10 observations: Hawks shut out by Hurricanes originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago
The Blackhawks were shut out for the third time this season after falling to the Carolina Hurricanes 3-0 at the United Center on Monday.
Here are 10 observations from the loss:
1. I know the Blackhawks have been the comeback warriors for the first month of the season, but they can’t rally from a multi-goal deficit every night. Especially not against the Hurricanes, who are one of the Stanley Cup favorites. A 3-0 deficit was far too big of a hole for the Blackhawks, who generated a bunch of chances but just couldn’t cash in on them.
2. The Blackhawks definitely had their looks on the power play. They had eight shots on goal and six scoring chances on their four opportunities but couldn’t find the back of the net. If they score on just one of the first three when things were still within reach, it’s probably a different game.
3. The Blackhawks were still in the contest down 2-0, but Caleb Jones turned the puck over in his own end and it led to a Grade A scoring chance for the Hurricanes, who capitalized to make it 3-0. That one hurt. You could tell how bad Jones felt about it by his reaction. He looked up at the heavens and then slammed his stick on the ice.
4. The Blackhawks allowed only one high-danger chance at 5-on-5 and three total in all situations, the latter of which was a new season-low. The Hurricanes are one of the best teams in the league at generating 5-on-5 high-quality chances at 15.2 per 60 minutes, per Natural Stat Trick. From that perspective, it was a positive development.
5. Jonathan Toews absolutely feasted at the faceoff circle. He won 18 of 22 draws for a win percentage of 81.8. Just dominant.
6. I thought Chicago’s third line of MacKenzie Entwistle, Boris Katchouk and Sam Lafferty was really good. When the three of them were on the ice together at even strength, the Blackhawks led 7-1 in scoring chances and 5-0 in high-danger chances.
7. Antti Raanta is 16-0-3 all-time at the United Center but he didn’t start in goal for the Hurricanes. It was 23-year-old Pyotr Kochetkov, who stopped all 27 shots he faced for his first career NHL shutout. Turned out to be the right decision. Carolina’s starter Frederik Andersen is on injured reserve with an undisclosed injury.
8. Jason Dickinson missed his second straight game with a non-COVID-illness. He’s feeling better, but he lost some weight and the Blackhawks didn’t want to wear him out too early. His absence is mainly felt on the penalty, although Colin Blackwell and Reese Johnson have done a great job filling in. Johnson nearly scored a shorthanded goal in the second period that would’ve cut Chicago’s deficit to 2-1.
9. Calvin de Haan was a healthy scratch in his return to the United Center. He hasn’t been getting a ton of ice time with the Hurricanes and is more of a depth player for them but he turned a training camp tryout into a contract. He’s a great pro and a shot-blocking machine. Wishing him well.
10. Tyler Johnson participated with the team at morning skate and told reporters afterward that his ankle is feeling better than expected. He didn’t have a specific timeline for his return yet but didn’t rule out the possibility of next week. His return would be a big boost to the top six of an offensively-starved Blackhawks club.
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