Not every two-goal deficit sets the stage for a comeback.
The Chicago Blackhawks had some early success with rallies, but lately spotting two goals to good teams is becoming too much to overcome. That was the case Wednesday night at the United Center, where carelessness with the puck led to 2-0 start for the St. Louis Blues and ultimately a 5-2 loss in front of a national audience on TNT.
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“We got a little sloppy,” defenseman Jack Johnson said.
And they can’t that to get sloppy. Chasing leads is wearing on the Hawks.
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“Anytime you’re playing without the lead or trying to come back, you’re always chasing it,” said Andreas Athanasiou, who scored the Hawks’ only two goals. “We’ve done it a lot this year, but it’s a tough way to win consistently.”
“It’s definitely frustrating,” coach Luke Richardson said. “I thought we had a pretty good first period. Again, we just couldn’t get that first one in there. It’d be nice to play with the lead and build some confidence and build some momentum.”
Here are five takeaways from the game.
No one’s saying the Hawks were one of the best defenses in the league before Jones injured his thumb in the Buffalo Sabres game Oct. 29, but they were at least middling, if not a notch above.
With Jones, the Hawks had their only win streak (four games), and with the exception of the 4-2 loss in the season opener, all the losses were by one goal (though one was a 6-5 loss to the Edmonton Oilers and their deadly power play). In those eight games, the Hawks were plus-1 with 27 goals-against, and they went 4-3-1.
Without Jones, they’re minus-10 with 22 goals-against and have gone 2-4-2.
“Oh, no, for sure,” Richardson replied about feeling the impact of Jones’ absence. “Right from the beginning, we have, but it shows now. There’s a couple losses where you think a big, rangy guy that kills plays really well, those are a few in our own zone that carry on too long, we definitely miss him there.”
The Hawks have had three goals on 20 power-play opportunities. When Jones was running point on the first unit, the Hawks had eight goals from 29 power plays.
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Richardson said, “He’s another presence where he’s got a lot more reps and repetition. He’s a top guy for that. We’re trying to buy our time to get him back.”
Caleb Jones has been filling in for his brother on the top unit, though Alec Regula played there on the last power play.
Overall, the defense took a step back against the Blues from the step back they took during the 3-0 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes.
“I think it’s a collective group, not just the six D that are in the lineup,” said Richardson, a former defenseman who never lets forwards skate on taking their share of the blame.
“It’s a chance for everyone, so we’ve got to use it as that until we get him back,” Richardson said of Seth Jones. “We can’t miraculously fix his thumb. Seth’s still probably at least 10 days, two weeks away.”
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Andreas Athanasiou put the Hawks on the board in the second period with the first of his two goals on the night, pulling the Hawks within 2-1.
Then MacKenzie Entwistle drew an interference penalty by Pavel Buchnevich 30 seconds later — and it looked like a Hawks rally was on. But Kane attempted a no-look seam pass to Jonathan Toews, which Ryan O’Reilly intercepted. Hawks goalie Arvid Soderblom blocked O’Reilly’s first shot but the Blues center scooped in the rebound.
Now instead of a prime opportunity to tie the game, the Hawks quickly found themselves down two goals again.
Richardson acknowledged the pass was risky, “but I think other guys could be a little tighter, a little bit more supportive for him. I don’t think Max is usually in that bumper position, so maybe he comes over a little closer, and that draws attention to open up more seams.,
To that end, Richardson also wanted Taylor Raddysh to come off the front of the net to draw Blues defenseman Justin Faulk’s eye, which would help create space for Kane.
“But we stayed on the net and Patrick didn’t really have a shot because Faulk’s a big guy and he’s right up in his face,” Richardson said. “(Kane) just made a quick decision and unfortunately, they countered on it.”
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Be that as it may, O’Reilly looked like he was sitting on that play all the way, waiting on the possibility Kane might make a daring cross-ice pass — because that’s what Kane usually does so well.
