Round 1 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs commenced for the Chicago Blackhawks on Tuesday night. They were hoping to make a statement against the Vegas Golden Knights. Unfortunately, they fell short. Here is all the latest Blackhawks news.
Game 1 Highlights
The Blackhawks and the Golden Knights came out of the gate pretty even. They were both able to limit each other’s opportunities which kept the game scoreless after one period. The second period opened the floodgates.
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Goaltender Corey Crawford let in the first goal of the game from Vegas’ defenseman Shea Theodore. The goal was questionable. It seemed like Chicago wasn’t fully able to recover from that. A shorthanded goal from center David Kampf in the second period was the only offense the Blackhawks could generate in their 4-1 loss. Here are some highlights:
- Shots on Goal: 20, Vegas- 34
- Faceoff %: 55, Vegas- 45
- Powerplay: 0/2
- Penalty Kill: 2/2
- Hits: 20, Vegas- 35
The good news is that the Blackhawks’ penalty kill is still holding strong. However, they’ve got some cleaning up to do. With that, defenseman Duncan Keith had a good quote that described the game in a nutshell.
Let’s hope that the team’s system works better for them in Game 2.
Jeremy Colliton’s Future
When team president John McDonough was fired back in April after 13 years with the team, it signaled that major front-office changes could follow. But, it seems like fans just got official word that McDonough will be the only change, for now.
Scott Powers, Blackhawks’ writer for The Athletic shared his article on Aug. 11 that detailed general manager Stan Bowman’s thoughts on his head coach, Colliton. The article outlined Bowman’s stance that Colliton is the right man to lead the team for the foreseeable future. (from ‘Why the Blackhawks have bought in with coach Jeremy Colliton’, The Athletic – 08/11/2020).
If fans were looking for a more definitive answer on Colliton’s job security, I don’t think an answer gets much firmer than that.
Hall of Fame Delay
Because COVID-19 has given everything a major shakeup, it should come as no surprise that the Hockey Hall of Fame would be included. The Hall of Fame induction was supposed to happen on Nov. 16. However, it is now delayed. While we don’t know for certain what the new date for that will be, the chairman of the Hockey Hall of Fame, Lanny McDonald, stated that he envisions it will be pushed to November of next year.
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This news is significant for the Blackhawks since they have two inductees: right wing Marian Hossa and defenseman Doug Wilson.
I know fans are eager to see both of them be inducted, but it looks like we have to be patient just a little longer.
Alex Nylander Reminisces
On Aug. 10, The Buffalo News journalist Lance Lysowski re-posted an article from 2019 on Twitter. The article is about left wing Alex Nylander. He was traded from the Buffalo Sabres back in 2019, so he hasn’t been with the Blackhawks for very long. However, the article contains some good quotes about Nylander’s hockey journey. Here is a quote he shared reflecting on his time from Buffalo to Chicago:
There wasn’t much I could control [in Buffalo]. Obviously, I felt ready sometimes and that I could have played up there, but they decided to keep me down there [in the AHL]. I just learned from all that stuff and it’s been really good coming into this organization. It’s been unbelievable.
(from ‘Blackhawks’ Alex Nylander ready for opportunity he never got in Buffalo’, The Buffalo News, 11/12/2019).
This article seems rather prevalent now that Nylander is with the team in the playoffs. It’s a fun story to look back on if you want to learn more about him.
The Good Boys
Lastly, although Game 1 didn’t go as planned, leave it to dogs to be the best pick-me-ups. The Blackhawks’ Instagram shared some pictures of left wing Alex DeBrincat and center Dylan Strome’s dogs before the game.
Ralph and Burt (DeBrincat) and Wrigley (Strome) were representing the team in the most adorable fashion. Gotta love it!
What’s Next?
The Blackhawks will be looking to even things out in what is sure to be an exciting Game 2 on Thursday evening. Expect to hear highlights from Game 2, possible lineup changes, and more!