The Chicago Blackhawks continue to struggle with lead protection issues, losing their fourth consecutive game to fall to a mediocre 10-8-5 record. The team's inability to close out leads has been a costly trend this season, especially when combined with their 1-5 record in games that have gone to overtime.
In the Hawks' 4-3 overtime loss to the Minnesota Wild, they played some of their best hockey in weeks, building a 2-0 lead in the first period. However, they were unable to maintain the advantage and let it slip away, falling victim to a familiar pattern. For the third time in four home games, the Hawks have squandered a 2-0 lead.
"We played too good to lose it," said coach Jeff Blashill, reflecting on his team's inability to close out the game. The Wild capitalized on three point shots through traffic to tie the game, with all three goals originating from point shots that deflected off Blackhawks players' skates or stuck to them as they tried to clear the puck.
In contrast, the Hawks' offense was firing on all cylinders, producing some beautiful scoring chances, including a tic-tac-toe play between Tyler Bertuzzi and Sam Rinzel. Connor Bedard also scored his first NHL goal in a sweet move by Artyom Levshunov. However, despite their best efforts, the team was unable to find the back of the net.
"I'll put that one on myself," Bedard said after a tough outing where he seemed to be on for every goal against him. "I think I was on for every goal against. I lost Boldy there for the equalizer. That's just something we're all going to get better at."
The loss was also marred by a questionable call against Ilya Mikheyev, who was assessed interference in the overtime period, allowing Kirill Kaprizov to score the game-winning power-play goal.
As the Blackhawks continue to struggle with lead protection issues, their performance in games that go to overtime is particularly concerning. The team needs to regroup and find a way to close out leads if they hope to avoid falling further behind. With four losses in a row, their better-than-expected start to the season is now in jeopardy.
In the Hawks' 4-3 overtime loss to the Minnesota Wild, they played some of their best hockey in weeks, building a 2-0 lead in the first period. However, they were unable to maintain the advantage and let it slip away, falling victim to a familiar pattern. For the third time in four home games, the Hawks have squandered a 2-0 lead.
"We played too good to lose it," said coach Jeff Blashill, reflecting on his team's inability to close out the game. The Wild capitalized on three point shots through traffic to tie the game, with all three goals originating from point shots that deflected off Blackhawks players' skates or stuck to them as they tried to clear the puck.
In contrast, the Hawks' offense was firing on all cylinders, producing some beautiful scoring chances, including a tic-tac-toe play between Tyler Bertuzzi and Sam Rinzel. Connor Bedard also scored his first NHL goal in a sweet move by Artyom Levshunov. However, despite their best efforts, the team was unable to find the back of the net.
"I'll put that one on myself," Bedard said after a tough outing where he seemed to be on for every goal against him. "I think I was on for every goal against. I lost Boldy there for the equalizer. That's just something we're all going to get better at."
The loss was also marred by a questionable call against Ilya Mikheyev, who was assessed interference in the overtime period, allowing Kirill Kaprizov to score the game-winning power-play goal.
As the Blackhawks continue to struggle with lead protection issues, their performance in games that go to overtime is particularly concerning. The team needs to regroup and find a way to close out leads if they hope to avoid falling further behind. With four losses in a row, their better-than-expected start to the season is now in jeopardy.
i get it they're playing good hockey but can't seem to close out games... 2-0 lead and then BAM let's go 
those point shots deflected off their skates are literally the worst 
anyway, gotta feel for Bedard, he's a talented player but seems to be getting on the wrong end of goals lately 
coach Blashill is right though, they played too good to lose it... now if only they could finish those games 
. I mean, yeah they played some great hockey and scored some sick goals, but overtime? That's just begging for you to lose. It's like they're trying to gift games to their opponents. And don't even get me started on that questionable call against Mikheyev... are you kidding me?! 
. The Hawks need to regroup and figure out how to close out games if they want to stay in contention for a playoff spot 
.
. When you're winning like 10 games straight, it's easy to coast through the rest of the season. But now they need to find a way to win when it counts, and that's just not happening right now 
.
️ And you know what? That's okay! What matters most is how we learn from those losses and try to improve next time around. So yeah, I feel for the Blackhawks - they're definitely struggling, but they've got this! 
They're having some great games, but when it comes down to it, they just can't close out. It's frustrating to watch because you know they have the talent, but somehow they keep finding ways to blow leads. Bedard's not getting any younger and still making mistakes like that... I feel for him 
. It's all about learning from those mistakes and growing as a team, like Connor Bedard said - he can't change the past, but he can work on being better in the future 
. The Hawks have to regroup and find a way to close out those leads, because when you're playing with that kind of skill and talent, you should be able to capitalize on those opportunities 
. It's time for the team to take a hard look at themselves and figure out what needs to change 
The refs are supposed to be impartial, not influence the game's outcome like that.
. They need to work on getting pucks in the back of the net and stopping the other team from scoring in OT. It's just too much pressure on one player to bail them out every time 
. If they can't close out leads, it doesn't matter how talented their players are or what fancy plays they run. They need to get their heads in the game and figure out how to stop the other team from scoring 
. And let's be real, 10-8-5 record isn't so bad either 
. They might need to regroup but I'm sure coach Blashill will figure something out. And hey, at least they're not the team with 0-20-0 record 
. It's like they're trying to win, but then forget how 
or they'll be stuck in mediocrity for a while 
. They need to work on their lead protection and get some more confidence in front of the net or they'll be stuck in mediocrity forever 
.
And what's up with those questionable calls against Ilya Mikheyev? That's not helping the team's cause at all. They need to get some momentum going and fast, or else this season is gonna be a long one... 
Anyway, I feel for Bedard, he got roasted a bit and it's gotta be tough to bounce back from that. They just need to regroup and figure out how to close out games when it counts 
Blackhawks are having a tough time right now