The slip and fall by Riley Stillman that paved the way for the Islanders 4th goal by role-playing agitator Cal Clutterbuck was illustrative of the Blackhawks season so far as they continue to slide into a downward spiral to begin the season.
Marked by sloppy puck possession efforts all night resulting in endless botched passes, momentum killers, and one-and-dones, the Hawks handled the biscuit like it was a hand grenade looking to get rid of it quickly with no action plan to piece together any productive sequences.
Even when stationed close to the net, very few Chicago shots were dangerous despite metrics documenting 9 high-danger scoring chances at even strength. The 39 saves by New York netminder Ilya Sorokin were fairly easy to make and for his teammates to turn the other way.
A common issue that persisted was having multiple Chicago players below the goal line while defending one less opponent. Simple math would say there's an opponent left alone somewhere else ready to pounce on a scoring chance. The Islanders 1st goal was a good example of this.
On that opening marker, Erik Gustafsson and Stillman were both behind the net along with Henrik Borgstrom who actually got there first to work the end boards against Oliver Wahlstrom. All 3 Chicago players ended up defending ONE player leaving Anthony Beauvillier open.
A related problem that the Hawks continued to create for themselves was having multiple players pursue the puck carrier. It's clear that the puck carrier is covered by one Chicago player so why does a teammate abandon an area of eventual attack by a trailer? No common sense.
And additional areas of weakness that kept plaguing the Hawks were virtually everyone on the ice being guilty of puck watching rather than keeping tabs of every player in opposing sweaters as well as sliding on the ice in a prone position to take oneself out of the play.
Not all of Chicago's woes can be pinned on these defensive gaffes but addressing them would go a long way to improve the team's performance in their own end. Generating sustainable pressure and opportunities on the other end at even strength is still the other Achilles' heel, too.
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Game Summary
Starting Lineup
Hagel - Dach - Kane
Kubalik - Toews - Kurashev
DeBrincat - Borgstrom - Hardman
Khaira - Johnson - Entwistle
McCabe - Murphy
de Haan - S Jones
Stillman - Gustafsson
Fleury
Lankinen
Scratches:
Carpenter, Gaudette, Strome
Scoring Recap
1st Goal (0-1): Beauvillier (unassisted)
2nd Goal (0-2): Wahlstrom (unassisted)
3rd Goal (0-3): Wahlstrom (Pageau)
4th Goal (0-4): Clutterbuck (unassisted)
5th Goal (1-4): Entwistle (Dach, Gustafsson)
SOG For/Against: 40/29
PP: 0-for-3
PK: 2-for-2
Faceoffs Won: 43%
Thoughts & Notes
* Forgetting a second about his egregious pass to the middle that led to the Isles 2nd goal, Borgstrom was arguably the best at puck possession and offense generation as he exhibited excellent mobility, creativity to maneuver the puck, and compete level to win battles.
* Before leaving the game for mandatory precautions for a potential head injury, Mike Hardman played the way that got him called up in the first place: excelling at a heavy forecheck and crashing the boards and crease to create space for linemates.
* Even though he got a healthy dose of knuckle sandwiches to the noggin in the process, good on Jujhar Khaira for standing up for Hardman who got plastered by Matt Martin against the glass.
* Big ups to Martin, too, for showing concern for Hardman after the hit.
* Thankfully Philipp Kurashev is a courageous and resilient player because he got manhandled several times by the big Islander blueliners including a few take downs by beast Scott Mayfield.
* Yes he made some blunders like everyone else on the team but Connor Murphy was the best Hawks defender from the back end as he played physical, maintained tight gaps, and separated puck from player.
* Seth Jones was the best all-around rearguard by making smart pinches, managing the puck in all zones, using his size to ward off opponents, and staying tethered to the post when defending down low.
Highlights
Goal by MacKenzie Entwistle
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See you on the boards!
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