Blackhawks Fall Short Against Lightning in Shootout, Identify Areas for Improvement
The Chicago Blackhawks fell short in a 2-1 shootout loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning on Friday, marking another testing ground for the young squad as they strive to reach the same level of success as their rivals. Despite being outplayed by the Lightning in every aspect of the game, Blackhawks coach Jeff Blashill saw potential in his team's performance and vowed to continue working towards that elusive mark.
Goalie Arvid Soderblom was the hero for the Hawks, making 30 saves in a busy night, but even he acknowledged the team didn't quite reach the level they needed to. "It was fun to play, see a lot of shots," he said, adding that the team played their best hockey in the third period, only to come up just short.
The Lightning's superior firepower proved too much for the Blackhawks' offense to handle, as Chicago struggled to create scoring chances throughout the game. The team's first shot on goal didn't arrive until the second period, and they finished with a paltry two shots over the 20-minute frame. To make matters worse, the Hawks squandered all three of their power-play opportunities.
Despite the loss, Blackhawks forward Ryan Greene saw a silver lining in the game. "I thought we played really well in the third and had some chances to put it away," he said. Greene also praised Soderblom's performance, saying that without the goalie's stellar play, the game might have gone into overtime.
Greene himself has been on an uptick lately, scoring his third goal in seven games, which Blashill attributed to a growing confidence level. "Confidence is part of it, so once you start scoring, that's when guys start going on streaks and start scoring on a regular basis," the coach said.
The Blackhawks will continue to measure themselves against the Lightning, as well as the Carolina Hurricanes, whom they beat in a shootout just two nights ago. Blashill emphasized that his team isn't satisfied with simply picking up three points over the course of two nights. "I thought we played really well in the third and had some chances to put it away," he said, echoing Greene's sentiments. The Blackhawks are committed to playing the right way and maintaining their momentum, hoping that continued growth will help them become a formidable team in the NHL.
The Chicago Blackhawks fell short in a 2-1 shootout loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning on Friday, marking another testing ground for the young squad as they strive to reach the same level of success as their rivals. Despite being outplayed by the Lightning in every aspect of the game, Blackhawks coach Jeff Blashill saw potential in his team's performance and vowed to continue working towards that elusive mark.
Goalie Arvid Soderblom was the hero for the Hawks, making 30 saves in a busy night, but even he acknowledged the team didn't quite reach the level they needed to. "It was fun to play, see a lot of shots," he said, adding that the team played their best hockey in the third period, only to come up just short.
The Lightning's superior firepower proved too much for the Blackhawks' offense to handle, as Chicago struggled to create scoring chances throughout the game. The team's first shot on goal didn't arrive until the second period, and they finished with a paltry two shots over the 20-minute frame. To make matters worse, the Hawks squandered all three of their power-play opportunities.
Despite the loss, Blackhawks forward Ryan Greene saw a silver lining in the game. "I thought we played really well in the third and had some chances to put it away," he said. Greene also praised Soderblom's performance, saying that without the goalie's stellar play, the game might have gone into overtime.
Greene himself has been on an uptick lately, scoring his third goal in seven games, which Blashill attributed to a growing confidence level. "Confidence is part of it, so once you start scoring, that's when guys start going on streaks and start scoring on a regular basis," the coach said.
The Blackhawks will continue to measure themselves against the Lightning, as well as the Carolina Hurricanes, whom they beat in a shootout just two nights ago. Blashill emphasized that his team isn't satisfied with simply picking up three points over the course of two nights. "I thought we played really well in the third and had some chances to put it away," he said, echoing Greene's sentiments. The Blackhawks are committed to playing the right way and maintaining their momentum, hoping that continued growth will help them become a formidable team in the NHL.
** 
️, their offense was so quiet that they only got 2 shots on goal in the first 20 min of game 
. And now they gotta analyze every detail from this game to understand where did it go wrong. Maybe they need another year or two before they start competing with top teams for cups 
** 
, but it's not enough to carry the entire team. They need more balance and depth in their lineup.
** 
. Like, 2-1 just doesn't seem like enough points for a team with that much firepower on offense. Plus, their D was getting torched all night 
. I mean, Arvid Soderblom made some sick saves, but you can only do so much when the whole team is having an off night 
.
.
. They beat one game against the Hurricanes, and suddenly they're a top contender? Come on, let's not get ahead of ourselves 
.
️, but can't quite put it all together. And that power-play unit... oh man, it's like they're tryin' to make it rain, but the puck just ain't cooperatin' 
. He's like the spark plug of the team now, and Blashill's onto somethin' with that confidence thingy 
. It's like, once you start believin' in yourself, the rest just falls into place, you know? And Soderblom's performance was straight fire 
. Still, I'm lovin' the attitude from Blashill and the crew – they're makin' me believe in 'em yet 
...and on the other hand ryan greene's on fire right now 
...anyway, i'm still excited for the blackhawks and what they can do this season 
i mean arvid soderblom made some amazing saves but even he said it wasn't enough 
and ryan greene is finally finding his groove like what's taking him so long to score three goals in seven games lol anyway gotta give it up for the guy and coach blashill is all about building confidence now which i'm down for
. They're showing promise, but those power-play struggles need to be sorted out ASAP 
️. I mean, 3 shots over 20 minutes is not exactly setting the world on fire 
. The coaching is all about confidence now, and it's interesting to see how that plays out - if Ryan Greene keeps scoring, maybe the whole team will start finding its footing 
.
Greene's been on fire lately and it's awesome to see him scoring goals 
They need to work on their power play and offense before they can really start competing with the top teams 
And those power plays? Forget about it. They just couldn't get anything going. But you know what's crazy? The Hawks' confidence is growing 
and that's a good thing. Ryan Greene's been on fire lately and it's awesome to see him scoring consistently. Coach Blashill knows his stuff and he's right, confidence is key 
arvid soderblom is doin his thang in goal, but offense needs 2 get its act together 
gotta make more shots, especially on power plays 
maybe it's just a matter of time before they click into gear 
anyway, the hawks are still looking strong and i'm hyped for their next matchup against the canes 
, at least not yet... Blackhawks need to step up their game big time, especially on offense. 2 shots in the 20-minute frame is insane! 
. maybe next time they'll finally put it all together... 
. 30 saves from Soderblom isn't enough when you're getting torched on offense like that. And what's with the power-play struggles? It's like they forgot how to score 
.