Blackhawks Gameday #14: Another Lightning Strike

The Chicago Blackhawks (5-8) has a chance at sweeping the season series from the Tampa Bay Lightning. (6-6-4). Faceoff is set for 7pm.

Previously on Blackhawks Hockey:

Connor Bedard had a couple highlight reel goals but the Blackhawks fell 4-3 to the Florida Panthers back on Sunday afternoon.

Blackhawks – Lightning Look Back

After falling behind early, the Blackhawks stormed back for five unanwered goals, stunning the Lightning on their home ice 5-3. Bedard was at it again–with four points in the game showing the generational flash he possesses.

How to Watch and Listen

TV: ESPN
Radio: WGN 720

Miscellaneous Musings

Another chunk of days off before a game, this schedule will be getting a little tougher as the Blackhawks have more games not only at home, but in closer proximity to one another.

Tonight, Isaak Phillips will find his way into the lineup for Nikita Zaitsev, who is out for personal reasons.

Best Case/Worst Case/Final Verdict

Best Case – Bedard remains hot, getting into double digts for goals within the first 15 games of the season.

Worst Case – The Lightning blow the Blackhawks out of the United Center in a simlar fashion that the Blackhawks caught Tampa off guard last week.

Final Verdict –  Taylor Hall is still being held out while both Jarred Tinordi and Andreas Athanasiou are week-to-week for some time. The Blackhawks have been in a win one-lose one pattern going back to October 27th. They’re 4-6 in their last 10 and but 3-3 in their last six games.

Starts have been misleading for the Blackhawks as they’ve roared back both times in their last two and both had a different result. The long layoffs of rest certainly have helped but it’ll be an oasis for the five games they’ll play in the next eight days. They’ll wrap that stretch with a game every other day until December 17th when they play Vancouver.

That’s a span of 13 games where they’re playing every other day, or in some cases, back-to-back. Now, no one on Chicago’s side is complaining but it’s certainly something to look at as they start what will be a long stretch of games with little recuperation time in between.

The Blackhawks enter 31st in goals and after today’s earlier article, looking to get some more balanced scoring. Meanwhile, the Lightning are in an unfamiliar position looking up in the standings and sputtering at 6-6-4. Nikita Kucherov comes in with 11 goals and 23 points so if there’s ever a perfect storm for a team to come in and wreak havoc, it’s certainly the Lightning.

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