Blackhawks offer little resistance as Sabres clinch Atlantic Division

Last season was a rough one for the Chicago Blackhawks. But they added some exciting young players to the mix after the trade deadline and ended the season on a four-game point streak. They got everyone feeling optimistic heading into the offseason. They are going through the exact opposite this season, as they are now 1-8-1 in their last 10 games after a 5-1 loss to the Buffalo Sabres.

Tonight’s game was as frustrating as they get, with a team that looked mentally checked out. There was no structure, no rhyme or reason. Just 18 guys going into their business. Too many turnovers. Too many lost one-on-one battles. Too many guys not knowing where to be on the ice. Out of all the bad losses this season, this one might be the worst.

“It’s a little unfortunate these last couple of games have gone this way,” head coach Jeff Blashill said. “Because honestly, we’ve done tons of good things to build this in the right direction, and unfortunately, this sours your taste. When you play great this time of year, it can fool you. When you play poorly this time of year, it can fool you.”

Protect the Puck

The Blackhawks will need to improve in many areas next season if they want to contend for a Stanley Cup Playoff spot. First and foremost, they must have better puck management if they ever want to climb out of the NHL cellar.

I don’t think any other team in the league loses more pucks via the poke check. Collectively, they need to be stronger on their sticks. It’s been too easy for opposing defenders to poke the puck free and take it down the other end of the ice.

After getting stronger on their sticks, this team needs to make better decisions with the puck. Whether they’re passing into an area of the ice with nobody there or directly to an opponent, there have been too many unforced turnovers this season. The first two Buffalo goals were all products of poor puck management.

On the first goal, Ryan Greene had a chance to chip the puck out of the zone, but instead he looked back to the middle of the ice and threw the puck into traffic. Seconds later, the game is tied.

It was Tyler Bertuzzi’s turn to inexplicably throw the puck into the middle of the ice instead of going up the boards and out of the zone for the second goal.

No Help for Knight

Spencer Knight has been stuck on 18 wins since beating the Minnesota Wild on March 19. He needs just one more win to tie his career high of 19, which he set with the Florida Panthers in 2021-22, in only 27 starts. However, getting victory No. 19 has been a chore as he’s struggled down the stretch with the rest of his teammates.

In his last seven starts, including tonight, Knight has finished with a save percentage over .900 just once. His last time out against the Carolina Hurricanes might have been his worst start since coming to Chicago. He had an expected goals against of 2.45 but allowed a season-high seven to a Hurricanes team that was resting many of its top players. Knight’s stat line wasn’t great against the Sabres either, but he was hung out to dry all night long.

We’ve already highlighted how poor puck management led to the first two goals against, and the other three were due to lackadaisical defense. Alex Tuch made it 3-1 because Alex Vlasic and Louie Crevier just allowed him to go right up the middle of the ice unmolested. There is no excuse for this from your “top” defensive pair.

After Tage Thompson scored his second goal of the night because of lazy backchecking, the final Sabres’ goal by Ryan McLeod was an example of some of the worst backchecking I’ve seen all season. At least pretend you care.

Nuggets & Tidbits

We could go on and on about how the power play stinks, or point out that Anton Frondell took a bunch of shots, or that Connor Bedard only had two shot attempts. But why bother at this point? The Blackhawks have one game left, against the San Jose Sharks on Wednesday. Go out and play with some pride and win the game. Reward your loyal fan base, who booed you multiple times tonight, with a nice victory to end the season. Play Frondell with Bedard. Dress Sacha Boisvert. If Oliver Moore is cleared to play, put him in the lineup. Play like it's Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final and win a hockey game.

There is a lot of work to be done this offseason, from the front office to the coaches’ room to the ice. This team isn’t as bad as we saw tonight, but it won’t be easy to take the strides to becoming a playoff contender. It will take some keen roster moves, building better systems around the players who are here, and numerous young players taking big steps at the same time. It’s a daunting task, and beating the Sharks on Wednesday is a good first step into a crucial offseason.