For the third consecutive game, the Blackhawks failed to provide the goalies with goal support as Kevin Lankinen and Malcolm Subban have been solid between the pipes.
The Blue Jackets won 2-1 but the game could easily have been a 3-2 victory by the Hawks had the skaters connected on their prime scoring opportunities including a few near misses.
Despite the loss, there continues to be glimmers of hope on the blueline as Nicolas Beaudin and Lucas Carlsson played reliably at both ends while Ian Mitchell displayed courage.
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Starting Lineup
The starting lineup was composed of the same 11 forwards and 7 defensemen who played on Wednesday versus the Predators:
And the starters for the opening shift:
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Scoring Recap
1st Goal: Bjorkstrand (0-1) PP
While shorthanded, David Kampf and Mattias Janmark got caught too high chasing Zach Werenski at the blueline allowing Cam Atkinson to spring free and find Oliver Bjorkstrand for the one timer.
2nd Goal: Robinson (0-2)
With Mitchell caught deep in the offensive zone after trying to score in the slot, Eric Robinson took advantage of the Hawks overloading to the right side by blazing down the left.
Using his speed, Robinson skated wide away from Patrick Kane and picked up enough speed to leave both him and Duncan Keith in his wake then roofing the puck on the far side of Lankinen.
3rd Goal: Strome (1-2) PP
For a player criticized for his skating, Dylan Strome was active on the power play making his goal happen by never stopping his feet and hovering in the tough areas around the slot.
Strome first corraled the rebound off a Dominik Kubalik one timer saved by Joonas Korpisalo then dished it to Kane who found him cutting his way across the slot and completed the give-and-go.
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Other Plays
Multiple players going after the puck and outnumbering the other team in the battle has become commonplace for the Hawks. This mathematical error results in the other team with players open.
On one play at the start of the 3rd period, three Chicago players went to the corner against one Columbus forward creating a huge opening between the goal line and top of the circles.
Then on another play during a 2-on-2 against Robinson and Riley Nash, Keith had Robinson and Mitchell should have taken Nash but also went after Robinson leaving Nash free for a rebound.
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Player Notes
Nicolas Beaudin
What is impressive about Beaudin is how his head is always in the game illustrated by persistently responsible positioning. He provides net protection, plays the body, and blocks shots.
Lucas Carlsson
Not far behind is Carlsson who turned in a solid two-way effort. He engaged the puck carrier on defense and his passing was better than in the previous game. His shots also get through traffic.
Ian Mitchell
While he is starting to hit the rookie wall like Henri Jokiharju did in his rookie year, Mitchell is still demonstrating more courage to physically battle for defensive positioning.
Duncan Keith
When he executes a stick check masterfully, Keith looks simply brilliant. However, when his misses on stick checks, he looks lazy and uninspiring. It boils down to consistent compete level.
Dylan Strome
Knowing his future as a top 6 center is on the line, Strome is generating chances for teammates with his sharp vision, firing off shots of his own, and putting in effort at both ends.
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Taxi Squad
Michal Teply and Anton Lindholm were recalled from Rockford yesterday to join MacKenzie Entwistle, Reese Johnson, Brandon Pirri, and Wyatt Kalynuk on the taxi squad.
Also on Friday, Madison Bowey cleared waivers and was assigned to the Hogs. At some point he is expected to be recalled to log at least one more NHL game so he can become expansion-draft eligible.
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