Blackhawks Finally Fall To The Stars

photo from chicagotribune.com

Last night's game was frustrating. Another loss where the Blackhawks outshot their opponent massively, but none of the bounces were going their way. Three third period Dallas goals, including the empty netter and a power play tally put Chicago away for good, and gave them their second loss in a row.


Jonathan Toews hasn't scored a goal in eleven games (although he's riding a nice little five game point streak, with seven assists in those five games). Marian Hossa has three goals in that stretch. Brandon Saad has eight goals in those eleven games, including two last night. It's his second multigoal game in four games. The Blackhawks are struggling for offence now, but it's not because of anything he's doing. Both his two goal games have turned out to be losses, one to Edmonton, and last night, to Dallas. In their last four games, Chicago have scored eleven goals. Saad has scored five of those goals. Saad's entry level contract expires this offseason, and though he says he's just concentrating on playing hockey right now, and not the hefty contract extension he's probably going to get, there isn't anyone out there who thinks that Chicago isn't going to lock him up long term as soon as they shed some cap weight.

Defence was mostly good last night, I thought. They held Dallas to only thirty three shots to their forty one, but the Stars scored five goals on Corey Crawford, including a short handed two on one. Putting Brad Richards back on the point on that first line power play is a mistake, he's not a good enough point man to sacrifice all the breakaways that Dallas got on the power play for the sake of scoring a couple of goals. He kept getting caught flat footed, and the power play, already struggling, suffered for it. Dallas also managed a power play goal in the third period, a beautiful tic tac toe of perfect passes for Cody Eakin's second of the night.

After two excellent games against Minnesota, Crawford seems to be slipping back into distinctly average territory, allowing three goals against Winnipeg, and five against Dallas. He's now ninth in the league in GAA, and thirteenth in save percentage, which, admittedly, is not awful, and the Blackhawks have been struggling defensively for a while now, but it's not the kind of numbers you want from someone who was in talks for a Conn Smythe only two season ago, and someone who took his team to game seven of the Western Conference finals last season (against the team that would go on to win the Cup). They need him to be better, plain and simple, especially considering the amount they're paying him.

My Three Stars of the Game

3. Brandon Saad. Night in, night out, Saad is one of a handful of players who puts their all into playing. His two goals last night give him thirty one points on the season, and he's on pace to break twenty goals for the first time in his career. With the 'big stars' on the team struggling to put up consistent points, this hot streak is giving Saad a chance to play for a big contract next season, and if he keeps it up, he'll have more than earnt it.

2. Jamie Benn. Benn's been struggling to score this season, but he's leading the team in assists, and had three of them last night, giving him forty points on the season. He had the secondary assist on the game winner, and if he can start scoring, then he and Tyler Seguin will be the lethal one two punch they were last year.

1. Cody Eakin. Eakin had two goals and an assist last night, and, like Saad, had more than his share of chances to finish the hat trick, including an empty net shot that hit the post. Last night was his first goal in nine games, and he ended up scoring short handed, and then the power play goal that would end up being the GWG.

Next game: January 20th vs. Coyotes.