Instant Analysis: Reichel Gets His First Goal in Blackhawks Loss

CHICAGO –  There were a number of positives Thursday night. Lukas Reichel finally potted his first goal of the season and the Blackhawks got another goal from Corey Perry. The goal scoring, a good sign, included more than just Connor Bedard.

Now if only the result that been the right one for Chicago. Victor Hedman scored the game winner in a 4-2 win for Tampa Bay, thwarting a Chicago season sweep of the Lightning.

Chasing a goal into the final frame, it was Perry leading the rush and getting rewarded with an easy tap-in that evened the game at 2-2 with over 17 minutes to play. It was Perry’s fourth of the season and tied him with Ryan Donato for second on the team in goals.

And so it went deadlocked through the middle of the period but the live board behind Petr Mrazek gave  Hedman a fortuitous bounce that happened to just hop to his stick. Hedman, playing extremely low near the net, simply tapped it in to give Tampa a 3-2 lead. An empty net goal sealed it with 48.8 seconds, sending the Blackhawks to their second loss in a row.

Lightning Bottle Up Bedard

After his four-point game a week ago, Blackhawks rookie Connor Bedard was clearly a focal point for the Lightning. It didn’t prevent him from getting chances, but he surely wasn’t going to get the looks or space he had when he torched Tampa on its home ice.

They also made contact a point, with Bedard taking a hard shoulder at the blue line that sent his stick flying. It was one of several lessons Bedard and the young Blackhawks will continue to learn as the season continues.

And with the schedule peppered with games almost every other night for over a month now, those lessons will come fast and furious.

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