Game 37: Hawks 2, Canes 1 (blackhawks)

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Game 37: Hawks 2, Canes 1

By Theo Fox

Mar 30, 2021 • 11:25 pm

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Despite the Hurricanes dominating the shooting and scoring chances by at least a 2:1 margin, the Blackhawks made the most of their efforts squeezing out a 2-1 victory to stay within a tie breaker of 4th place.

Kevin Lankinen held down the fort with a 31-save performance to give his team a chance to win. The defense played their part to thwart the barrage of shot attempts by blocking 19 shots and playing physical.

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Starting Lineup

The starting lineup saw Kevin Lankinen, Dylan Strome, and Wyatt Kalynuk slotting in for Malcolm Subban, Matthew Highmore, and Nicolas Beaudin:

Scoring Recap

1st Goal: Strome (1-0)

2nd Goal: DeBrincat (2-0) PP

3rd Goal: Svechnikov (2-1)

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Game Notes

Power Play Entries

Entries on the PP are simply horrendous. There's no advantage to the "push 'em back" entry as the other team expects it, sits tight, and clogs the blueline. Instead, try multiple players entering with speed.

Net Front Presence

Everyone needs awareness of where teammates are. If both D-men head to other areas of the zone, the center needs to pop into the slot to provide net front coverage. Rotate as the puck moves to another area.

Capitalizing on Mistakes

Good teams aren't just more skilled and harder workers but they also capitalize on the opponent's mistakes. DeBrincat's PP goal is an example with Kane taking advantage of Pesce's slow decision making.

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Player Notes

Adam Boqvist

Boqvist's offensive activation is more and more confident. His pinches are smarter without spending too much time down low. He also gets a lot on his shot with a few hit posts this year including last night.

Kirby Dach

Dach Has great straight-line speed but it limits his options on rushes. He needs to learn how to cut laterally especially to the middle or stop on a dime to fake out the defender then hit a trailer with a pass.

Brandon Hagel

If you're the other team, don't sleep when Hagel is in your vicinity as he'll be on you like a fly on manure. He may not steal the puck every time but he at least prevents you from making any sort of play.

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Rockford Updates

Chad Yetman has some potential as a Tanner Kero-type of bottom 6 forward prospect but his potential to sniff the NHL is low given the other center and winger prospects he would need to leapfrog.

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Prospect Updates

It remains to be seen what Hardman will be at the pro level. He will get an early chance to demonstrate his worth on the taxi squad. Yet, be cautious as he could easily be the next Kyle Baun or Matt Carey.

Besides Hardman, the other power forward prospects are Cam Morrison and Landon Slaggert. Morrison is out for the year with a knee injury but has a Bryan Bickell-like quality of performing in the clutch.

Slaggert's stock rose meteorically from 2020 draft day to the present after a standout freshman season at Notre Dame and starting for Team USA at the WJC. He's aggressive, relentless, skilled, and responsible.

MacKenzie Entwistle and Josiah Slavin are big bodies who prioritize defense and do the little things to help teams win. Their offensive upside is limited but they are tailor made for the bottom 6 and PK.

Michal Teply is another big body but his lanky frame and style of play is reminiscent of Eric Daze. His offensive potential could be similar to Daze if he can amp up his speed burst. Teply at least gives effort.

Then there's John Quenneville who plays a quintessential power game but it's too bad he plays it wildly inconsistently. When he's on, he's tough to play against. The problem is, he's off most of the time.

Although smaller in comparison, other forward prospects like Evan Barratt, Andrei Altybarmakian, and Tim Soderlund play a hybrid game of power and finesse. They also agitate with their vigor and feistiness.

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See you on the boards!

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