SALT LAKE CITY — Along with his interest in a trade now public data,Seth Jones has gone unfiltered.
Jones ripped the Blackhawks after their 2-1 loss Tuesday in Utah, the place they started the season with one other loss all the way in which again on opening night time Oct. 8. 4 and a half months later, they now sit 17-34-7, second-to-last within the NHL.
“We’re the very same group proper now as we have been recreation one,” Jones stated. “It’s fairly evident on the market. We haven’t made any strides to be a greater, extra easy hockey group, and it exhibits. We don’t get a variety of wins due to that.
“This has been nearly 4 years of backside of the league, so it’s not simply this 12 months — for me no less than.”
Jones scored the Hawks’ lone aim, a first-period power-play snipe that truly gave them the lead till the ultimate minute of the second interval. He additionally logged a game-high 25:27 of ice time.
However neither Jones nor another Hawk discovered a option to stem wave after wave of Utah rushes, which led to some absurdly lopsided stats. Throughout five-on-five play, Utah generated a 69-19 benefit in shot makes an attempt and 40-5 benefit in scoring possibilities. That negative-35 scoring-chance ratio is the Hawks franchise’s worst since Pure Stat Trick started monitoring that stat in 2007.
Lawson Crouse scored the game-winner for Utah with 7:48 to play, and Hawks ahead Frank Nazar whiffed on a golden likelihood to equalize with 1:36 left. Hawks goalie Arvid Soderblom performed effectively however might solely maintain the fort for therefore lengthy.
“[We were] refusing to play easy and turning pucks over,” Jones stated. “[It’s] not simply forwards. It’s everyone, [including] defensemen. We weren’t excellent on the breakouts tonight. … We’ve got no enterprise being in that recreation.”
Interim coach Anders Sorensen disagreed with Jones’ evaluation that the Hawks haven’t improved since October, admitting that’s true in “sure areas” however not in others.
In a drought
Hawks ahead Tyler Bertuzzi is a traditionally streaky scorer, and that streakiness is one thing he has discovered to tolerate.
“Generally you hit a submit or miss an opportunity,” he stated. “[But] once you’re on a streak and also you’re feeling it, stuff is simply hitting you and occurring or any pictures are entering into. You experience the highs after they’re excessive, however you [should] preserve grounding out the lows, they usually’ll ultimately come.”
The Hawks have gotten the total vary of him this season. He racked up 12 objectives in Anders Sorensen’s first 21 video games as interim coach between early December and late January. However he has scored solely 5 objectives in his different 37 appearances, together with zero in his final 11.
As a result of he doesn’t have many different above-NHL-average expertise, the Hawks actually need him knocking pucks in from 5 ft away to assist their possibilities of successful. Sorensen moved Bertuzzi again to the primary line with Connor Bedard and Nazar on Tuesday, hoping to jump-start that trio.
No calls
Younger NHL gamers typically should pay their dues, in a way, to get the advantage of the doubt — or some safety, alternatively — from referees. In Bedard’s case, he appears to be going by means of an excessive case of that.
The 19-year-old Hawks star has drawn solely 10 penalties this season (tied for sixth-most on the group) and has been whistled for 16 (tied for third-most on the group).
It’s not a lot the latter quantity that appears unjust — Bedard is liable to committing stick infractions on protection at occasions — however the former. It appears as if he typically will get held, hooked or interfered with, however nothing is known as.
Within the first interval, Utah defenseman Mikhail Sergachev bought away with boarding him, after which Connor Murphy was tagged with a roughing penalty for mainly hugging Sergachev in an egregious sequence.
Bedard did draw a holding penalty shortly after on Utah ahead Kevin Stenlund — whom he embarrassed with a highlight-reel aim final season when Stenlund performed for the Panthers — however then Bedard was referred to as for hooking Jack McBain within the second interval.
Utah impressions
The NHL’s latest metropolis seemingly has taken to hockey shortly. The group on the Delta Middle was raucous Sunday towards the Canucks and once more Tuesday, regardless that most of the upper-bowl seats can’t see the near-side aim.
One factor that has stood out to Hawks gamers is how heat the sector is.
“I used to be sweating in morning skate,” Bertuzzi stated. “I normally by no means do.”
After getting benched for the final interval and a half towards the Maple Leafs, enigmatic ahead Lukas Reichel was a wholesome scratch, with just-recalled Colton Dach changing him.
