NHL: Washington Capitals at Chicago Blackhawks
The Chicago Blackhawks were defeated at home against the New York Rangers on Sunday afternoon by a score of 6-2. The loss marks the sixth time that the team hasn’t come out on top in their last seven games. Prior to this skid, the Chicago Blackhawks had won three contests in a row for the first time since February of 2023.
Chicago Blackhawks interim head coach Anders Sorensen was extremely unhappy with the loss
Sorensen was none too pleased with how the team showed up to play on Sunday afternoon at the United Center. After a poor showing in the Winter Classic, the squad came out and played very well in 4-2 victory over Montreal at home on Friday night. However, it appears that things retracted back to what the fans have been used to seeing all season on Sunday.
“Today, it was evident the puck management” was to blame, Sorensen said, “We were off to a good start and then our puck management was not good at all. Unacceptable. Then we get stuck in our own zone because we’re tired and we can’t get out…. Nothing good comes out of that.”
The team has certainly shown signs of sloppy play throughout the campaign. They wouldn’t be in last place across the entire league at the moment if things didn’t go south so frequently. Despite the rough stretches, overall offensive production from key players is something that the team has not lacked.
Tyler Bertuzzi and Connor Bedard have turned it up a notch as of late, which has kept fans interested in the club as the calendar turns to 2025. Bertuzzi has a goal in four of his last five games and now leads the team with 14 on the season. This is the first season of a four year deal that Bertuzzi inked with the Chicago Blackhawks last summer.
Bedard leads the way in points for the team with 35 in 40 games. The phenom has a point in seven straight games and could easily hit the 25 goal mark despite going on a 12 game goal scoring drought. It is important that despite the outcome of each game, Bedard remains a focal point in their scoring efforts moving forward.
The Chicago Blackhawks have a lot of time on home ice throughout January
The team is back in action on Wednesday at the United Center against the Avalanche before hitting the road for another Original 6 battle with Detroit on Friday. Out of the team’s 13 games in January, nine of them will be played in Chicago.
For a team that is struggling as much as the Chicago Blackhawks are, having some consistency in the schedule one way or another is a good thing. Being able to get in a solid rhythm at home in the month of January could set the the stage for an easier end to the season.
Fans have learned from the past few years that seasons feel even longer when the team is having a hard time finding success on a nightly basis. With another big draft coming up this summer and a head coaching search that will have a lot riding on it, the Chicago Blackhawks have enough inspiration to play their best brand of hockey with just over half of the season remaining.
