CHIvsTBL Archives - The Rink https://www.the-rink.com/tag/chivstbl/ Chicago Blackhawks and NHL Salary Cap Information Sat, 24 Jan 2026 18:55:32 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.0 https://i0.wp.com/www.the-rink.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/cropped-FavIcon_v3.png?fit=32%2C32&ssl=1 CHIvsTBL Archives - The Rink https://www.the-rink.com/tag/chivstbl/ 32 32 136660061 RECAP: Blackhawks secure three points in back-to-back shootouts https://www.the-rink.com/recap-blackhawks-secure-three-points-in-back-to-back-shootouts/ https://www.the-rink.com/recap-blackhawks-secure-three-points-in-back-to-back-shootouts/#respond Sat, 24 Jan 2026 18:55:32 +0000 https://www.the-rink.com/?p=35759 On Thursday night, the Chicago Blackhawks traveled to Raleigh, North Carolina, to take on the Carolina Hurricanes. The Canes boasted one of the best home records in the East. The... Read more »

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]]> On Thursday night, the Chicago Blackhawks traveled to Raleigh, North Carolina, to take on the Carolina Hurricanes. The Canes boasted one of the best home records in the East. The night also marked Blackhawks forward Oliver Moore’s 21st birthday.

First period

Despite being a very tough place to play, the Hawks got on the board first. Ilya Mikheyev scored the first goal of the game, shorthanded.

However, less than a minute later, the Canes responded with a goal from Joel Nystrom.

Second period

In the second period, Nick Lardis buried a pass from Ryan Donato for the goal.

Later in the period, Jordan Staal of the Canes tied the game at 2-2. Moore then defended Lardis by picking a fight with Alexander Nikishin. Moore was sent to the ice after two punches.

Third period

Despite being outplayed by the Canes for two periods, the score was tied. In the third period, the game shifted toward the Blackhawks. Frank Nazar had one of his best performances of the season, generating multiple scoring chances.

The Hawks took the lead on a Connor Murphy goal. Murphy displayed some silky mitts as he dangled past Frederik Andersen.

Jackson Blake tied the game less than a minute later for Carolina.

Overtime and shootout

Both teams went scoreless in overtime, forcing a shootout. In the shootout, it was tied until Moore was sent out to shoot. The birthday boy buried the game winner for a Gordie-Howe-ish hat trick.

After defeating Carolina, the Hawks returned home for a tilt against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Friday. The only changes to the Hawks’ lineup were that Jason Dickinson returned from illness and Arvid Soderblom got the start in place of Spencer Knight.

First period

Despite being outplayed in the first period, the Hawks finished the first period up 1-0. Ryan Greene capitalized on a Tampa Bay miscue.

Second period

Tampa continued to dominate the play and finally got a game-tying goal. Nikita Kucherov scored late in the second to even the game.

Third period and overtime

As was the case in Carolina, the Hawks came to life in the third period. The Hawks owned the play in this period and yet did not score.

In overtime after trading chances, the game remained tied.

Shootout

In the shootout, Chicago and Tampa traded goals. The Lightning goals were from Kucherov and Gage Goncalves. At the same time, the Hawks got goals from Nazar and Louis Crevier. The game came down to Dominic James vs. Soderblom. James, the former Blackhawks draft pick who spurned the Hawks this past offseason to become a free agent, had a chance at revenge. James fired a wrist shot by Soderblom for the Tampa victory.

Analysis

The Hawks’ goalies were the heroes of these two games. Both Knight and Soderblom turned in excellent performances. This might have been Soderblom’s best start of the year.

Another positive was Nazar. Nazar was playing fast and generating chances in both games. His lower body looks to be healthy again.

These two games were odd for Connor Bedard. Bedard was noticeable against Carolina and invisible against Tampa Bay.

The Hawks still need to get off to better starts and not count on excellent goalie play to bail them out.

The Hawks’ next game is Sunday night against the Florida Panthers. The game starts at 6 p.m. CST.

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]]> https://www.the-rink.com/recap-blackhawks-secure-three-points-in-back-to-back-shootouts/feed/ 0 35759 RECAP: Donato does it again, Blackhawks top Lightning 3-2 https://www.the-rink.com/recap-donato-does-it-again-blackhawks-top-lightning-3-2/ https://www.the-rink.com/recap-donato-does-it-again-blackhawks-top-lightning-3-2/#respond Fri, 24 Oct 2025 14:48:42 +0000 https://www.the-rink.com/?p=34989 The Chicago Blackhawks looked to continue the roll that they have been on the last few games as they came in to Florida to take on the Tampa Bay Lightning... Read more »

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]]> The Chicago Blackhawks looked to continue the roll that they have been on the last few games as they came in to Florida to take on the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday night. The 11 forward-seven defensemen setup continues to work, so Jeff Blashill doesn’t feel the need to change anything up as of yet. Nick Foligno checked back into the lineup, with Andre Burakovsky coming out of the lineup due to the birth of his child. That would be the only lineup shift in this one, as Spencer Knight got the start in net.

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First period

The Blackhawks had a few chances, but the Lightning got more shots on net in the first. Ilya Mikheyev led a 2-on-1 with Frank Nazar into the offensive zone, but was stopped by Andrei Vasilevskiy. The Blackhawks got the first power play of the game in this one. About halfway through the period, Tyler Bertuzzi got the puck beside the net and waited patiently. Nazar had himself positioned perfectly and took a feed right in front of the net to give the Blackhawks the 1-0 lead.

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Three more penalties would be taken in the period, but nothing came of them. The Blackhawks would carry that lead into the intermission.

Second period

Seven minutes into the second, the Lightning got back into the game. They had the Blackhawks in chaos in front of their own net, with Knight having to dive to make a couple of saves. The puck found its way back to the point, with Ryan McDonagh putting the puck on net. It was tipped past Knight by Jake Guentzel, knotting things up at 1-1.

Then, right around the 10-minute mark of the second, with a delayed penalty upcoming, Ryan Donato took the puck. He went end to end and put a nasty wrister on net that beat Vasilevskiy, putting the Blackhawks back up 2-1.

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In a brutal end to the period, the Blackhawks let up the tying goal with less than a minute to go. Nikita Kucherov got the puck on the left end boards. He found McDonagh in the right circle, and he buried the wrister past Knight. The period would end with everything knotted up at 2-2.

