Since March 12, the Blackhawks have had the second-worst goaltending in the NHL.
That’s the main reason why they’ve gone 1-8-0 during that span (including their loss Sunday) despite only getting outshot 231-221, a shot ratio that ranks a respectable 20th in the league.
Goalie Arvid Soderblom started Sunday, giving Spencer Knight a break after he started each of the last five home games. Soderblom conceded five goals on 31 shots against Utah, dropping his save percentage in nine appearances since the 4 Nations break to an ugly .870.
Things haven’t gone very well for Knight recently, either. After beginning his Hawks tenure allowing three or fewer goals in each of his first four starts — posting a .928 save percentage over that span — he has allowed four or more goals in four of those five most recent starts, posting an .847 save percentage over that span.
He probably should’ve stopped two or three of the Golden Knights’ goals Friday, and he has developed a pattern of getting beat up high on the glove side. But it’s also true that many of the goals against him, especially prior to Friday, have been either perfectly placed shots or wacky deflections.
All things considered, a nine-game sample is small. It’s unwise to make many judgments based on the end of this going-nowhere season. As far as Knight goes specifically, the hype around him during his spectacular first two weeks was probably excessive, and the concern during the past two weeks is also probably excessive.
Knight’s view
For Knight personally, he’s taking these problems seriously but not getting too worked up about them.
“There’s skilled players in this league, they’re going to make great plays, and you’ve just got to try to focus on what you can and learn how to get better,” Knight said recently. “I always try to err on the side of, ‘Oh, how can I get better?’ rather than, ‘Oh, every goal is really good. There’s nothing I could do.’ I think that’s a mindset you’re not going to get better with.
“[There are] little things you can always get better on, and I try each day in practice to stay on top of those things, whether it’s skating, tracking, handling the puck or moving into shots. … I think about them, but I don’t make them overly complicated and be too [stressed] like, ‘Oh my gosh.’”
Missing the sun
In the Hawks’ player headshots, it’s comical how much tanner than everyone else Knight is, coming from Florida.
He grew up in Connecticut and obviously went on plenty of road trips with the Panthers, so he’s no stranger to cold. But he is excited for the coming Chicago summer.
“I heard it’s really nice when the weather gets better, so I’m waiting for that,” Knight said. “I’m excited to get out a bit. I’ve been exploring the area, [figuring out] where I want to live and whatnot.”
