Close, But Oh So Far Away: Hawks Lose Twice

It was not a fun time this weekend for the Hawks.

 

It wasn't a good weekend for the Chicago Blackhawks, they were close in both games to the Minnesota Wild and the Winnipeg Jets getting within one and giving up empty net goals. The Hawks played horribly in St. Paul on Saturday, as goaltender, Kevin Lankinen kept it close, while on Sunday, back at home they lost a see-saw battle despite a spirited near comeback after a brutal second period. If the Hawks were in playoff contention those losses would have been devastating losing to division rivals, but with this lost season we can only search for the positives.

The Positives:

• The new players acquired in the Brandon Hagel trade, Taylor Raddysh and Boris Katchouk lined up for the opening faceoff against the Wild in their debut with the Hawks. Both played well and Raddysh even had a couple shifts with former junior teammates, Alex DeBrincat and Dylan Strome.

• Speaking of Raddysh, he had a strong game on Sunday assisting on Toews goal and scoring his first goal with the Hawks on the power-play. He was noticeable all night, using his speed, playing over 15 minutes and was probably their best player.

• Alex Vlasic played both nights after earlier in the week signing his entry level deal coming directly from Boston College. He was steady and confident, despite playing limited minutes easing into the NHL. There could be an opening for him next season on the blue line as the Hawks could use a D with his size and skill.
• Kevin Lankinen still can't win a game, but he played well in the loss to the Wild. He will be depended on for the rest of the season because (just announced as I'm writing this!) Marc Andre Fleury has been traded to the Minnesota Wild. I heard the rumours yesterday about the possibility of Fleury to the Wild and was somewhat surprised he started against the Jets. Now he has to fly back to Minnesota, oh that sucks!!

The Negatives:

• As mentioned above, Fleury's departure, though it wasn't unexpected, leaves a huge hole in goal. Whether they try to re-sign Fleury in the off season (doubtful, but may depend on how things go in Minny) or make a trade/free agent in the summer, I can't picture Lankinen being the starter next season.
• The Hawks are consistent, only in finding ways to lose. They've lost three in a row and 4 of their last 5 games. Playoffs are out of reach, so giving some of the younger players/prospects more playing time should be priority. Ending the season with some wins would be nice too and remember the Hawks won't have a first round pick this season (unless they win the draft lottery), so tanking further has no benefit either. Ending the season with long losing streaks will NOT bode well with Hawks fans. (Edit: The Hawks retain a first round pick from the Wild in the Fleury deal.)
  
• Caleb Jones: With his increased ice time (he played 24:28 against the Jets) and responsibility, the younger Jones has been dishing out the giveaways more and more. In each game on the weekend there were multiple bad passes in front of his own net that are getting so blatant that the coaching staff has to take notice. He plays with a lot of energy, but sometimes it's frenzied and he seems frazzled and confused a lot in his own end. Once he improves his defensive game, then he deserves to can stay in the lineup.
• Almost scary moment when Fleury lost his catching glove and was beat by a one-timer from "no mercy" Kyle Connor. It's a good thing he didn't stop it with his hand (especially if you're a Wild fan) because he instinctively threw his hand out to make a stop.

Quick Takes: 

• Saturday's broadcast was Pat Foley's last road game. Looking forward to more Pat and Eddie calls for the rest of the season and it just won't be the same next year. Sadly, I was forced to watch the Jets broadcast on Sunday because my NHL Live streaming has a black-out for the local team's games. How much am I paying for this service!
• Stu Grimson: Strange to see the 'Grim Reaper" as an in-studio analyst on the Blackhawks broadcast on Saturday. I thought he still worked on the Predators telecast, but supposedly he's now a senior analyst for the NHL Network. Good to see him associate with his ex-team, always a fan favourite in Chicago.

Up next: I'm watching the trade deadline programs right now, so we'll recap the activity involving the Hawks and Jets.