For the second time in the last three contests, the Chicago Blackhawks recorded no goals against their opponents.
While head coach Luke Richardson noticed some positives from his players in the game, he also felt that the Vancouver Canucks found some of the Blackhawks’ weaknesses that contributed to both goals early in the first period.
“We just didn't kill plays in the D-zone, and they extended it and they really came out ready to go,” Richardson said. “They flexed their muscles and showed why they're number one in the league.”
This loss also marked a tough stretch for Chicago on the road over the past two months. In their last seven road matchups, the team contributed five goals against their opponents.
Although the Blackhawks brought some challenges in the third period, Nick Foligno described the difference the team plays when they are on the road compared to a home contest. At the United Center, the team started off the game strong, but on the road, the veteran forward noticed a delayed response when the Canucks scored first.
“We got caught in our end watching them play for the first part, and they get two goals because of it, where we're just not quite as engaged as we need to be,” Foligno said.
Late in the third period, the Blackhawks created some looks to try and score their first goal of the night but couldn’t find a lucky bounce. They also struggled to find luck on the power play but ended the night as 0-for-5 with 10 shots on net.
Richardson explained that he continued to see improvement on the special team unit but now, they have to find ways to score on those opportunities.
“They look better, but better is not good enough for this league,” Richardson said. “We have to get results, so at some point, we got to drop a couple [goals] in a game to help us get a win.”
With three more games to play until the NHL All-Star break, Foligno stated that the team needs to play simpler and find ways to adjust throughout the game to see more positive results.
“You can allow your game to kind of form as the game goes on when you're on the road and that should benefit us well because we're a team that when we get our momentum we can get going,” Foligno said.
