chicago_suntimes
The Chicago Blackhawks secured a 3-2 overtime victory over the Buffalo Sabres on Thursday, snapping a six-game losing streak. While the game may not have been aesthetically thrilling, it was exactly the type of disciplined, defense-first performance the team had been working toward after a week of intense practice and video review.
Coming into the week, the Blackhawks had allowed the most two-on-one rushes in the NHL, according to coach Jeff Blashill. Against the speedy Sabres, they eliminated odd-man rushes entirely. Their reads on the forecheck and in the neutral zone were clean and predictable, and they defended aggressively. Offensively, they generated little and made questionable decisions with the puck, but their defensive structure kept them in the game until they could capitalize late.
Frank Nazar scored a game-tying deflection goal with less than 12 minutes remaining in regulation, and Ryan Donato netted the winner on a snipe three minutes into overtime. The victory improved the Blackhawks' home record to 5-5-0, with three more home games on the horizon. Their road woes (0-8-1) remain a concern for next weekend.
Key Analysis
Defenseman Ian Cole compared the game to a boxing match, emphasizing the importance of patience and picking spots. "If you watch a playoff game, for instance, there are periods or half of games where nothing really happens," Cole said. "It's a boxing match. Of course, you want to land your punches, but you also don't want to open yourself up to get tagged with a haymaker. There's a give and take there, right? Being able to be patient while still waiting for chances, checking for your chances, that's what a lot of good teams do. That's good for us to see. That is a pattern that can work for us."
Blashill praised the team's defensive details. "The guys dialed in on their defensive details," he said. "It was a real strong suit of the game."
Donato, who had been battling an illness and a 10-game goal drought, expressed relief after scoring the winner. "I felt terrible," he said, but the goal brought a smile to his face. The Sabres were irate that Anton Frondell wasn't called for interference on Owen Power, which gave Donato ample time and space. The Blackhawks likely caught a break but won't complain. "We definitely needed something positive," Blashill said. "Confidence matters. Usually to come out of slumps like that, you have to grind your way. It's never easy. We've obviously faced a lot of adversity through this last little stretch. Our guys, one thing I give them tons of credit on is they come to get better every day."
Blashill also raved about Nazar, who scored both regulation goals and consistently drove play. The Blackhawks outshot the Sabres 9-1 during his five-on-five ice time.
Kane Returns, Korchinski Scratched
Patrick Kane returned to the lineup after missing three games with an upper-body injury and looked rejuvenated. He remains goal-less since the season opener but had seven shot attempts and skated hard in both directions. Kane didn't specify the injury but said it shouldn't be a long-term concern. General manager Kyle Davidson said the team feels the same about Bowen Byram's upper-body injury. Byram has practiced in a non-contact jersey for the last two days and could bolster the defense when he returns.
Kane joined other players in supporting Blashill. "We have a lot of confidence in 'Blash.' He's a great coach, great communicator," Kane said. "I know he's a guy that can get the most out of his players. Right now, it's not working, so it's easy to look at the coach and blame the coach...but that's not the way we're looking at it. We have all the faith and confidence in management, ownership, Blash, the other assistant coaches."
Embattled young defenseman Kevin Korchinski was a healthy scratch for the 14th time in 19 games. Blashill clearly doesn't trust him, and Davidson seems fine with that. "I don't believe in putting my thumb on the scale to get a certain player in a role or a certain player in the lineup," Davidson said. "That's up to the coaches to decide what is best for those players, both individually and then the team as a collective. I stay out of those decisions."
Jordan Greenway highlighted the nuances of an effective forecheck. "It's definitely not as easy as I think people would think," Greenway said. "You've got pressure on you, probably, when you're dumping it. You've got to either put it short of the goalie or it's got to go by him. You see a lot of pucks go to the goalie, right? It's not that easy. But you've got to do it." The Blackhawks got burned Saturday when Hurricanes goalie Pyotr Kochetkov jumpstarted a breakout against a poor forecheck. Avoiding the goalie and identifying the fastest teammate into the zone are key. "[You look for] whoever can get to the puck quickest," Greenway added. "[You're] trying to get it to speed, right? Where someone can pressure it, where it's going to be tough for them to make a play."
Originally reported by chicago_suntimes.