Blues coach Craig Berube said, “It was a good play by (O’Reilly) picking that pass off, and then just to go the other way, just a great play by him.”
The pair was on the ice for three of the Blues’ four even-strength goals, though Jones had the misfortune of being on the ice for all five goals allowed. Now, before you go apoplectic about Jones’ minus-5 rating, let’s examine each goal.
1. The Blues’ opening goal by Calle Rosen bounced in off Regula’s upper body.
Before it even got to that point, Richardson wanted to see Max Domi drive deeper instead of attempting a pass near the blue line and opening the Hawks up to a counterattack, where “we’re in an outnumbered position and scrambling.
“They get in the zone, they get a lucky bounce,” Richardson said.
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2. Regula turned the puck over in the defensive zone, and Jordan Kyrou zips it by Soderblom’s glove and between Jones’ legs.
3. Ryan O’Reilly picked off Kane’s seam pass during a Hawks’ power play, leading to a two-on-one against Jones with Noel Acciari — so the buck starts with Kane.
But Jones was at the net when O’Reilly retrieved his own rebound and beat Soderblom on his second try.
“He probably played the 2-on-1 short-handed pretty good but then it bounces off him,” Richardson said. “Later in the game, definitely he could be better.”
4. Jones leaves net front to challenge Nikita Alexandrov, but Alexandrov passes under his stick, and Regula arrives a step too late to help prevent Tyler Pitlick’s goal.
5. Jones gets a stick on Jordan Kyrou’s pass to Ivan Barbashev on the rush, but Kyrou gets it right back and springs Barbashev up the middle with Jones chasing.
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“If he would’ve skated right through the guy it would’ve been over, but at that point you’re trying to protect yourself, he backs off and they get the chance,” Richardson said.
You can quibble with how Jones defended that sequence, but the rush really started with Raddysh getting fancy on a backdoor pass to Toews instead of taking the shot that was there.
Late in the second period, Richardson shook up the defensive pairings and tried various combinations.
“Whether you’re an older guy or younger guy, try to focus on the next shift,” Jack Johnson said. “We keep it positive in the room, especially for younger guys. Sometimes they can be really hard on themselves and it’s an unforgiving league.”
In Richardson’s estimation, the minus-5 doesn’t “doesn’t justify how many goals” can be pinned on Jones, but it’s undeniable he’s been in a slump since the road trip. Still, Richardson’s not ready to dial up Rockford, where Ian Mitchell, among others, is waiting in the wings.
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His last multi goal game came on March 6, 2022, when the former Los Angeles King center scored a pair against the Buffalo Sabres. On Wednesday night, both markers came in the second period.
Athanasiou scored on a breakaway first, dragging around Jordan Binnington’s defense.
“Just kind of a good breakout from our end,” Athanasiou said. “The D jumped up and hit Kaner, and Kaner did a good job of hitting Domes (Domi), and Domes made a great area pass to me, and I just went on a breakaway and put it in.”
On the second goal, Athanasiou worked a two-on-one Philipp Kurashev on the power play.
“I think he realizes where his strength is and so do the players that play with him,” Richardson said. “He gave us some life with that speed, so we’ve got to try and see that even more, and it will help us.”
The performance breaks up a four-game pointless streak.
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According to hockeyfights.com, Berube and Richardson had a pair of scraps, and both were memorable.
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Berube, who now coaches the Blues, was the clear winner on Oct. 25, 1992, when he was with the Flames and Richardson, now a first-year coach with the Hawks, was an Oiler.
But Richardson had the takedown on Dec. 5, 1998, when he was a Philadelphia Flyer and Berube was with the Washington Capitals.
Richardson would rather remember when they were both Flyers for part of 1998-99 season and all of 1999-2000.
“Better as a teammate than foe, for sure,” he said before the game. “Just a great character guy in the dressing room, gives it all on the ice and I’m sure he’s a player’s coach.
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“He’s honest. He’s going to tell you to pick it up or get your butt moving.”