The Chicago Blackhawks blow a 4-1 lead last night at home and fall to New Jersey, 7-5, setting the team’s overall record at 8-8-2 after 18 games this season.
To understand exactly what happened last night at the United Center, look no further than the basic stat line of one Jan Rutta. 3 points, and minus 1.
So that tells you that Rutta, for all the ooooh-ing and ahhhh-ing he was getting on Twitter last night, was also on the ice for at least 4 goals against. Now, I know like everyone else that there are 4 other skaters out there who are also, perhaps, somewhat to blame for the defensive breakdowns that lead to goals. At the same time, Rutta was noticeable not just for his big shot, but also for his role in the ongoing Chinese Fire Drill known as :the Hawk defense.
So let’s broaden it out a bit. As you might expect from a 7-5 game, it was an alternately wide open andsloppy affair, the big highlight of which (for New Jersey fans anyway) was a hat trick for Devil forward Miles Wood.
Yay.
Corey Crawford didn’t have a lot of help but he also wasn’t very good himself, and got pulled after giving up 6 goals in two periods for Anton Forsberg. Forsberg gave up one goal (on 11 shots), after Wood knocked his stick out of his hand before scoring his third goal.
Hey, the Hawks scored 5 goals and those were the Chicago highlights—Alex DeBrincat got another goal on a gorgeous pass from Nick Schmaltz. But, watching the game out of the corner of my eye while recording the RinkCast last night, I was struck that the flow of the game was that of a peewee pond hockey game—wild and out of control.
And as you might expect, our RinkCast conversation, with Coach Bob Rose, spent a lot of time on the issues the Hawks are having. Mostly the power play, but also the ongoing difficulty executing clean breakouts (which was a disaster last night).
I’m not sure what the answer is. Is anybody?
But one thing I am becoming more sure of is there is no “one” answer. The problems with this team are many—they extend beyond personnel to scheme. And one leads to the other.
The coaching staff keeps changing up the lines, pairings and power play units in order to find the right combinations. Players, especially defensemen, are being asked to play on their off sides.
And in every situation, the team struggles to execute consistently—perhaps because of all the new combinations, a lack of continuity and being able to anticipate where linemates will be. So then everything changes up again.
I will just say this: with DeBrincat now looking to become a dangerous player, the Hawks seem to have some scoring potential on 2-3 lines. Perhaps it is time to solidify and stick with some lines and units and get that continuity and anticipation going.
The defense is a different story.
The Hawks dressed 7 defenders last night, only two of whom have more than 2-3 years’ NHL experience—at the position where often, a lot of NHL experience is absolutely essential for success.
So to my eye, if Stan Bowman wants to take that Marian Hossa LTIR cap space and do something with it in terms of crafting a trade, the defense is where he should focus. A stabilizing veteran defender.
Today on The-Rink, Aaron Goldschmidt and Mario Tirabassi post new reports on the NCAA and Rockford respectively—with an audio file of Mario talking to Rockford Coach Jeremy Colliton yesterday.
All for now,
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