10 observations: Blackhawks sleepwalk through shutout loss to Senators originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago
Presented by Nationwide Insurance Agent Jeff Vukovich
The Chicago Blackhawks were shut out for the 12th time this season after losing to the Ottawa Senators 2-0 on Thursday at Canadian Tire Centre.
Here are 10 observations from the loss:
1. Ugly start for the Blackhawks, who fell behind 2-0 and were outshot 16-7 in the first period. They also gave up a shorthanded goal 36 seconds into the game after being gifted a power play nine seconds in. I can’t imagine the coaching staff was happy about it.
2. It looked like the Blackhawks were the ones playing on the second of a back-to-back, not the Senators. The visiting team didn’t have its legs and never really could quite find them. The 18-save shutout for former Blackhawks goaltender Anton Forsberg was perhaps the easiest of his NHL career.
3. This was probably one of the least entertaining games of the season, which is saying something. The only relatively exciting thing that happened was Nick Foligno going at it with Tim Stützle, and even that was not much. Foligno was probably trying to give the Blackhawks some life because they didn’t have any to that point.
4. Petr Mrazek did his part. He was peppered early after facing 16 shots in the first period, and neither of the two goals against were his fault. Seth Jones should’ve stepped up on Claude Giroux on the first goal, and Connor Bedard’s giveaway led to the second, with Parker Kelly’s shot going off Nikita Zaitsev’s glove and in. Mrazek finished with 32 saves on 34 shots for a save percentage of .941.
5. Going into this game, these two teams each averaged 22.8 hits per 60 minutes, which ranked 12th and 13th, respectively. The Senators had 32 hits and the Blackhawks were credited with 27.
6. Boris Katchouk was claimed off waivers by Ottawa from Chicago earlier in the month. He had a goal and an assist on Wednesday after having only one point in his first nine games with the Senators. He’s playing the same role as he had in Chicago, a fourth-line grinder. He had three hits, three shot attempts (one on goal), and one giveaway in 10:03 of ice time.
7. Zaitsev left the game after the first period with an undisclosed injury and did not return. Stay tuned for an update.
8. Blackhawks head coach Luke Richardson will be inducted into the Ottawa Sport Hall of Fame on Tuesday, May 28 at Lansdowne Park’s Horticultural Building. He was born in Ottawa, played and coached for the Senators — and served as head coach for their AHL team — and still spends his summers there. Well-deserved honor.
9. The Blackhawks have only six wins on the road with just five road games left. Their fewest road wins in franchise history since the NHL moved to an 82-game schedule in 1995 is seven, which came in 2003-04. The 1999-2000 Atlanta Thrashers finished with five road wins in 41 games, which is the worst in the 82-game season era.
10. The Blackhawks have five prospects participating in the NCAA tournament, which began on Thursday: Ryan Greene (Boston University), Oliver Moore and Sam Rinzel (Minnesota), Frank Nazar (Michigan) and Aidan Thompson (Denver). Greene scored a goal in Boston’s 6-3 opening-round win.
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