Chicago Blackhawks: 3 takeaways against the Tampa Bay Lighting

Puck management looked to be a bit rough at times, especially in the third period.

In the final stretch of the game, Chicago looked out-classed for long stretches of play. They just couldn’t put anything together and ended up being stuck on their own end.

This is something the team needs to work on. While Chicago might be missing some of its star players, moving the puck with intent isn’t something that requires elite. Everyone should be able to make a clean pass. The first two periods of the game were pretty good, but Chicago was on their heels in the third. Tampa Bay came back and ultimately won the game.

Even if the stat sheet said Tampa Bay gave up the puck more than Chicago, that doesn’t really tell the story. Chicago really struggled to move through the neutral zone, or sustain much time in the offensive zone.  Kevin Lankinen was quoted by John Dietz saying just as much during the post-game interview.

If Chicago had managed the puck better, then this could have possibly gone their way. The elusive “full-60 minutes” is still not yet there for Chicago, and Lankinen noted that. Fortunately, it wasn’t for Tampa Bay either, otherwise, this game wouldn’t have gone into overtime.  From the crease, Lankinen saw it all. Chicago needs to be better, and play a complete game for all three periods.