10 observations: Late-period goals doom Hawks in loss to Yotes originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago
The Blackhawks blew a lead and fell to the Arizona Coyotes 4-2 at Mullet Arena on Saturday.
Here are 10 observations from the loss:
1. Late-period goals have been a killer for the Blackhawks all season long. They allowed the game-tying goal with 2:12 remaining in the second, and it gave the Coyotes life. They then gave up the go-ahead goal with 3:12 left in regulation which turned out to be the winner.
2. Tough loss for the Blackhawks, who were very much in the driver’s seat through two periods. They gave up only 21 shots on goal, which is their fewest in a game this season. A lot more positives than negatives in this game despite the result.
3. The Joey Anderson, Boris Katchouk and Jujhar Khaira trio has been red-hot of late. And it stayed that way after Khaira redirected a shot by Jarred Tinordi just 35 seconds into the game to give the Blackhawks an early 1-0 lead. Katchouk was also promoted to the second power-play unit and finished with five shots on goal and eight shot attempts. He had a shot-first mentality all night.
4. The Blackhawks have been stuck in a serious rut on the power play, but they finally broke through in this game. They generated 21 shot attempts, 13 shots on goal and 11 scoring chances in 8:16 minutes of power-play time, per Natural Stat Trick, and got off the schneid on the fourth opportunity when Caleb Jones found the back of the net after Coyotes goaltender Ivan Prosvetov lost his skate blade and couldn’t get reset. A much-needed confidence boost for the Blackhawks’ PP.
5. If you see a little Patrick Kane in Clayton Keller, you’re not alone. Keller’s favorite player growing up was Kane, and that’s who he tries to model his game after. He had a goal and two assists against the Blackhawks, and now has 34 points since the NHL All-Star break. Only Connor McDavid (42) has more points over that stretch. He’s flirting with superstar status.
6. When the Connor Murphy and Tinordi pairing was on the ice together at even strength, the Blackhawks led 21-6 in shot attempts. They were pretty dominant.
7. Lukas Reichel’s line didn’t have the greatest game but he did generate a couple chances. He didn’t get an assist on Jones’ power-play goal, but he’s the one who made the play happen because he drove hard to the net. He nearly connected with Andreas Athanasiou on a 2-on-1 earlier in the game, too.
8. Wyatt Kaiser made his NHL debut after signing his entry-level contract earlier this week. It’s funny that his debut came in a college arena, too. I thought he looked poised and under control. He looks bigger than he is — 6-foot, 173 pounds — and maybe it’s because he’s an excellent skater and has a big stick, which allows him to close the gap on players quickly. Potentially a nice piece for the Blackhawks moving forward.
9. The fourth line of MacKenzie Entwistle, Mike Hardman and Buddy Robinson was very noticeable. The three of them barely gave up anything when they were on the ice together.
10. The Coyotes are 20-11-3 at home this season. They’re 7-21-8 on the road. Pretty crazy disparity. They’re seemingly unbeatable at Mullet Arena.
Click here to subscribe to the Blackhawks Talk Podcast for free.
Download
Download MyTeams Today!
