The Chicago Blackhawks are not a winning hockey team. They came out of the holiday break with a 12-21-2 record which gives them the fewest standings points (26) in the NHL.
With that said, they had been playing much better under interim head coach Anders Sorensen. Connor Bedard is racking up points again and the entire group drives play much better. Despite the record, it was hard to call them the worst team in the league entering the break.
One of the other teams in the mix for that title is the Buffalo Sabres. Buffalo won their final game before the holiday break which snapped a 10-game losing streak. It’s been a monumental failure for Buffalo as they wholeheartedly believed that they would be in the mix this year but they aren’t close.
There were plenty of reasons to believe that the Hawks could get it done when visiting the Sabres on Friday night in their return to action. It felt like a matchup between a team on the rise (Chicago) against a team free-falling (Buffalo).
Things couldn’t have gone in the opposite direction more. The Sabres beat the Hawks so badly that they might be able to claim that they are back in business now.
Thanks to first-period goals from Zach Benson, Alex Tuch, Jack Quinn, and Dylan Cozens, the Sabres got out to a 4-0 lead rather early. Eventually, Tyler Bertuzzi are Seth Jones scored for Chicago but it wasn’t enough as they eventually lost 6-2.
The Hawks lost the game as the tone was set in the first period. With all things considered, it was the worst period the team played this season and one of the worst in years. They were outshot 11-2, never had the puck, and allowed 4 goals.
The final shot count (35-17 BUF) and final score (6-2 BUF) were all heavily skewed in the favor of the Sabres because of the bad opening frame. Whether it was rust from the holiday break or not being ready to play, Sorensen needs to make sure it doesn’t happen again.
Things don’t get easier in their final game before the Winter Classic either as the Dallas Stars will be in town to play the Blackhawks at United Center.
At 20-13-1, the Stars are one of the best teams in the Western Conference so they may be even less forgiving than the Sabres who pounced on a lackluster start.
Being more prepared for the start of the Dallas game is key for the Hawks who have played up to their competition this year so far.
Visit The Hockey News Chicago Blackhawks team site to stay updated on the latest news, game-day coverage, player features, and more.
Related: 3 Realistic Trade Packages That Land Blackhawks Dylan Cozens
