The Chicago Blackhawks took on the Vegas Golden Knights in the second of two games on the West Coast, in between games at the United Center.
The Blackhawks won the first one, an overtime victory against the Utah Mammoth in Salt Lake City. With a difficult Golden Knights team looming, Chicago knew that it needed their best effort to compete.
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From the puck drop on, however, things did not go well for the Blackhawks. They were outshot by Vegas 32-21, and were shut out on the scoreboard 4-0.
Early in the game, when the Blackhawks were going through the early storm, Jeff Blashill used up his timeout. From that point forward, they competed a bit better, but it was far too late.
It is hard enough to beat a heavy team like Vegas without spotting them a 3-0 lead early in the match. It’s almost impossible to come back when down by multiple goals against them.
Adin Hill and the Knights have been looking for more consistent play this season, and the Blackhawks made them look like that Cup-contending team that everybody knows they can be.
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Spencer Knight started in goal for the Blackhawks, his second start of the road trip following his three-game absence due to illness. It wasn’t his best performance, but the team in front of him did not take care of their assignments the way that they are expected to.
The Blackhawks saw both Teuvo Teravainen and Andrew Mangiapane hit the post, Connor Bedard had his share of chances, and an Artyom Levshunov goal was waved off due to a missed stoppage of play (hand-pass). No, that doesn’t help them on the scoresheet, but they found chances despite Vegas controlling almost the entire game.
Once or twice a month, for most teams in the NHL, a game comes along where you get thoroughly outplayed. It’s emphasised when you’re a bottom team like the Blackhawks, but the message will simply be to throw it away and move on. The players know this was an improper effort, and it will be corrected by the next time they hit the ice.
Watch Every Chicago Goal
The Chicago Blackhawks did not score a goal in this match, so there are no videos to share for this one.
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What’s Next For The Blackhawks?
The Blackhawks will be back in action again on Tuesday night, St. Patrick’s Day. This will be a matchup against the Minnesota Wild, who defeated them in a shootout back on January 27th. This is a home-and-home for these two teams, so it’s another opportunity for the Blackhawks to play the same team twice in a short time, mimicking some aspects of a playoff series.
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