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The outcome of game 1 couldn't have gone much better for the Hawks on Saturday. Sure, there are some areas that the Hawks can clean up for game 2 tonight but considering how this team played for much of the 2019-20 season, I consider it a great performance. I have a few quick thoughts below, however, there is one specific topic I want to call out – the Blackhawks preparedness.
I said that the Oilers were going to bring it. The Blackhawks new the Oilers were going to bring it. And at the end of the day, the Oilers were too much for the Hawks and now we move on to a best of 3. Ultimately, the Blackhawks fell to a 6-3 score and head back their bubble searching for answers. I have some questions for Jeremy Colliton that I would like answers on, like the following.
I've been in a glass case of emotion in the last week or so. I thought I knew what's best for the Blackhawks for the future and that was to lose this series, get that high draft pick, and continue to stock up through the draft. I look at how winning this series affects the Hawks for the short and long-term.
Well, technically, the Blackhawks aren't saying "Goodbye" to Edmonton because they are still there, but you get where I'm going. I knew there was a chance but I thought Edmonton would have put up a better fight. The Oilers just didn't want it as much as the Hawks. What do I think about this series? Here are 5 thoughts as we head into game 1.
The Blackhawks came out with a valiant effort in game 1 but ultimately succumb to the Golden Knights in the series opener. That 4-1 loss on Tuesday night didn't sting as much as the score indicated to me, to be honest. Had it not been for a couple of soft goals given up by Corey Crawford or a couple of posts that gone the Hawks way, this game could have been closer. Here are a few thoughts I have on how the Blackhawks could improve and steal the next game from Vegas.
Not only did the Blackhawks make some lineup tweaks in game #2, but they also tweaked their game. The Hawks looked better in the first and second periods. They were more aggressive with the D not only holding the offensive line but jumping up in a way that we haven't seen in the last few years. Here are a few thoughts on game #2's OT loss, as well as to get you set up for the weekend:
It was the best of games, it was the worst of games. The only two good parts about game #4 were 1) Corey Crawford and 2) the Blackhawks won. Other than that, it looked like Vegas had a 60-minute power play… Wowza. My thoughts on the wild weekend and game #5.
They weren't supposed to be there, but they acted as they belonged. The Chicago Blackhawks were surely going to miss the postseason for the 3rd consecutive year until a pandemic hit. I won't get into my detailed thoughts on what the Hawks should do this offseason. I just wanted to appreciate what we watched over those last 9 games. I discuss my thoughts here.
What a great time to have a dedicated mailbag article. Well, that's at least what I thought and you all seemed to agree. Let's not waste any time… here we go!
Now with the season officially over in Blackhawks-land, I wanted to take a glance forward to see how this offseason could play out for Stan Bowman and Co. I will begin to answer the key questions and comments boilermaker100 has asked as I reveal what I think will happen this offseason
For years, there has been little doubt between the crease in Chicago. It's been 10 years to be exact; that's how long Corey Crawford has been the anointed #1 for the Blackhawks. But what (or who) is the future in net? Corey will serve as a nice stopgap as the core remains very productive and the young guys try to catch up fast enough to create a winning formula. It'll be tough and the outlook is that this team will probably be fighting for a playoff spot next year.
I thought I would switch things up with this blog. I'm putting a pause on the bubble, goaltending, and future Blackhawks talk and going back in time to select my favourite Hawks team. Essentially, I went over every individual season from 1989-90 to 2020 and made my list. It's nothing scientific or wasn't exactly driven from their statistics with the Blackhawks, more just how I "felt", who did I truly enjoy the most. Who did I like watching play and who I have enjoyed following over the 30 years as a Blackhawks fan?
On November 2nd, 2017, I published my first article on Hockeybuzz. If you've been reading here for a while, you'll remember I wrote under the pseudonym of Justin Lowe. So, why am I leaving? It's all in the blog! Read it.
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