3 Takeaways From the Blackhawks’ 4-1 Loss to the Devils

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The Chicago Blackhawks suffered their third loss in the first four games of new head coach Anders Sorensen’s tenure, falling to the New Jersey Devils 4-1 on Saturday afternoon (Dec. 15). It was yet another situation where they were close for the first two periods and then fell apart in the third. A 60-minute effort still alludes these Blackhawks as they attempt to fight through being one of the worst teams in the league, when they were supposed to be better this season. This was also the first start for goaltender Drew Commesso and the season debut for forward Frank Nazar, two players who look to be part of the future for the Blackhawks. Let’s discuss three takeaways from this contest, the Blackhawks’ sixth loss (of seven games) in December.

Blackhawks Show Promise, But 3rd Period Woes Continue

This was a case of a plethora of “oh so close” moments for the Blackhawks. There were times when Connor Bedard and his top-line linemates, Philipp Kurashev and Ryan Donato, were creating chances and pushing the pace. Bedard hit two goalposts on the afternoon, and Donato came with his usual spirited effort, finishing the game with three shots on goal.

Second-liner Tyler Bertuzzi pinged a puck off the crossbar as well, and Taylor Hall generated a phenomenal chance in the third period, which was almost finished up by Nazar (more on him below).

Third-liner Jason Dickinson scored the Blackhawks’ lone goal of the game in the second period, a frenzied effort that went off the goalpost, then off Devils’ defenseman Luke Hughes before bouncing into the net.

This was the 19th time the Blackhawks scored the first goal this season. Unfortunately, scoring first seems to be more of a curse than a blessing right now; they’re 8-9-2 in these contests. The Hawks need to work on not letting their foot off the gas in the third period.

Yes, just like the last game against the New York Islanders, where they allowed three goals in the third period, the Blackhawks gave up four goals in the third to the Devils. Not only that, three of those tallies were just 2:06 minutes apart. Sloppy play and defensive breakdowns were the culprit once again. Said captain Nick Foligno after the game, “Anders (Sorensen) has put in a hell of a game plan. We really like the way we have to play and will play for him. We’ve just got to start playing the whole game like that… I don’t know why it’s slipping away from us at certain points.”

Related – 3rd Period Surge Propels Devils to 4-1 Win Over Blackhawks

Well, Coach Sorensen wants the Blackhawks to play more aggressively, including the defensemen. So some breakdowns are going to happen. Looking at the good and the bad of this contest, the team does seem to be on the right track. Now, to create even more chances (only 18 shots on goal for the Hawks in this one) and limit those mental lapses, especially in the third period.

Nazar Quiet but Solid in Season Debut

There was so much hype surrounding 20-year-old Nazar’s season debut with the Blackhawks. After all, he’s accumulated 11 goals and 24 points in just 21 games with the Rockford IceHogs so far this season. This is currently tied for sixth overall in the AHL in scoring, and first overall among rookies.

Frank Nazar Chicago Blackhawks
Frank Nazar is a highly anticipated top prospect that just got called up to the Chicago Blackhawks. (Photo by Ric Tapia/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Add in the Blackhawks’ deplorable record plus their offensive woes, and they were looking for a spark in Nazar. It’s not exactly fair to put this kind of pressure on a 20-year-old, but his new linemate Hall put things into perspective.

It’s an adjustment to come up mid-season and mid-road trip with a team that’s trying to work through a lot of stuff, but it’s our job to help him through that. The biggest things we [will] look for from him are energy, compete and enthusiasm. That’s what, as a young player, you’re required to show.

There weren’t any fireworks in Nazar’s performance in his first game with the Hawks, but he also didn’t look out of place centering the second line alongside Hall and Bertuzzi. He finished the afternoon with with one shot on goal, one blocked shot, a penalty and a giveaway, while winning one-of-seven faceoffs in 14:01 minutes of ice time. Of those minutes, 3:52 was spent on the top power play unit.

Again, there was some good and some bad. As mentioned earlier, Nazar followed up on a Hall drive to the net and almost scored a goal. His giveaway of one of 23 total giveaways for the Blackhawks, so he can’t really be faulted there. And young centers always struggle at the dot as the acclimate to the NHL.

Related – Blackhawks Recall Frank Nazar, Hope to Boost Offense

In short, hopefully Nazar will get an extended stay with the Blackhawks, so he has the time and opportunity to make an impact at this level.

Commesso’s Stellar Start

Commesso actually came in (making two stops) to relieve Arvid Soderblom during Thursday’s contest against the Islanders (Dec. 12), after the meltdown that led to the 5-1 lead for the home team. But this was Commesso’s first NHL start, and he made the most of it. The 22-year-old stopped a perfect 17-of-17 shots through the first two periods, including this high-light reel save.

Unfortunately defensive breakdowns in the third led to four goals for the Devils. None of them could really be blamed on Commesso. He finished out the game stopping 20-of-24 shots for a .833 goals against average. Nevertheless, the young goaltender showed poise and composure in the crease. We don’t know how long starter Petr Mrazek (groin) will be out, so we might have a chance to see Commesso again in net. Based on this first performance, his future looks bright.

Other Notes From The Blackhawks vs. Devils

Here’s a few other things of note on the Blackhawks from this contest.

  • Lost in the shuffle of Nazar and Commesso’s starts, Teuvo Teravainen celebrated his 700th career game today. The Finnish forward played three seasons with the Blackhawks (including winning the Stanley Cup with the Hawks in the 2014-15 season) plus eight seasons with the Carolina Hurricanes before returning to Chicago this season.
  • 20-year-old Kevin Korchinski skated in his third game with the Blackhawks this season, called up in the wake of a neck injury to defenseman Alec Martinez. The blueliner looks much-improved in the defensive zone than he did as a rookie last season, so far averaging 17:23 minutes of ice time on the third defensive pairing with T.J. Brodie. Korchinski is known as an offensive-defenseman, and he did contribute a beautiful stretch pass for a scoring chance in this game.
  • In some other good news, the Blackhawks’ penalty kill is currently on a streak of 21 straight kills over the last eight games.

Related – Blackhawks News & Rumors: Sorensen, Korchinski, Nazar, Roenick

The Blackhawks fall to 9-19-2 (20 points) on the season. But they will have no time to dwell on this loss, as they turn around and host the Islanders at the United Center Sunday afternoon (Dec. 15). After a 1-2-0 road trip, let’s hope the Hawks can bounce back and find a win in front of the home crowd.

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