Third period

After both teams played a clean second period, the third turned into another penalty-riddled mess. On a 4-on-4 with six minutes to go, Ryan Greene got a takeaway right in front of the Lightning net. He couldn’t sneak it past Vasilevskiy though, and the game stayed tied at 2-2. Then, with just over a minute to go, Teuvo Teravainen took the puck from Kucherov in the defensive zone. He made a beautiful pass through the neutral zone to Nazar. His shot was saved, but the rebound came right out to Donato, who didn’t miss with his second of the game.

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That would do it for this game, giving the Blackhawks the 3-2 victory over the Lightning.

Analysis

This game goes to show that looking at the statistics themselves doesn’t tell the whole picture. The Blackhawks were outshot, and didn’t win as many faceoffs as they should have. It was truly a penalty-riddled mess in the first and third, with both teams playing sloppy hockey and taking nine combined penalties, with none of those penalty minutes coming from fights. Donato and Nazar both continued their strong starts to the season. Those two and Mikheyev are a huge part of the Blackhawks’ early season success along with Knight keeping them in games in the early part of the season with his strong play.

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The Blackhawks’ next game is on Sunday night versus the Los Angeles Kings at the United Center. That game will be at 6 p.m. Central on CHSN.

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]]> https://www.the-rink.com/recap-donato-does-it-again-blackhawks-top-lightning-3-2/feed/ 0 34989 RECAP: Soderblom stops 34 and Hawks defeat Lightning 4–1 https://www.the-rink.com/recap-soderblom-stops-34-and-hawks-defeat-lightning-4-1/ https://www.the-rink.com/recap-soderblom-stops-34-and-hawks-defeat-lightning-4-1/#respond Wed, 29 Jan 2025 14:03:35 +0000 https://www.the-rink.com/?p=32873 For the second time in five days, the Chicago Blackhawks took on the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Tuesday night tilt, which took place at Amalie Arena, is the first of... Read more »

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]]> For the second time in five days, the Chicago Blackhawks took on the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Tuesday night tilt, which took place at Amalie Arena, is the first of a three-game road trip for the Blackhawks, who are looking to avenge Friday night’s 4–3 overtime loss at the United Center against the Lightning. Arvid Soderblom got the start in goal for the Hawks against Tampa Bay’s Jonas Johansson.

First period

The Lightning jumped out to a 1–0 lead on Brayden Point’s 28th goal of the season. Nikita Kucherov skated behind the net and found Point in the slot, who beat Soderblom at the 3:34 mark to give Tampa Bay the early lead. The Lightning took a 1–0 lead after one, though the home side had many high-quality chances and the Blackhawks were extremely fortunate to only be trailing by one.

Second period

The Blackhawks tied the game at 1–1 on a power play goal by Connor Bedard, who sniped one from the left half boards. For Bedard, it was his 14th of the season at 10:19.

The Hawks took a 2–1 lead on Landon Slaggert’s first of the season. Playing in his first NHL game of the season, Slaggert fired a shot from the right circle over the glove of Johansson at 18:14 of the second.

The Hawks would take the lead into the locker room after 40 minutes.

Third period

Chicago extended its lead to 3–1 on Ryan Donato’s 15th of the season. Seth Jones shot the puck wide but Donato tapped in the rebound off the boards at the 8:02 mark.

The Hawks finished Tampa Bay off with an empty-net goal from Teuvo Teravainen, who tallied his 11th of the season with 57 seconds left. The Hawks took a 4–1 lead, which was the final.

Analysis

It was a big win for the Hawks, who won in Tampa for the second straight season. After a rough first period which the Hawks spent a majority of shorthanded, the visitors turned things around in the second period. Soderblom was tremendous with 34 saves, including some grade-A stops in the final two periods to seal the win. The Blackhawks continue their road trip on Thursday night in Raleigh when they take on the new-look Carolina Hurricanes and former teammate Taylor Hall. Puck drop is at 6 p.m. CST on CHSN with the radio call on WGN AM 720.

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]]> https://www.the-rink.com/recap-soderblom-stops-34-and-hawks-defeat-lightning-4-1/feed/ 0 32873 RECAP: Blackhawks fall to Tampa Bay 4–3 in OT https://www.the-rink.com/recap-blackhawks-fall-to-tampa-bay-4-3-in-ot/ https://www.the-rink.com/recap-blackhawks-fall-to-tampa-bay-4-3-in-ot/#respond Sun, 26 Jan 2025 20:03:06 +0000 https://www.the-rink.com/?p=32853 Before the contest, the Chicago Blackhawks healthy scratched Taylor Hall. Hall would eventually be traded in a three-team deal with the Carolina Hurricanes and Colorado Avalanche. The Hawks received their... Read more »

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]]> Before the contest, the Chicago Blackhawks healthy scratched Taylor Hall. Hall would eventually be traded in a three-team deal with the Carolina Hurricanes and Colorado Avalanche. The Hawks received their own 2025 third-round pick back for retaining 50% of Mikko Rantanen’s contract. The other pieces moved in the deal were Rantanen and Hall to Carolina and Martin Necas, Jack Drury, a 2025 second-round pick and a 2026 fourth-round pick (both from Carolina) to Colorado.

It was later revealed the Hawks sent the rights to Nils Juntorp to Carolina. Juntorp was a sixth-round pick of the Blackhawks in 2022. He is currently playing in Sweden third division.

With all the moves off the ice, here was the lineup the Hawks rolled out against Tampa Bay.

First period

Midway through the first period, Colton Dach was called for tripping against Mitchell Chaffee. Chaffee scored first goal of the game on the subsequent power play. The goal gave the Lightning 1–0 lead.

Dach redeemed himself later in the period with his first NHL goal.

Less three minutes later in the first, Frank Nazar scored his second goal of the season.

The first period ended with the Hawks up 2–1.

Second period

In the second period, the Hawks kept on scoring. Defenseman Louis Crevier scored his third goal of the season. 

The Hawks surrendered a late goal to Nick Paul in the waning seconds of the period. The second period ended with the Hawks up 3–2.

Third period

In the third period, Alec Martinez committed a penalty to give Tampa a power play late. Jake Guentzel cashed in on the opportunity and tied the game.

