The Blackhawks had been in all probability due for some goaltending regression after a couple of unbelievable weeks within the crease, and that regression has hit arduous the final two video games.
New cornerstone goalie Spencer Knight allowed six objectives on 30 pictures Tuesday in a 6-2 loss to the Kraken, three days after Arvid Soderblom allowed six objectives on solely 15 pictures in opposition to the Canucks. That quantities to a mixed .733 save share over the 2 video games.
Interim coach Anders Sorensen, nevertheless, asserted he didn’t suppose any of the blame ought to fall on Knight, and he’s in all probability proper about that. The Hawks took an early 2-0 lead on objectives by Connor Bedard and Tyler Bertuzzi, then utterly unraveled.
Knight actually has come again to earth after his excellent first two begins in Chicago, nevertheless it looks as if nearly each purpose in opposition to him is both a wonderfully positioned shot or a wide-open backdoor one-timer — after a defensive breakdown — that he has no probability to save lots of.
There have been many moments during which the Hawks turned the puck over with poor passes within the impartial zone, struggled to type out their protection heading into their defensive zone, then misplaced monitor of Kraken gamers.
“We didn’t shield the slot in any respect,” ahead Jason Dickinson mentioned. “There have been simply too many high-danger scoring possibilities. You possibly can’t quit that many and anticipate a goalie to make each save.”
It’s the primary time since March 2021 — and the sixth time this century — that the Hawks have allowed six or extra objectives in consecutive video games.
“The entire group [was] much less assertive,” Sorensen mentioned. “That’s what harm us proper after turnovers. Turnovers occur. We don’t need them to be as magnified as they had been at present, however then, ‘How’s your response to these turnovers?’ We didn’t do an excellent job there in any respect.”
Within the circle
One space during which younger Hawks forwards Bedard and Frank Nazar have improved lately is within the faceoff circle.
Bedard has gained a decent 49.1% of his attracts since Jan. 28 after profitable an abysmal 32.0% earlier than that. Nazar, in the meantime, has gained 51.1% of his attracts since getting back from the 4 Nations break, in comparison with 41.3% earlier than that.
As a group, the Hawks are nonetheless second-to-last within the NHL with a forty five.1% faceoff share, and that hasn’t even elevated lately as a result of Dickinson’s absence harm as a lot as Bedard’s and Nazar’s enchancment helped. It’ll be attention-grabbing to see if the group share lastly will increase down the stretch with Dickinson wholesome.
Awards time
College of Minnesota sophomore defenseman Sam Rinzel, one of many Hawks’ most heralded prospects, was named the Massive Ten’s Defensive Participant of the 12 months.
Hawks common supervisor Kyle Davidson has raved concerning the 2022 first-round decide’s growth. He’ll attempt to persuade Rinzel, who has 31 factors in 39 video games, to show professional after Minnesota’s NCAA Event run ends.
“The power, the arrogance, the flexibility with the puck — it’s all coming into one,” Davidson mentioned in January. “He’s at all times been a giant man that may skate with some fairly uncooked instruments. Now he’s actually placing that entire bundle collectively.
“He’s trusting that first learn, and his hockey IQ is permitting him to make fast performs [and] be decisive on the ice. If he sees a passing lane, he hits it. If he sees a chance to skate, he takes it. Being assertive in his personal skill and his personal decision-making is one thing that has actually taken a step up this yr.”
Fewer calls
Drawing penalties hasn’t been tough only for Bedard this season however for the league as an entire. Energy-play alternatives are down 12% from final season and on tempo for the fewest for the reason that league started monitoring them in 1963.
The Hawks entered Tuesday with 156 power-play alternatives, down from 205 at this level final season, they usually received just one Tuesday.
Stephen Walkom, NHL government vice chairman of officiating, informed Every day Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli the NHL’s internally tracked “missed name fee” has not elevated this season, nevertheless, suggesting gamers are merely enjoying cleaner hockey. The league can be on monitor to set a file when it comes to power-play conversion fee (21.4%), so gamers is likely to be enjoying extra rigorously with that in thoughts.
