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Last night’s 4-3, triple overtime loss in Game 1 of the Western Conference quarterfinals can’t be called a moral victory for the Blackhawks.
In the regular season, you take the regulation point on the road and call it a day. In the playoffs, you’ve gone down 1-0, that’s it.
That said, it was a game the Hawks could have won in a number of different ways, but failed to seal the deal. And while the after the marathon contest, the Blues seemed reassured that they’d rediscovered “their game,… they better not lose their game again or they will probably lose this series.
Both teams will be fatigued after this. Anyone thinking it swings momentum to the Blues is probably just a fairly rabid Blues fan.
The Blues held serve—and took three overtimes to do it. If not for Jaden Schwartz’ tying goal late in the third, this series is probably in the Hawks’ control. As I often chide some over-zealous Blackhawk fans, don’t start the Parade just yet.
And the Hawks might look back at that goal this summer and see it as the High Water Mark of their season.
Going forward, the Blackhawks need to look at their defensive zone coverage, where breakdowns led to open St. Louis shooters in front of their net much of the night.
Joel Quenneville might have also learned that, if he gets another third period lead in this series, he probably shouldn’t try to sit on it—as the Hawks seemed to do last night.
The Blues will need to stay out of the penalty box because they looked unprepared for a Blackhawk power play that was as good last night as it has been all season—with lots of movement of both the puck and players.
It was a good game and a late night (morning). Gotta love playoff hockey.