Overtime

A late third-period Teuvo Teravainen penalty carried over into overtime. Nikita Kucherov scored the game-winner for Tampa. The Hawks lost 4–3.

Analysis

First off, the negatives, the Hawks once again failed to keep a lead. Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times broke it down for us:

Blackhawks’ record after… Leading at 1st intermission: 9-7-3 (31st in NHL) Leading at 2nd intermission: 13-2-5 (31st)  in the NHL

Holding the lead has to be priority now and in the future for the Blackhawks.

Now onto the positives. The kids are here to stay. With Taylor Hall now gone and Ryan Donato likely to be moved, the Hawks are going to be playing with a lot of their prospects moving forward. In the game, Nazar recorded a goal and assist and Dach scored his first NHL goal.

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With the Hawks planning on trying to sign Oliver Moore, Ryan Greene and Sam Rinzel after their collegiate season, there are more young players coming to the Hawks. If the current play of Dach and Nazar are any indication of the future, it figures to be an exciting time for the Hawks.

The Hawks take on the Minnesota Wild Sunday at 6 p.m. CST at the United Center. The game will be the Hawks’ Hockey Fights Cancer night.

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]]> https://www.the-rink.com/recap-blackhawks-fall-to-tampa-bay-4-3-in-ot/feed/ 0 32853 RECAP: Lightning strike in 4–2 win over Blackhawks https://www.the-rink.com/recap-lightning-strike-in-4-2-win-over-blackhawks/ https://www.the-rink.com/recap-lightning-strike-in-4-2-win-over-blackhawks/#respond Fri, 17 Nov 2023 14:30:22 +0000 https://www.the-rink.com/?p=27536 The Chicago Blackhawks returned to the United Center on Thursday night to face the Tampa Bay Lightning for the second time in a week. The Hawks were coming off a... Read more »

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]]> The Chicago Blackhawks returned to the United Center on Thursday night to face the Tampa Bay Lightning for the second time in a week. The Hawks were coming off a 4–3 road loss to the Florida Panthers in the second game of a two-game trip through Florida, which began with a 5–3 win last Thursday night in Tampa. Petr Mrazek was between the pipes for Chicago while Jonas Johansson started for the visitors, a disappointing sight for those hoping to see former Hawks prospect Matt Tomkins between the pipes for the visitors.

The Blackhawks opened the scoring on the power play at 12:59 of the first when (finally!) Lukas Reichel scored his first of the season. Philipp Kurashev sent a shot-pass from the left point toward the slot where Reichel deflected it past Johansson, who was screened by Corey Perry, to give the home team a 1–0 lead. The Hawks held that lead through the first 20 minutes of play.

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Nearly five minutes into the second period, Tampa Bay tied it with a power play goal of their own. Brayden Point tipped a Victor Hedman point shot for his seventh of the season.

The Lightning took a 2–1 lead shortly after when Mikhail Sergachev scored his first of the season at the 9:01 mark. After some strong puck possession by the Lightning, Sergachev blasted a one-timer past Mrazek from the point to give the Bolts the lead, which they took into the second intermission.

Early in the third, Perry tied it with his fourth of the season. Perry forced a turnover and then skated in 2-on-1 with Boris Katchouk, who dished it to Jason Dickinson in front, who redirected it to Perry for a tap-in.

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At 11:53 of the third, the Lightning regained the lead at 3–2. Eric Cernak’s point shot missed the net but took a fortunate bounce off the boards right on to the stick of Hedman, who tapped it on the doorstep for his fourth of the season.

The Lightning iced it with 48.8 seconds left when former Blackhawk Brandon Hagel scored his eighth of the season into the Hawks’ vacated net. Tampa Bay had a 4–2 lead which would be the final.

Analysis

Tampa Bay was desperate for a win after being on the wrong end of back-to-back shutouts and they dominated play. If it were not for some big saves from Mrazek, the score may have been a lot uglier, as the Lightning doubled Chicago in shots on goal (30–15). The Lightning’s aggressive forecheck enabled them to keep the puck in the Hawks’ end for most of the game. In the third, the Hawks sat on one shot on goal until about three minutes were left in the game. Connor Bedard was a total non-factor, as the Lightning were all over him defensively and forced him to play most of his shifts in his own end. On the plus side, Reichel finally scratched the score sheet and the hope is that this relieves some pressure and he gets on a roll.

The Blackhawks return to the ice on Saturday afternoon in Nashville. Puck drop is at 1 p.m. CST on NBCSCH with the radio call on WGN 720.

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]]> https://www.the-rink.com/recap-lightning-strike-in-4-2-win-over-blackhawks/feed/ 0 27536 Matt Tomkins deserves to start against the Blackhawks https://www.the-rink.com/matt-tomkins-deserves-to-start-against-the-blackhawks/ https://www.the-rink.com/matt-tomkins-deserves-to-start-against-the-blackhawks/#respond Thu, 16 Nov 2023 18:23:34 +0000 https://www.the-rink.com/?p=27402 When the Tampa Bay Lightning take on the Chicago Blackhawks tonight, Jon Cooper should start Matt Tomkins. Tomkins is a 29-year-old goalie who recently made his NHL debut after playing... Read more »

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]]> When the Tampa Bay Lightning take on the Chicago Blackhawks tonight, Jon Cooper should start Matt Tomkins. Tomkins is a 29-year-old goalie who recently made his NHL debut after playing his way up from the NCAA, ECHL, AHL and the SHL before getting his chance in the NHL. Tomkins was a former Blackhawks prospect and draft pick who languished in the minor leagues for several seasons without ever getting an NHL opportunity. While Tomkins is a nice story of perseverance, it also shines the light on the Blackhawks’ lack of goalie depth in the past.

Who is Matt Tomkins

Matt Tomkins is a 29-year-old NHL rookie who started in the AJHL with Sherwood Park Crusaders. After playing in the AJHL for two seasons, he went off to college and played in the Big Ten Conference for Ohio State. He appeared in 67 games at OSU in four seasons and started in 58 games. His numbers are OSU were an .898 save percentage and 3.03 goals against average. Tomkins was a three-time Big Ten player of the week and was on the 2017 NCAA tournament team for Ohio State. He was taken in the seventh round of the 2012 NHL Entry Draft by Chicago with the 199th pick. He was the second-to-last goalie taken in the draft. He was taken eight picks after the Blackhawks’ first goalie selection of the draft in Brandon Whitney. Tomkins would sign a one-year deal with the Rockford IceHogs, while Whitney never inked a deal with the Hawks.

