Blackhawks Complete Lack of Structure Leads to Embarrasing Loss to Kraken

The Chicago Blackhawks looked like they would snap their four-game losing streak by coming out against the Seattle Kraken with a lot of speed and energy. Unfortunately, NHL games are 60 minutes long and not 20, as the visitors dominated the final two periods for a 6-2 win.

The Blackhawks got a break early to open the scoring with a power-play goal. Connor Bedard got the puck below the left circle, where his centering pass hit off Kraken defenseman Adam Larsson’s leg and went right over Joey Daccord’s shoulder for his 18^th goal of the season. The tally snapped a 0-for-12 stretch on the power play. Artyom Levshunov picked up his second primary assist in as many games on the play.

Tyler Bertuzzi ended his 20-game goal drought by tipping an Alex Vlasic shot on its way past to double the Blackhawks’ advantage. Larsson made up for his unfortunate bounce by roofing a shot over Spencer Knight and under the crossbar 31 seconds later.

Early in the second period, Nick Foligno thought the Blackhawks scored during a mad scramble in the crease, but the referees said otherwise. It was a big call because Jordan Eberle tied the game with a one-timer from the slot moments later. Jared McCann beat Knight with a perfectly placed shot over his glove hand to give Seattle a 3-2 lead 26 seconds later.

The Seattle onslaught continued six minutes later when Matty Beniers pounded home a one-timer. Just over two minutes later, Shane Wright made it 5-2 on the Kraken’s third chance from in close as the Blackhawks’ defense completely broke down. Wright added a second goal seven minutes into the third period thanks to yet another defensive zone breakdown by the Blackhawks.

Knight gave up six goals on 30 shots, but you can’t blame him for any of the goals outside of maybe the McCann goal. The defensive zone structure was non-existent. Say what you want about Luke Richardson’s coaching tenure; they never had a night this bad in their own end under him. I don’t think a forward came below the faceoff dots once after the first period.

“We didn’t protect the slot at all,” forward Jason Dickinson said after the game. “There were just too many high-danger scoring chances. You can’t give up that many and expect a goalie to make every save.”

Top Line Performs Well but Doesn’t Produce

Many coaches will tell you that lines really aren’t three players. It’s more about finding duos that work well together, and then you can mix and match the third guy. I hope this is the plan for Bedard and Frank Nazar going forward. Let them cook together, and if you must switch out the third linemate, so be it. Interim head coach Anders Sorensen said Nazar and Bedard have been “feeding off each other real well.”

Ryan Donato got the nod at the left wing spot tonight. It’s hard to argue with that decision. He entered the night second on the team in scoring, just one point behind Bedard and Teuvo Teravainen, and has 13 goals and 36 points over his last 39 games. Sorensen said Donato was added to this line to bring “what Donato brings.”

“Ability to make plays and score goals, but also being reliable.,” he expanded. “He’s had a really good season, and his game has grown a lot. Just being a good stabilizer for that line.”

Tonight was the second straight game where Nazar played center after he and Bedard swapped spots ahead of Saturday’s loss to the Vancouver Canucks. Having multiple centers on one line is not a big deal for Nazar.

“Honestly, it’s the same when you think about it. Even with Donato, we have guys who are centers and know how to play the middle. If I get in on the forecheck and they beat me back to the D-zone, they will fill in down low. It makes the game a lot faster and easier for the guys you’re playing with. I think it’s a great thing. I’ve played with other guys who’ve played down the middle my entire career, and it’s always seemed to work out.”

The trio had the second-best Corsi for percentage (CF%) of the four lines. In 10:21 of 5v5 ice time, they had nine shot attempts and allowed eight for a 52.9 CF%. The third line of Landon Slaggert, Foligno, and Colton Dach had a 71.4 CF%. The top line outshot the Kraken 6-5 at 5v5 and had a 5-2 advantage in scoring chances. The problem was that Seattle scored on both of those scoring chances, neither of which was considered high-danger.

Artyom Levshunov Calm Under Pressure

Levshunov got to wear his red Blackhawks sweater and play in front of his hometown fans for the first time in his NHL career. Selfishly, I was excited about watching him in person for the first time as I walked into the United Center.

The strides the 19-year-old blueliner has taken since his first game in Rockford have been impressive. Sorensen, the IceHogs head coach for his first handful of professional games, has noted the development and stressed that his gaps and reads have greatly improved.

“Some areas are good,” he said on Monday. “You see the instincts. You see the attributes he has as a player. There have been some learning moments for sure, but he’s 19 years old. Overall, positive.”

He’s averaged 21:14 of time on ice (TOI) through his first three games with the Blackhawks, with six shots on goal and an assist. At 5v5, the Blackhawks have 54 shot attempts to 49 against when he’s on the ice but have allowed three goals without scoring one of their own.

“He’s done a great job,” his defensive partner Vlasic said. “I skated with him in the summer, and you can definitely tell he’s gotten a lot more confident. He’s reached that level of comfort that I’ve spoken about before with my time in Rockford, that you get just by playing pro hockey and being around the ins and outs of everything. That makes the transition so much easier.”

The first thing that stood out about Levshunov was his passing. The puck comes off his stick quickly and crisply. He is assertive about where he wants the puck to go and puts it on target in the blink of an eye. Another thing I noticed early is that his head is also moving around, watching out for opposing players and making sure he’s in the right spot.

In 19:25 of 5v5 ice time, Levshunov had a 43.3 CF%. The Kraken outshout the Blackhawks 10-7 when he was on the ice and outscored them 3-1. Four games do not make an NHL career, and he can still make many improvements. However, this small sample size is encouraging. The poise and confidence he plays with at such a young age are not something that can be coached.