Two Thoughts On the Blackhawks 4-0 Loss to Anaheim

Thursday’s Chicago Blackhawks game against the Anaheim Ducks certainly felt a lot different than the 7-2 drubbing they handed out just a week ago against the same team. A loss to the Ducks sends the Blackhawks back onto a losing streak after avoiding that phrase for over a week.

A couple thoughts after a tepid showing by the Hawks.

Jarred Tinordi Has a Rough Night for the Blackhawks

I’m not trying to bag on him here, but it was a tough night for Tinordi, especially on a second goal where he was used as a screen far enough out to notch a goal for the Ducks. Arvid Soderblom didn’t have much of a chance on the first goal, also Tinordi just getting outmuscled a bit in front. Now, he wasn’t completely to blame but its his job to clear the front of the net for Soderblom.

That was the first goal. The second might have needed a different type of look from Tinordi. The third, well, he was out there, but it was Connor Bedard screening the shot.

Tinordi has been a good soldier for the Blackhawks this season, but he just hasn’t been good enough for them many times this season.

The blue line will need to be a priority for the Hawks to improve–especially as Kevin Korchinski, and Alex Vlasic start a second full season in October. With Ethan Del Mastro and likely Wyatt Kaiser being full time possibilities in Chicago, games like this might be foreshadowing some decisions the front office will make as they start figuring out options for next year.

Back-to-Back Losses Remind It’s Still Very Much a Rebuild

No one was expecting a miracle but to see the script flipped a bit where the Blackhawks were winning and scoring goals was a nice change of pace in a season where losing was consistent. But the last two games have returned to the slow drip of goal scoring as Chicago has been outscored 10-2 in its last two games. There also some questionable calls but it was just a down night for the Blackhawks.

Nick Foligno doing whatever you call that to protest the penalty call 🤣 pic.twitter.com/FMFNjqigqA

— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) March 22, 2024

They’re still four points ahead of San Jose, which puts them second in lottery standings. They’ll face San Jose on Saturday night in another late game but they have a lighter schedule to close out the season, as opposed to the gauntlet they faced at the start.

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