Other notable goalies taken in that draft were: Andrei Vasilevskiy at 19, Malcolm Subban at 24,  Joonas Korpisalo at 62, Chris Driedger at 76, Matt Murray at 83, Frederik Andersen at 87, Connor Hellebuyck at 130 and Linus Ullmark at 163.

In 2017 in his first season with the IceHogs, Tomkins went 1–4–2 with a 4.07 goals against average and .871 save percentage. For the majority of the season, the IceHogs loaned Tomkins to the Indy Fuel, the ECHL affiliate of the IceHogs and Blackhawks. He went 11–9–2 in 25 games with a 3.47 goals against average and .912 save percentage. He was named ECHL goalie of the week on Dec. 12, 2017.

In 2018, Tomkins set the record for wins (29) and games played 54 and minutes (3,221) with the Fuel. He finished with a 29–19–4 record, 3.04 goals against average and .905 save percentage and two shutouts. He also ranks among the best ECHL netminders in minutes and second in saves. He appeared in eight games with the IceHogs, recording a 4.04 goals against average and .871 save percentage.

In 2019–20, Tomkins appeared in 13 games with the IceHogs, recording a 3.12 goals against average and .896 save percentage. In his last season with the IceHogs, he appeared in 15 games with a 3.21 goals against average. Once his two-year, $1.5 million dollar contract expired, Tomkins went overseas to play in the SHL. He played with Frolunda, racking up 33 games with a 2.46 goals against average and .908 save percentage. After his first season in Sweden, Tomkins was named to Canadian Olympic team, where he had .962 save percentage in his three Olympic starts. His Olympic showing helped him parlay a better contract in Sweden with Farjestad BK Karlstad.

In 2021–22, he signed with Farjestad BK Karlstad. Tomkins appeared in 32 games netting a 2.53 goals against average and .911 save percentage. This season, Tomkins had an opportunity to stay in SHL for money but decided to sign with the Tampa Bay Lightning on a two-way contract.

He signed with Tampa under no false pretense; he knew he would be starting with the Syracuse Crunch in the AHL. But, an injury to Vasilevskiy gave Tomkins his chance in the NHL. He has appeared in three games this season, racking up 3.40 goals against average and .889 save percentage.

Analysis

While Tomkins was not a standout in the minor leagues, the Blackhawks’ philosophy at goalie was muddled at best. While Corey Crawford was a fixture in the net for 10 seasons, the Stan Bowman-led front office did not invest in the position to produce a successor in net. Before being removed from his post as president and general manager, Bowman drafted two goalies above the sixth round, taking Kent Simpson in the second round of 2010 and Wouter Peeters in third round of the 2016 draft. Between the two goalies, they posted one NHL appearance.

While Tomkins was in the minor leagues, he produced better numbers than former Blackhawks goalie Collin Delia at the ECHL level in 2017–18. Despite the better numbers, Tomkins was left in Indy while Delia ascended to the AHL and ultimately the NHL. When Tomkins eventually got to the AHL, he was still buried behind Kevin Lankinen and Delia. Lankinen put up a 3.03 goals against average and .909 save percentage. Tomkins had relatively similar numbers with a 3.12 goals against average and .896 save percentage.

When the Blackhawks were “rebuilding,” they decided to audition Delia, Lankinen and Subban for their new starter. Tomkins, who had similar numbers in the AHL, was not even given considered as part of the competition. The organization then set up Lankinen to play against softer opponents and be their starter in the 2020–21 season. Clearly, the front office at the time was set on Lankinen for that season.

After being excluded from the “open” goalie competition, Tomkins was not given the top spot in Rockford. Instead, he still had to battle for time with Cale Morris, Ivan Nailmov and Tom Aubrun. All three of those goalies would eventually wash out of organization and be well-traveled minor league goalies with worse numbers than Tomkins. Currently, Morris is playing in the ECHL, Nailmov is in the KHL and Aubrun is playing in France.

The bottom line is this, the Blackhawks never gave Tomkins a fair shot to start a game in the NHL for their organization. After a long road and many nights in the Residence Inn in Rockford, Tomkins has earned the right to try and beat the organization that never gave him a chance. Cooper and Lightning need to give him that chance.

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]]> https://www.the-rink.com/matt-tomkins-deserves-to-start-against-the-blackhawks/feed/ 0 27402 RECAP: Bedard strikes twice as Blackhawks top Lightning in Tampa https://www.the-rink.com/recap-bedard-strikes-twice-as-blackhawks-top-lightning-in-tampa/ https://www.the-rink.com/recap-bedard-strikes-twice-as-blackhawks-top-lightning-in-tampa/#respond Fri, 10 Nov 2023 03:33:17 +0000 https://www.the-rink.com/?p=27387 Following a loss on home ice to the New Jersey Devils last Sunday night, the Chicago Blackhawks looked to get back into the win column with a Thursday night matchup... Read more »

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]]> Following a loss on home ice to the New Jersey Devils last Sunday night, the Chicago Blackhawks looked to get back into the win column with a Thursday night matchup against the Tampa Bay Lightning at Amalie Arena. With the Blackhawks players’ moms in attendance as part of the bi-annual moms trip, the contest featured a family reunion with the first-ever head-to-head matchup at the NHL level between the Raddysh brothers, Chicago’s Taylor and Tampa Bay’s Darren. It was also the first time first overall picks Steven Stamkos and Connor Bedard faced each other. In net, the Hawks started Petr Mrazek against the Lightning’s Jonas Johansson, who continues to fill in admirably while Andrei Vasilevskiy recovers from back surgery.

It took just over three minutes for the Lightning to strike first. On the power play, the Lightning won a face-off and former Blackhawk Brandon Hagel fed a wide-open Anthony Cirelli in the slot, who shot a one-timer past Mrazek for his second of the season at the 3:20 mark of the first.

A little over a minute later, Bedard tied it with his sixth of the season. Philipp Kurashev stick-handled his way to the right post and fed Bedard, who got inside leverage on Victor Hedman and tapped it in to make it 1–1 at the 4:42 mark at even strength.

