The Chicago Blackhawks, who breezed through Round 2 of the Stanley Cup playoffs, sweeping the Minnesota Wild, showed signs of rust in their first game on the Western Conference Finals against the Anaheim Ducks.
The performance displayed by the Hawks was not something I am used to seeing. They were flat, a little messy and didn’t show off the scoring power and depth we all know they have.
My theory on why they were not at their best has to do with what happened in Round 2. The Blackhawks swept the Wild, meaning they were out of action for more than a week. Their last game, before the WCF opener, was May 7. That’s way too much time.
Blackhawks writer Bob Verdi, would disagree. In his game recap posted on the Blackhawks’ website, he stated:
"“The Blackhawks did not fall here because of too much rust or too much rest, but maybe because they directed more pucks than bodies toward Frederik Andersen.”"
I agree with this and would not say the Blackhawks lost just because of the extra rest, but I think the extra rest played a part. It is my belief that too much rest breaks any flow a team had in previous outings. Being away from the intensity, the crowd and the hits, makes players lose focus. Their mental state changes and becomes more relaxed. It isn’t that they aren’t thinking about the next series or readying themselves, but practice scenarios are not the same as a live-action game. No matter what others say, I will always believe that momentum matters in a game and in a series. And when you lose it, you sometimes struggle to get it back.
Three days extra rest is all the Blackhawks had over the Anaheim Ducks. Both teams had to wait until the New York Rangers and Tampa Bay Lightning moved on in the Eastern Conference, so the Ducks were well rested too.
Da Windy City
Should we be blaming three extra days on their poor outing? Not, entirely. Rest may have played a part, but I am going to give credit to the Ducks as well. They did a great job at containing the Blackhawks and their start-studded lineup. Not to mention, Andersen played like a champion, stopping 32 of 33 shots.
It is also worth noting that the Blackhawks are without Michal Rozsival for the first time this postseason. David Rundblad, who is filling in for him, committed two turnovers that turned into goals for the Ducks. I said when analyzing the series matchup that this would be the weakness the Ducks’ needed to exploit and they did in Game 1.
Really, the game proved that even the Blackhawks are not immune to hiccups. I believe that Game 1 was just that: a bump in the road that the Blackhawks will overcome.
More from Chicago Blackhawks
- There is only one right move for the Chicago Blackhawks captaincy
- Looking back at the Blackhawks’ trades involving Andrew Ladd
- Blackhawks fans might not like where Patrick Kane could potential sign
- Connor Bedard makes the Blackhawks a national broadcast favorite
- This city needs a PWHL franchise as soon as possible
This will not be the type of hockey we will see from the Blackhawks moving forward. The team is too good to be held to one goal a game. Their players will regroup, fix the struggling power play and give Anaheim a run for its money. Why? Because it’s what they do and have done over the past few years.
The Blackhawks just don’t seem like a team that will be shutdown at this stage of the postseason two years in a row. I could be wrong and Anaheim can ride the momentum into Game 2 and moving forward, but I think the Ducks will see a whole different side to the Blackhawks next game.
More from Puck Prose
- Detroit Red Wings 2023 Rookie Camp Has Plenty of Ups and Downs
- This Columbus Blue Jackets rookie doesn’t want to be forgotten
- 2 trades the Boston Bruins must make to secure the Stanley Cup
- 3 reasons the Avalanche won’t win the Stanley Cup in 2024
- This is a big year for Alex Turcotte and the Los Angeles Kings