It was another difficult loss for the Chicago Blackhawks, this time at the hands of a fellow Original Six franchise in the Toronto Maple Leafs, losing 4-1 and dropping to 8-15-2 on the season.
The Blackhawks are still in last place in the entire NHL and losers of seven of their last nine games, dating back to their Nov. 14, 3-1 loss to the Seattle Kraken.
Here are three takeaways from the Blackhawks’ Dec. 2 matchup against the Maple Leafs.
Blackhawks Outplayed Maple Leafs in 2nd Period
Down 1-0 going into the second frame, thanks to an Auston Matthews goal near the end of the first, the Blackhawks came out firing, throwing pucks at the Toronto goal and forcing Maple Leafs’ goaltender Anthony Stolarz to hustle.
Unfortunately, Stolarz did just that, stopping every shot he faced through the first two periods and protecting Toronto’s lead, which was extended when John Tavares scored his 11th goal of the season to make it 2-0.
Was that a double doink? đź‘€ pic.twitter.com/Jl9u5KV3OX
— Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) December 3, 2024
Side note: how good has John Tavares been this season? The 34-year-old had the captaincy removed in favor of the younger Matthews, and has responded with not just a positive attitude, but is producing at a near point-per-game pace, with 11 goals and 11 assists for 22 points in 23 games. Say what you will about his lack of foot speed and his defensive game starting to deteriorate, but his production has never been in question through his seven seasons in Toronto.
Related: Blackhawks Fall to the Maple Leafs; Lose 4-1
The Blackhawks didn’t let the second goal deter them and continued to press in the Maple Leafs’ zone, but it wasn’t enough. Stolarz, acquired by the Maple Leafs in the offseason after playing the role of backup goalie for Sergei Bobrovsky on the Florida Panthers’ Stanley Cup run, has been fantastic this season, posting a .924 save percentage (SV%) and 2.23 goals-against average (GAA) with an 8-4-2 record through 14 appearances.
Lukas Reichel Gets on the Board
Going into the third period with the same attitude they had going into the second, the Blackhawks fired pucks at Stolarz and created havoc in the Toronto zone. Just minutes into the final frame, T.J. Brodie – who may have played his best game as a Blackhawk, obviously against his former club – intercepted a clearing attempt and kept the pressure going in the Maple Leafs’ end.
After a few point shots with an absurd amount of traffic in front of Stolarz, a rebound found Lukas Reichel’s stick, which he barely squeaked past the goal line, cutting the deficit to one.
Reichel sneaks one in and the #Blackhawks are on the board đź‘€ pic.twitter.com/43D7hdXyGT
— Blackhawks on CHSN (@CHSN_Blackhawks) December 3, 2024
I’ll say this about Reichel, who now has three goals and six assists on the season for nine points in 21 games: he’s looked a lot better in the last handful of games, despite being relegated to third- or fourth-line duties under head coach Luke Richardson. It’s felt like we’ve reached a point where the 22-year-old winger isn’t asked to do, well, anything beyond not getting scored on.
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That being said, there are moments during a game where you can tell the offense is there, the skill to make something happen in the opponent’s zone is in his repertoire. You can only hope that Richardson trusts Reichel with more ice time as we approach the holiday season.
Despite the Reichel goal, the Maple Leafs responded 20 seconds later with Fraser Minten scoring to make it 3-1, and Matthew Knies adding an empty netter to close it out for the Buds.
Blackhawks Continue Improving, Despite Losses
I said this after their loss to the Minnesota Wild on Nov. 29, and I’ll say it again: the Blackhawks are playing better, and they are much better than their record suggests. But, like I said after that Wild loss, your record is your record, and no amount of “yeah, buts” and “what ifs” can change that.
If you’re into the whole “Deserve To Win O’Meter” via MoneyPuck, the Blackhawks actually had a 59.8 percent chance of winning the game, indicative of a club that comfortably outplayed their opponent. But that means nothing if you can’t bury chances, and it especially means nothing if your opponent has arguably the greatest goal scorer in the NHL.
Going forward, the Blackhawks need more from a number of players, but perhaps most important is Tyler Bertuzzi, who has no goals in his last 10 games. For someone who plays on the first line with the likes of Connor Bedard and Taylor Hall, as well as getting first-unit power play minutes, not scoring is unacceptable.
Chicago plays another Original Six franchise in their next matchup when they take on the Boston Bruins on Dec. 4. Puck drop is at 7:30 p.m. ET / 6:30 p.m. CT.