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Tampa Bay took a 2–1 lead when Nikita Kucherov scored his 11th of the season. Tanner Jeannot fanned on a slap shot that went right to Kucherov, who was wide open on the door step and scored on an open net at the 12:31 mark.

The Blackhawks tied it at 2–2 at the 16:43 mark when Kevin Korchinski scored his first career goal when a point shot went in off a Lightning defender’s skate.

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Less than a minute later, the Blackhawks took the lead for the first time in the game. A neutral zone turnover led to a 2-on-1 and Bedard fed Tyler Johnson, who buried it for his fourth of the season at 17:37. For Bedard, it marked the first multi-point game of his career.

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But Bedard was not done. In the closing seconds of the first, the Hawks forced a turnover in the neutral zone. Bedard blindly swept the puck behind his back to Nick Foligno, who skated in 2-on-1 with Bedard before feeding Bedard streaking to the net. Bedard made a slick backhand move on Johansson to score his second of the game and seventh of the season. The Hawks took a 4–2 lead into the first intermission.

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Early in the second, with the Hawks on a four-minute power play, Corey Perry lit the lamp against his former team with his third of the season. Bedard handled the puck on the right wing boards and found Perry camping in front of the net for a tip-in tally to give the Hawks a 5–2 lead, and for Bedard, his fourth point of the night. The Hawks would take a three-goal lead into the second intermission.

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With 2:10 left in the third and the Lightning trailing by three and their net empty, Stamkos poked in a rebound during a goal-mouth scramble to cut the Hawks’ lead to 5–3. For Stamkos, it was his fifth of the season. The score would stay that way at the final buzzer.

Analysis

A strong start for the Lightning did not faze the visitors, as the Blackhawks kept battling and were rewarded for their effort with a tremendous road win against a quality team. Bedard finished with a career-high four points and could have had more, as he had multiple quality scoring chances throughout the game. Mrazek had another strong performance in net with 31 saves. The only downside of the game was the Hawks saw three players—Jarred Tinordi, Andreas Athanasiou and Taylor Hall—all leave the game at different points with injuries, with none returning.

The Blackhawks’ road trip with their moms continues on Sunday in the Sunshine State with a matinee against the Florida Panthers. Puck drop is at noon CST on NHL Network with the radio call on 720 WGN.

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]]> https://www.the-rink.com/recap-bedard-strikes-twice-as-blackhawks-top-lightning-in-tampa/feed/ 0 27387 Blackhawks Post-game One-timers — March 11 vs. Tampa Bay Lightning https://www.the-rink.com/blackhawks-post-game-one-timers-march-11-vs-tampa-bay-lightning/ https://www.the-rink.com/blackhawks-post-game-one-timers-march-11-vs-tampa-bay-lightning/#respond Sun, 12 Mar 2023 17:45:25 +0000 https://www.the-rink.com/?p=24873 The Chicago Blackhawks concluded their four-game road trip in Florida against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday night. Despite being severely undermanned in the talent department, the Blackhawks continue to... Read more »

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]]> The Chicago Blackhawks concluded their four-game road trip in Florida against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday night. Despite being severely undermanned in the talent department, the Blackhawks continue to play competitive hockey under head coach Luke Richardson.

Petr Mrazek got his second start in a row as Alex Stalock deals with a non-COVID-related illness.

In a tight game, neither the Hawks or Tampa Bay scored in the first period. In the second period, Brayden Point of the Lightning scored the game’s first goal. Victor Hedman feathered a pass over to Point, who snapped a shot on net. Mrazek was able to fend off the first attempt but the rebound went right back to Point, who buried his second chance. The second period ended with Tampa up 1–0.

In the third period, former Lightning forward and current Blackhawks forward Taylor Raddysh scored the equalizer. Cole Guttman retrieved an errant Tyler Johnson shot from behind the net and fed Raddysh the game-tying goal. Raddysh now has 17 goals on the season and leads the remaining Blackhawks in goals scored. Also on the Raddysh goal, all players involved were former members of the Tampa Bay organization.

With a minute left to play in regulation, Point found the back of the net to score the game-winning goal. Former Blackhawks Brandon Hagel added an empty-net goal to make the final 3–1.

  • The Blackhawks return home for one game before going on the road again. The Hawks will host the Bruins on Tuesday.
  • Recently acquired Anton Khudobin and Luke Philp were recalled from Rockford after Friday’s game against the Florida Panthers.
  • The tank index update has the Blackhawks at 30 (.379), San Jose 31 (.373) and Columbus 32 (.362).

The Blackhawks’ next game is Tuesday against the Boston Bruins.

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]]> https://www.the-rink.com/blackhawks-post-game-one-timers-march-11-vs-tampa-bay-lightning/feed/ 0 24873 Blackhawks Post-game One-timers — Jan. 3 vs. Tampa Bay Lightning https://www.the-rink.com/blackhawks-post-game-one-timers-jan-3-vs-tampa-bay-lightning/ https://www.the-rink.com/blackhawks-post-game-one-timers-jan-3-vs-tampa-bay-lightning/#respond Wed, 04 Jan 2023 13:15:06 +0000 https://www.the-rink.com/?p=24291 In their continued season spiral, the Chicago Blackhawks lost to the Tampa Bay Lightning 4–1 on Tuesday night. It was Chicago’s fifth loss in a row, as they currently hold... Read more »

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]]> In their continued season spiral, the Chicago Blackhawks lost to the Tampa Bay Lightning 4–1 on Tuesday night. It was Chicago’s fifth loss in a row, as they currently hold the worst record in the NHL to date.

Seth Jones got the first goal of the game on the power play with Taylor Raddysh and Max Domi assisting. It was the first power play goal from a Blackhawks defenseman this season. Pat Maroon would tie the game just past the halfway point of the period.

After a scoreless second period, the Bolts pulled away in the third period. Alex Killorn scored from the front of the net off a great individual effort to make it 2–1. Following a Boris Katchouk slashing penalty, former Blackhawk Brandon Hagel notched his 15th goal of the season at the halfway mark of the period to extend the lead to 3–1. Nick Paul would add the empty-net goal to clinch to win for Tampa Bay.

