Time for Forsberg to prove he can be reliable goalie for Blackhawks
With the odds of Corey Crawford returning getting slimmer and slimmer by the day, this would be a great time for Anton Forsberg to step up and prove he can be a reliable, consistent goaltender.
Forsberg has certainly done that over the Blackhawks' last four games, and that included Wednesday's 3-2 shootout victory over Ottawa at the United Center. Forsberg stopped 32 shots and 5 more in a shootout that lasted seven rounds and ended when Nick Schmaltz beat Mike Condon to give the Hawks just their second victory in 11 games.
"It was really nice to get a win for sure," said Forsberg, who has allowed just 9 goals in the last four games.
Forsberg improved to 7-12-3 and - unless Crawford comes back - figures to see plenty of playing time in the Hawks' final 21 contests.
"I don't really think of it that way," Forsberg said when asked for his thoughts about being the main man down the stretch. "I'm just looking for the next game.
"I want to be more consistent in my play. That's how Crow has been playing the whole season before he got hurt. That provides a lot of confidence in the team and I want to play the same way."
Forsberg, whom the Hawks acquired from Columbus in the off-season as part of the Artemi Panarin-Brandon Saad deal, has been far from awful this season. He's been a decent backup who has improved with consistent playing time over the past couple of weeks.
Where Forsberg needs work is playing the puck behind the net. He often makes the wrong decision with the puck, and the opponent is either given more zone time or presented with a prime scoring chance.
What's interesting about Forsberg's season compared to Nashville's Pekka Rinne, Winnipeg's Connor Hellebuyck and Dallas' Ben Bishop - three top-notch Central Division goalies - is that all of them have had their share of rough outings.
To wit:
• Forsberg has allowed 4 or more goals in five of his 22 starts, or 23 percent of the time.
• Rinne (9 of 43, 21 percent), Hellebuyck (12 of 48, 25 percent) and Bishop (11 of 45, 24 percent) are no different in that regard.
Where Forsberg needs to be better is coming up with the spectacular 60-minute performance more often. Check out the difference in that regard:
• Forsberg has allowed zero or 1 goal five times - again, a 23 percent clip.
• Rinne, who plays for a more consistent offensive team, has done the same 30 percent of the time.
• Hellebuyck has accomplished the feat a whopping 35 percent of the time.
• Bishop, meanwhile, has done it 31 percent of the time.
Now, to be sure, the Hawks' blue liners must give Forsberg better support and not hang him out to dry so often. In the same breath, though, everyone would play with more confidence if Forsberg would not make the Hawks pay for almost every error.
He did a much better job of that against Ottawa, and we'll see if he can keep it going as the season winds down.
"Hopefully he takes advantage of a good opportunity," said coach Joel Quenneville.
Looking good:
A chuckling Patrick Kane loved seeing former Blackhawks forward Troy Murray participate in the team's One More Shift promotion before Wednesday's game against Ottawa. Murray, who played for the Hawks from 1981-91 and 1992-94, stood next to another '19' during the national anthem - Jonathan Toews.
As he left the ice and hopped over the team bench, Murray received fist bumps from the beaming Joel Quenneville and Kevin Dineen.
"It was great," Kane said. "Troy's someone that's definitely beloved in this locker room. Just watching his highlights there, it seemed like he was a fun player to watch. …
"(He) won the Selke Trophy, and looked good up there with his hairdo at the awards (in 1986). He had a little mullet going there."
The Hawks showed two video highlights on the United Center scoreboard. Fans seated in front of the WGN radio booth gave Murray, who does color commentary for the station, a nice round of applause after the second montage was played.
Blackhawks vs. San Jose Sharks, 7:30 p.m. Friday
TV: WGN
Radio: WGN 720-AM
The skinny: San Jose had won five of six before getting blown out at Nashville on Thursday. … Defenseman Brent Burns (10G, 40A) is San Jose's leading scorer, while Logan Couture (25) has the most goals. … Before Thursday's games, the Sharks ranked fourth on the power play (22.6 percent) and first on the penalty kill (84.2 percent). … This is the first of three meetings between the Hawks and Sharks. They will play at San Jose on Thursday and in Chicago on March 26. … The Hawks went 1-2-0 vs. San Jose last season.
Next: Columbus Blue Jackets at Nationwide Arena, 6 p.m. Saturday
- John Dietz