Blackhawks: How will Chicago rebound for Game 3?

If the Chicago Blackhawks want a chance to move on to the next round, they’ll have to start with rebounding from a tough loss in Game 2 against the Oilers.

Well, what’s fun about playoff hockey is the ups and downs teams face. The Chicago Blackhawks looked unstoppable after Game 1 and after Game 2, fans are scratching their heads wondering what went wrong.

Many things went wrong, along with many signs that led up to the loss in Game 2. A huge thing that went wrong was a lack of consistency on defense and penalties. Both of those factored into the 6 goals the Oilers scored.

Another issue came with a lack of consistency in net with Corey Crawford. Yes, he only practiced once before coming to Edmonton, yes, he had COVID-19, yes, yes yes… There are a ton of excuses for him, but, those excuses don’t show up on the scoresheet. If he’s going to play, he has to play well and give the team a chance to win.

They need to start with the veterans of the team understanding the situation they’re in. They just were destroyed by the Oilers, a team that is hard to stop once they get going. Chicago hasn’t helped out their struggling goalie on defense, and the Oilers did well stopping Chicago’s scoring chances. Everything went for the Oilers, not much went for the Blackhawks.

From that, you look for solutions. The Blackhawks missed Drake Caggiula‘s physical presence and the depth role he’s played for the team this season. They also missed a lot of chances to score. Game 1 for the Blackhawks was what Game 2 was for the Oilers. Both teams piled on goals at will and made the other team look pathetic.

The Blackhawks need to have a short memory, as Game 3 is tomorrow night. They cannot let that big loss phase them. The Blackhawks need to come out fast, not give up the early goal, and keep McDavid in check.

If Chicago can stay out of the penalty box, help Crawford by playing better on defense, and keep McDavid in check, they will rebound nicely in Game 3. If they fail to do those things, Wednesday night may be a long, long night for fans.

Lastly, the Blackhawks cannot go 0-for-4 on the Power Play. When gifted chances to change the tide of the game and score, they have to score. If the Blackhawks cannot convert on the Power Play, they might not be able to take another game in this series.

Still, things are early. There are at least two games left in the series… It’s wide open now, whoever can take Game 3 will likely win the series. Make sure it’s you, Chicago!