Five Chicago Blackhawks Thoughts On 2-0 Shutout Victory Over Wild

The Chicago Blackhawks traveled to Minnesota on Saturday night, and they skated away with a 2-0 win over the Wild in a big Central Division matchup. Here are five thoughts about the Big Win!

5. Too Cute Too Many times

The Chicago Blackhawks were way too cute on Saturday night especially the Captain Jonathan Toews and Richard Panik.  Both had a couple of great chances, but they continue to try to set up tap ins instead of getting pucks on net.  Sure, when you are up 4 or 5 goals you can go for the highlight reel goal, but in a scoreless battle for most of the game getting shots on goal is better than style points.

4. Energy Line is Alway Noticeable

The 4th line shows up every night in my opinion.  The thing is you can count on them to finish off every check, and they will forecheck like none other line the team throws on the ice.  They might not score a bunch of goals this year, but the consistency they bring on a nightly basis is something the Hawks haven’t had for a couple of seasons.

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3. Alex DeBrincat gets better on a nightly basis

Yes, DeBrincat only scores empty net goals lately, but he really reminds me of how Brandon Saad entered the NHL with the Hawks.  Saad was given a lot of responsibility which didn’t always translate to the scoresheet right away.  DeBrincat has been very good on both ends of the ice. One play that stood out for me was the fact that the Hawks could have been caught with a 2 on 1, but DeBrincat busted it to get back on defense and be in the right spot at the right time.

2. Cody Franson Should Stay In The Lineup

The one thing that Joel Quenneville has been struggling with is his defensive pairings, but it looks like he’s finally found his top pairing with Franson playing alongside Duncan Keith.  He plays a physical game with an offensive shot that keeps a lot of pucks in the offensive zone by pinching at the right time.  He really looks like a good fit next to #2, and I hope Q leaves him there for the next few games.

1. Corey Crawford is On Fire

Crawford had to stop 2 breakaways, and he had one puck behind him and somehow was able to keep the puck out of the net even with the goal horn sounding.  Crawford has two consecutive shutouts, and looks really solid in net.   The Hawks are really riding #50 because the offense isn’t clicking right now, but they are doing enough with Crawford playing incredibly well right now!

Next: Should the Hawks Start Playing A New System

The Hawks have won two straight! What are your thoughts on the modest winning streak?