BLOG: Blackhawks Come Up Short in Season Opener

The Blackhawks suffered a 5-2 loss to the Avalanche at Ball Arena on Wednesday night.
Chicago's power play would go 2-for-3 with goals from Jonathan Toews and Max Domi, who recorded his first goal in a Blackhawk's uniform, but wouldn't be enough to defeat the defending Stanley Cup Champions. For head coach Luke Richardson, he noticed some positives in the game, but felt the team could have fought harder in other areas.
"Overall, I think the guys fought until the end and that's all we can ask for," Richardson said. "But we definitely have to demand more of ourselves."

PENALTY KILLS STRUGGLES

One of the struggles the team faced was allowing Colorado to score four power play goals, going 2-for-6 on the penalty kill. Jack Johnson described the strength of his former team's power play and their potential.
"it's no secret [that they're a] great team with great players," Johnson said. "You can't put a team like that on power play, you're asking for it."
For Toews, the little things such as applying pressure would be the downfall of the night.
"I think we're right there for the most part, but it just comes down to having good sticks and getting in front of shots," Toews said. "It's just simple little things that need to be cleaned up."

JOHNSON RETURNS TO COLORADO

Before dropping the puck to start the 2022-23 season, Johnson joined his former teammates on the Avalanche for their Stanley Cup celebration and raised the banner into the rafters. He explained the different emotions he felt pregame after taking the trip down memory lane.
"I got pretty emotional actually doing the video beforehand," Johnson said. "I'm just incredibly proud [and the banner will] be up there way after I'm gone."
After the team flew into Colorado on Monday morning, this allowed Johnson to also take part in the ring ceremony that same night. For him, he explains how fortunate he feels to still celebrate his former team and looks forward to a new chapter with Chicago this season.
"It's a special thing to be a part of and it's just another thing in the long list of things I'm extremely grateful for from Colorado, the organization, city, the fans, my teammates, and also the Blackhawks for letting me be a part of it," Johnson said.

UPCOMING

The Blackhawks will face the Golden Knights tomorrow at T-Mobile Arena for a 9 p.m. CST scheduled puck drop.