TAKEAWAYS: Blackhawks Suffer 6-1 Loss to Red Wings 

In the second half of a back-to-back contest, the Blackhawks endured its’ second straight loss in preseason action to the Detroit Red Wings with a result of 6-1. 

Following the loss, head coach Luke Richardson noted that the game didn’t reflect the team’s true potential and showcased some flaws in front of the net and offensive zones. However, with three more preseasons matchups to go, he viewed this as the opportunity to find improvement in these areas before the team’s season opener on Oct. 10 against Pittsburgh. 

“That’s what training camp is for is to work out these kinks, but the effort level definitely needs to be way higher,” Richardson said. 

Despite the numbers on the final scoresheet, the player that stood out to him included Alex Vlasic with the way he skated and his aggressive play. In the third period, the 6-foot-6 defenseman collided with Detroit’s Elmer Soderblom in a knee-on-knee contact that caused him to be ejected from the game.

Another player that he felt improved included Lukas Reichel. As he continues to build his strength in the faceoff circle, the German forward won close to 60 percent of his face-offs in tonight’s game. But Richardson would still like to see him continue to enhance his skills as a center over the next few matchups. 

Before the Blackhawks take on the Red Wings again on Tuesday, Richardson hopes to see more movement from the power play after an 0-6 performance from the unit. If the team can create creative moments, then he thinks it can lead to more goals instead of waiting for the perfect shot. 

“I think we need more movement,” Richardson said. “I think we were a little stagnant tonight looking for that perfect play…”