come.   Perlini has looked completely lost, but Sikura hasnt to me.  Perlini is the liability out there right now.  And even when Perlini scores like he did yesterday, Colliton doesnt play him more than 7 minutes!  That is a head scratcher.

    Id prefer the shade be thrown on the guy who is on the ice for a shit-ton of goals against and hardly any for, and thats Perlini.

    #11260
    Jeff Osborn
    Keymaster

    Just simply possessing the puck isn’t his job.  Possession numbers with no context are over rated.

    His job is to score goals and set up scoring chances.  He’s not doing either.  This was his 10th NHL game and he has 3 assists.  He was scoring in the AHL, which what they brought him in for.  He needs to be capable of playing top 6 and PP, but also providing scoring.

    Putting a skill forward on the 4th line (that can regularly play under 8 minutes a night) is a complete waste. On top of this, the 4th line is not used for scoring for Jeremy Colliton.  Their zone starts are 3/4 defensive, while Sikura should continue getting majority offensive zone starts (which he is).  His defense is suspect (at best) and he’s one of the lightest players on the entire roster.  He is not banging and crashing to get the puck out of the zone in the Hawks end at 155 lbs.  That’s not his game.

    Right now, Caggiula is a better option on the 3rd line with Kampf and Debrincat.  More of a scoring threat.  7 goals in 29 games is much more of a threat and he’s over 20 lbs heavier than Sikura.

    #11261
    Alan Parsons
    Participant

    It is hard to score when you only get 7 minutes a night.

    #11262
    Mister Ricochet
    Participant

    No doubt that a player with the skill set of Sikura skating 4th line is a waste.  He doesn’t have shutdown skills and what offensive skills he has are wasted.  He is getting plenty of 3rd line exposure with Dcat and Kampf and not producing, yet anyways.  His fancies are solid with a 55.2 Corsi and a n 11.6 CorsiRel…….  My guess is he’s a candidate to go down once Caligula gets to town as he’s waiver exempt.  https://www.hockey-reference.com/players/s/sikurdy01.html

    Listened to Weideman and Gardner for awhile as well as watched and all agreed this was Perlini’s best effort as a Hawk.   Interesting looking at the box he only got 7:28 TOI.

    His fancies are poor as a Hawk and he’s getting less and less ice time under JC but seems to have settled on a 4th line role for him and he’s seemingly taking to it.  4 points and 19 SOG his last 10 mostly 4th line duty.   https://leftwinglock.com/players/index.php?p1=Brendan%20Perlini&flag=y

    I’m a big believer in giving a player a role, coaching him to it and demanding execution.  Simplify.  Hope this big, talented +skater with some offensive back class can do just that.

    #11263
    Mister Ricochet
    Participant

    Dug a little deeper on Sikura and his numbers are encouraging.  At even strength 55% Corsi, 54 shots for 41 against, 3 goals for 2 against, 39 scoring chances for 28 against for a 58% for.   …… Some solid numbers.  Deployment is key of course but I have no suggestions.

    https://www.naturalstattrick.com/linestats.php?fromseason=20182019&thruseason=20182019&stype=2&sit=ev&score=all&rate=n&team=CHI&view=wowy&loc=B&gpfilt=none&fd=2018-10-03&td=2019-04-06&tgp=2000&strict=incl&p1=8478106&p2=8478106&p3=0&p4=0&p5=0

    #11264
    Alan Parsons
    Participant

    He is backchecking well, he is aggressive on the forecheck.  He is creating chances, just not finishing yet.  I think that will start to come soon.  But he is responsible and he is working hard and he does look fast.  I dont get all the hate.  Plenty of things to hate on this team, but Sikura is at the bottom of that list.   Forsling is at the top.   That poor kid is completely underwater right now.  Just make it stop already.  If he doesnt start in the offensive zone, he is a gigantic liability because it feels like he turns the puck over on every damn shift and then loses his man and gets beaten.  Every damn shift.

     

     

    #11265
    Alan Parsons
    Participant

    And as bad a defender as Gus has been, he has been noticeably ok with Keith as his partner.  If Keith can hold the line, and let Gus cowboy up, they can live with his deficiencies as long as he is potting goals and making good on the PP.

    When Jokiharju gets back, Forsling needs to sit. But I dont think you can take Gus away from Keith at this point.   Unless…

    Unless you pair Gus with Murphy, Keith with Joker and you put Dahlstrom with Seabrook.  I think Seabrook needs a big time helper on his line.  Seabs isnt going anywhere right now so you have to babysit him.   You cant put Gus there.  You cant put Joker there.

    The Keith-Gus pair has worked well, for the most part.  Murphy and Dahlstrom have been good.  The third pair blows.   I think Jokiharju needs a veteran guy on his line, and a better defender too.

    Keith-Gus

    Joker – Murphy

    Dahlstrom – Seabrook

     

    #11266
    Mister Ricochet
    Participant

    Parsons, as I posted in another thread IMO it’s waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay too early to give up on Forsling.  Kid is 22, played on 3 WJC teams for defenseman factory Sweden and has less than 100 NHL games.  ……. Sure the eye test shows a kid who turns the puck over and makes some poor decisions but it also shows a KID with good size who is a ++skater.  You just don’t give up on a physical package like that with his back class with less than 100 NHL games, you just don’t.

    Hawks are going nowhere and the most important thing is how they allocate NHL minutes as a result.  If they think the NHL minutes are stunting his development send him down, otherwise keep giving him those experience gaining minutes.   At evens he’s been on the ice for 9 goals for and 10 against.  So despite the eye test and ALL his underlying numbers he hasn’t hurt the club.

    Develop the kid.

    #11270
    Alan Parsons
    Participant

    Forsling has that deer in the headlights look about him. Like he knows he is about to get his ass handed to him on every shift.  He isnt confident.  If he can figure out how to make that first forechecker miss and make the pass/move out of the zone without the TO then sure.  But he looks like a much bigger project than Jokiharju at this point.  He looks like he is in way over his head right now.  You dont want to break him, but he doesnt look like he has any clue what to do right now.   Maybe he needs more RFD time.  Maybe he needs a better partner.  Maybe he just isnt that good.  I agree with you that he has upside, and potential, but…ugh.  They got better by subtracting Rutta and Manning.  Not work on Forsling and eventually they can get to Seabs.

Viewing 14 posts - 1 through 14 (of 14 total)
  • You must be logged in to reply to this topic.