Chicago goalie Alex Stalock had 25 saves on the evening. The Hawks are now 8–25–4 and in the basement of the league. The Hawks face the Arizona Coyotes at the United Center on Thursday at 7:30 p.m. CST.

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]]> https://www.the-rink.com/blackhawks-post-game-one-timers-jan-3-vs-tampa-bay-lightning/feed/ 0 24291 Chicago one step closer to the golf course after 5–2 loss in Tampa Bay https://www.the-rink.com/chicago-one-step-closer-to-the-golf-course-after-5-2-loss-in-tampa-bay/ https://www.the-rink.com/chicago-one-step-closer-to-the-golf-course-after-5-2-loss-in-tampa-bay/#respond Sat, 02 Apr 2022 03:31:41 +0000 https://www.the-rink.com/?p=22434 The Chicago Blackhawks traveled up the road to take on the Tampa Bay Lightning after their lackluster contest against the Florida Panthers Thursday night. The good news for Chicago (24–34–10),... Read more »

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]]> The Chicago Blackhawks traveled up the road to take on the Tampa Bay Lightning after their lackluster contest against the Florida Panthers Thursday night. The good news for Chicago (24–34–10), a lot of players were able to get an up-close look at the golf courses they could find their way to in the offseason in a few weeks. The Sunshine State is truly a great place to golf and this trip definitely could have made its mark on the Blackhawks.

The visitors surprisingly jumped into the game with a bunch more energy, but still gave up a season-high 19 shots to the Lightning in the first period. Forwards Steven Stamkos and Brayden Point both scored their 31st and 26th goals, respectively, on the power play as both teams found themselves shorthanded twice in the opening frame. Stamkos’ goal was the exiting type of hockey we have become accustomed to from the two-time Stanley Cup champions.

In a rarity, defenseman Calvin de Haan scored his third goal of the season while shorthanded. Chicago would tie the game when Alex DeBrincat buried his 39th goal of the season at the 17:21 mark of the period. Many still believe that there was no market for de Haan at the deadline; I truly believe that over Kyle Davidson’s asking price being too high, others did not know about his ability to pile on the shorthanded goals against the Lightning.

The first period overall was a mess with Chicago not being able to stay out of the penalty box, but as we know in sports, always expect the unexpected, as the period ended with the score tied 2–2.

The Lightning took back the lead when Ross Colton scored his 13th and 14th goals of the season, beating Kevin Lankinen at the 6:12 and 12:15 marks of the second period to give the Lightning the lead back at 4–2.

After two periods of play, the Blackhawks were completely outplayed, as the great Charlie Roumeliotis showed on Twitter. The Lightning looked to do their part trying not to fall asleep long enough to let the Blackhawks back into the game.

We could beat a dead horse, but Chicago was able to muster one shot in the first 12 minutes of action, as the talented Lightning made quick work of the rebuilding Blackhawks in the third period. A Hall of Fame college basketball coach used to use a four-corners offense before the shot clock was implemented in order to keep the ball way from his opponents and use the clock up to win games. The Lightning did their best in making Coach Smith happy with locking down the offense and making Chicago look like they were running around chasing their own tales.

Roberto Duran said it best.

Analysis

Chicago fans were able to get another look at their favorite bottom-line forward Brandon Hagel for a whopping 12 minutes or so and anyone that thought he was not worth two prospects, albeit not top prospects, and two first-round picks really need to open their eyes and see that Hagel will be nothing more than a bottom-minutes forward and chip in his fair share of goals, but will not fire away at 23% ever again. These type of forwards are useful on Stanley Cup-type teams, however, there are another 150 Hagels skating in the NHL. Davidson did exactly what he needed to do at the trade deadline. His empty-net goal was really something, though.

As a 15 handicap in golf, I was able to spend a lot of the hockey game working on my grip as I prepare for the upcoming golf season here in the Midwest. As a fan of the Blackhawks for over 40 years, I did not want my team to feel alone. If I can save some strokes off the tee, I can really push my handicap toward 10–12, awarding me with an eight-year deal with a full no-movement clause, oh wait, those days are in the past.

Chicago is back on home ice on Sunday as the Arizona Coyotes come to town for a 6 p.m. CDT puck drop on Madison Street.

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]]> https://www.the-rink.com/chicago-one-step-closer-to-the-golf-course-after-5-2-loss-in-tampa-bay/feed/ 0 22434 Blackhawks outclassed, exhausted, lose 6–3 to Tampa Bay https://www.the-rink.com/blackhawks-outclassed-exhausted-lose-6-3-to-tampa-bay/ https://www.the-rink.com/blackhawks-outclassed-exhausted-lose-6-3-to-tampa-bay/#respond Mon, 07 Mar 2022 15:00:30 +0000 https://www.the-rink.com/?p=22196 The Chicago Blackhawks came into Sunday’s action on a weird back and forth streak between wins and losses. Most recently, they dropped a winnable game against the Philadelphia Flyers in... Read more »

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]]> The Chicago Blackhawks came into Sunday’s action on a weird back and forth streak between wins and losses. Most recently, they dropped a winnable game against the Philadelphia Flyers in Philly, taking the lead into the third period and somehow managing to let it slip away. Sunday night’s game seemed from the outset to be a tougher win to try to pull off, as the Tampa Bay Lightning came to town on an absolute tear as of late, having won eight out of their last 10 games. Marc-Andre Fleury switched in for Kevin Lankinen in the second game of a back-to-back weekend.

First period

The Lightning stormed out of the gate, putting immediate pressure on the Blackhawks from the opening face-off. Eighteen seconds in, Steven Stamkos ripped a wrister off of the goal post behind Fleury, beating him but getting stopped by the iron.

After a couple minutes of back and forth, Corey Perry coughed up the puck in the Lightning defensive zone, leading to a great chance for the Blackhawks. Brandon Hagel got the puck over to Kirby Dach, who one-timed it and it looked good enough to hit the back of the net. Somehow, Andrei Vasilevskiy managed to get the shaft of his stick on the puck to keep it out of the net and keep the score 0–0.

With just over 12 minutes to go, Patrick Kane backhanded the puck across the ice to a streaking Dylan Strome, who put the puck past Vasilevskiy, making it 1–0 Blackhawks. For the rest of the period, it was a lot of back and forth, with both teams getting some offensive zone time, but not getting any chances that were likely to bring another goal about. The period would end with the Blackhawks up 1–0.

Second period

One minute into the period, the Lightning got back into the game. Callan Foote took a shot that was blocked, but the puck trickled through to Taylor Raddysh, who backhanded the puck past Fleury, knotting things up at 1–1.

A few minutes later, Hagel got the puck to Kane breaking into the zone. He used an Erik Cernak screen to wrist the puck right past Vasilevskiy’s glove, who never saw the shot, to make it 2–1 Blackhawks on a picture-perfect snipe.

The Lightning would get that goal back though, as with just under five minutes to go in the frame and shortly after their power play expired, the Lightning worked the puck around the zone to get it from Nikita Kucherov to Stamkos and then over to Victor Hedman, who was able to one time the puck past Fleury to tie the game up at 2–2.

A little over a minute later, Foote managed to get the puck after it came through a bunch of bodies on a rebound, putting it past a down-and-out Fleury to make it 3–2 at the end of two, in favor of the Lightning.

Third period

The Lightning like their early-period chances it would seem, as they got to work again from the outset of the frame. About two minutes in, Hedman struck again, as the puck found its way around to him at the right point. He once again blasted a shot that went seemingly right through the five hole on Fleury, making the lead 4–2 Tampa Bay. Like a Ronco knives commercial, we aren’t done yet! Perry forced a misplay from Jake McCabe and wristed the puck right past Fleury, 5–2 Lightning. But wait, there’s more! Mikhail Sergachev took a shot from the point that seemed to change direction out in front of the Blackhawks net, making the score 6–2 in favor of the Lightning, and all within just 32 seconds, seemingly putting the game out of reach in the blink of an eye.

The Blackhawks finally showed a sign of some life with just under 13 minutes to go, with Alex DeBrincat redirecting a Strome shot from the point past Vasilevskiy, cutting the gap to 6–3 Lightning. That is how the game would end, despite Kane’s best efforts to get another one past the Lighting netminder to help the Blackhawks claw their way back, but alas, Vasilevskiy would make another show-stopping highlight-reel save.

Analysis

The Blackhawks looked completely outmatched throughout much of this game. When it came to putting pressure on an opponent, the Lightning have been doing it better than anyone else all season long, and that clearly showed on Sunday. It was another frustrating game to watch as a Blackhawks fan in what has been a hard season to this point. It only seems to be a question of who will be gone at the trade deadline, and who else may be dealt later on when the offseason rolls around.

The Blackhawks will be back in action on Tuesday night at home against the Anaheim Ducks. That game will be on NBC Sports Chicago beginning at 7:30 p.m. CST.

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]]> https://www.the-rink.com/blackhawks-outclassed-exhausted-lose-6-3-to-tampa-bay/feed/ 0 22196 RECAP: Blackhawks take three of six possible points in weekend against the Lightning https://www.the-rink.com/recap-blackhawks-take-three-of-six-possible-points-in-weekend-against-the-lightning/ https://www.the-rink.com/recap-blackhawks-take-three-of-six-possible-points-in-weekend-against-the-lightning/#respond Mon, 08 Mar 2021 02:28:19 +0000 https://www.the-rink.com/?p=19368 In what was arguably the best mini series of the NHL season thus far, the Chicago Blackhawks scrapped together three points in three games against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Ideal?... Read more »

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]]> In what was arguably the best mini series of the NHL season thus far, the Chicago Blackhawks scrapped together three points in three games against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Ideal? No, but the Hawks skated with the Bolts in the three games, until things got away from them in the last game of the weekend. The Lightning are far and away the better team, but if the Hawks are looking for that final playoff spot in the Central Division, getting half of six points on the table is not detrimental to their chances.

Thursday, March 4: Lightning steal it at the death 

It started well for the Hawks. They took a 2–0 lead heading into the third period. Ryan Carpenter scored a shorthanded goal at 7:24 of the second period, and resurgent winger Alex DeBrincat extended the lead with his 12th of the year at 14:04 of the second frame.

But, it was not meant to be. The Lightning rallied to score twice early in the third period. In the overtime frame, the contest looked to be heading to a shootout when Alex Killorn deflected a Victor Hedman wrist shot passed Kevin Lankinen with less than a second to go in overtime to steal the extra point.

Friday, March 5: Subban’s superb goaltending gets the win

Malcolm Subban took the pipes in the second leg of the weekday tilts on Friday night. In a role reversal from Thursday’s match, it was the visitors who seized control early. The Lightning went up 2–0 halfway through the first period on goals from Anthony Cirelli and Killorn. DeBrincat cut the lead in half before the period ended, and in the second period, he tied the game with his third goal in two games off a nifty feed from Patrick Kane.

The Bolts reclaimed the lead early in the third stanza off a goal from Ryan McDonagh, but six minutes into the third, Dominik Kubalik buried a rebound off a point shot from Duncan Keith to tie the game at 3–3.

A frantic overtime session yielded no results despite multiple chances at each end. In the shootout, Philipp Kurashev sniped a high wrist shot on the Hawks’ third attempt. Subban stopped all three shootout tries and finished with 39 saves for the win.

Sunday, March 7: Penalties and collapse doom the Hawks

Everything seemed in place for the Hawks to come away with a win and a shocking five of six points against the Lightning. The Hawks jumped out to a 3–0 lead off first period goals from Kurashev and Mattias Janmark, and Pius Suter added the third tally at the 3:11 mark of the second period.

Then, it happened. The Bolts scored twice in 23 seconds to make it 3–2, and then Hawks defenseman Connor Murphy was assessed a match penalty for a hit on Erik Cernak. The Lightning scored twice on the five-minute major to take a 4–3 lead into the third period.

The Bolts would add two more goals in the third period to skate away with a 6–3 decision. Lankinen struggled, turning away 19 shots on 25 attempts.

Analysis

Sunday marked Wyatt Kalynuk’s NHL debut. In an odd move, Kalynuk was called up over the already somewhat proven Nicolas Beaudin, and Kalynuk struggled defensively. That was the concern when he was acquired, and while it is not his fault, as he is an unpolished prospect, in a rubber match of a three-game set versus the defending Stanley Cup champions, it is a little surprising that he would get the nod over Beaudin. The Hawks have no time to rest on their laurels, as they have a two-game road set ahead with the Dallas Stars beginning this week. Should the Hawks want to remain in the playoff picture, it is essential they take points in Dallas.

On the Murphy hit, as always, there will be debate on the play in its entirety. To be fair, Pat Foley said two things in the Murphy sequence as it unfolded: 1) “That’s a high hit.” 2) “I don’t think Erik Cernak ever saw Murphy coming.” What else do you need to know about that hit?

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]]> https://www.the-rink.com/recap-blackhawks-take-three-of-six-possible-points-in-weekend-against-the-lightning/feed/ 0 19368 Along the Boards: Blackhawks take over in third, beat Lightning 5–2 https://www.the-rink.com/along-the-boards-blackhawks-take-over-in-third-beat-lightning-5-2/ https://www.the-rink.com/along-the-boards-blackhawks-take-over-in-third-beat-lightning-5-2/#respond Fri, 28 Feb 2020 03:21:25 +0000 https://www.the-rink.com/?p=16511 The Blackhawks came into tonight’s contest having dropped a rough game to the St. Louis Blues by a score of 6–5 on Tuesday. The loss was the first time since... Read more »

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]]> The Blackhawks came into tonight’s contest having dropped a rough game to the St. Louis Blues by a score of 6–5 on Tuesday. The loss was the first time since Christmas that Corey Crawford had let up more than three goals, and the team simply had a hard time keeping the puck away from the net. The Blackhawks were hoping this one would be a different game from that one, and boy, was it ever. The Tampa Bay Lightning were missing some key players, as Steven Stamkos, Patrick Maroon and new acquisition Blake Coleman were all out of the lineup, so this game would be played against a different group than the Lightning’s very best.

First period

The game started off with some back and forth, with both teams getting some quality chances in front of each others’ nets before Connor Murphy got called for hooking, which gave the Lightning their first power play of the evening. The Blackhawks killed that off thanks to some good shot blocks and good saves by Crawford. Then, shortly thereafter, the Blackhawks got their first power play of the night on a Yanni Gourde tripping call. Chicago was entirely unsuccessful on the man advantage, not getting many chances on net and giving up another power play to the Lightning on a Patrick Kane hook. That penalty was also killed off, giving way to more even-strength back and forth.

The Blackhawks got another opportunity on the power play with just under seven minutes to go, but once again, the Lightning were able to kill that one off. Sounding like a broken record, the Blackhawks went on the penalty kill right after that when Brandon Saad got his stick up high on Zach Bogosian. The Blackhawks killed that off, and then got their third man advantage of the period on an Alex Killorn trip. The Blackhawks would not score on that power play, but it would carry over to the second period. This period of penalties would end with the same 0–0 tie that we started off with.

Second period

The Blackhawks’ power play again failed to generate a goal, although they did get the best shot on Curtis McElhinney they had to that point, but could not do anything with it. The Blackhawks picked up a gift power play shortly after, as the Lightning picked up a too-many-men-on-the-ice call at the 6:20 mark of the period. Chicago seemed to have the mindset of passing instead of shooting the puck on goal, as their pass total was greater than their shots on goal for all four of their power plays to that point.

This period was not very exciting to watch, as there ended up being more turnovers of the puck than actual chances on net for either side. At the 10:42 mark there was, yes, another penalty called (surprise, surprise), this time on Connor Murphy for tripping, giving the Lightning their next man advantage of the game. Tampa Bay failed to convert on that one due to some great saves by Crawford, leaving the game still knotted at a 0–0 tie.

Then, the Lightning finally broke through, as Brayden Point skated around the defense and let go of a wrister from between the circles that got past Crawford and gave Tampa Bay a 1–0 lead. That is how the period would end, with the Lightning outshooting the Blackhawks by a wide margin, and as a result, taking the lead.

Third period

Things started off roughly for the visitors, as the Lightning doubled their lead on a Nikita Kucherov tap-in goal to make the score 2–0 Lightning just 17 seconds into the frame. At the 2:28 mark of the period, Luke Schenn took an interference penalty that gave the Blackhawks another chance to get the powerless play out on the ice. They did not look good again, but surprisingly were able to keep possession in the offensive zone, which led to Saad getting the puck in front and getting the Blackhawks to within one at 2–1.

Just 26 ticks later, Duncan Keith took a big hit to make a play, getting the puck to Patrick Kane who got it to Dominik Kubalik, who scored on his own rebound, tying the game at 2–2. Slater Koekkoek took an interference call after that, giving the Lightning another power play opportunity. The Blackhawks killed that off and a little while later, the very same Koekkoek got the puck out at the point, skated to the middle and wristed the puck through a sea of legs and into the back of the net, giving the Blackhawks a 3–2 lead.

Once again, the Blackhawks got back on the man advantage on a Kucherov slash on Kane. The puck found its way to the rookie sensation once again, and Kubalik slapped a top-shelf bullet past McElhinney to make the score 4–2 Blackhawks.

The Lightning tried to get back into the game by getting an extra attacker, but that gave Kubalik his third goal of the night for the hat trick, making the score 5–2 Blackhawks. The Blackhawks showed some fight throughout the third period until the end, even getting into some extracurriculars toward the end of things, and pulled out the comeback victory after scoring five third-period goals.

Let’s go along the boards and see what was being talked about during tonight’s action.

I agree that it definitely is not going to be an overnight fix at all. There is much work to be done in the offseason, and to start with, I would say this front office and coaching staff need to go. They are not doing anything to get this team turned around and moving in a positive direction. Sitting on your trade chips for too long and barely getting two trades that needed to happen done is inexcusable. I also am someone who sees Jeremy Colliton as a good assistant coach in the league, but definitely is not cut out to be a head coach at this point. There is no fight from him, and that clearly shows with the way the team in front of him plays night by night.

Crawford looked good in this game. He made some good saves on some crazy Lightning shots and did everything he could to keep his team in this game. He controlled rebounds well, and was great at keeping the puck away from the opposition. Murphy…yikes; that is not a pretty stat to see.

As did all Blackhawks fans, my friend. A pleasant surprise in what has been a difficult season to watch.

The Blackhawks are back in action on Saturday against the Florida Panthers. The game will start at 5 p.m. CST on NBC Sports Chicago.

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