Chicago Blackhawks wary of another Lightning strike
Jonathan Toews has played in nearly 900 regular-season games for the Blackhawks over the past dozen years, with some obviously sticking out more than others.
Case in point: After practice Wednesday, a hopeful reporter asked Toews what he remembered about Brent Seabrook's 11th-round shootout winner against Columbus on Dec. 2, 2009.
Toews surprised us with: "Nothing. Sorry to disappoint on that one."
One game, however, that Toews had no problem recalling was last season's 6-3 loss to Tampa Bay in which the Lightning tied an NHL record by firing 33 shots at Cam Ward in the second period.
"They can make plays and they were just burning us in every way imaginable," said Toews, whose Hawks will host the Lightning at 7:30 p.m. Thursday.
Ward managed to steer 30 of those attempts away, but goals by Anthony Cirelli, Nikita Kucherov and Ryan McDonagh allowed Tampa to take a 4-1 lead.
The fast-and-furious flurries included sequences of 4 shots in six seconds, 3 shots in 15 seconds and 4 shots in 20 seconds.
"That was a tough, tough period in all aspects," then-coach Joel Quenneville said afterward. "I don't think we touched the puck at all, and that was the part that was disturbing."
The Lightning improved to 5-1-1 that October night en route to a remarkable 62-16-4 campaign. Of course, they were then unceremoniously swept from the playoffs by Columbus in one of the biggest upsets in NHL history.
Most pundits figured the uber-talented Lightning would storm through the regular season again, but that has not been the case.
Not even close.
Coach Jon Cooper's squad is scuffling along at 9-7-2 and is in sixth place in the Atlantic Division. They are still an extremely dangerous squad, however, that is led by Steven Stamkos, Nikita Kucherov, Brayden Point, Tyler Johnson, Yanni Gourde and D-men Victor Hedman and Kevin Shattenkirk. Point, Stamkos and Kucherov are all coming off 40-goal seasons.
"Even considering what happened to them last year in the playoffs they're still a favorite to go deep in the playoffs this year," Toews said. "Say what you want - they're maybe not on fire right now but doesn't matter. They're always a good team."
Said Patrick Kane, who takes a 10-game point streak into the contest: "They had an unbelievable season last year. A lot of offense, fast team. You look up and down their lineup, (they've) got speed and skill and guys that can score on every line, so got to be aware when you're on the ice of that."
Especially in the second period. Or last year's debacle might repeat itself.
Hawks coach Jeremy Colliton has preached all season the importance of the middle period because it's where the elite teams expose the weaker ones. Through 21 games, the Hawks have only been outscored 17-15 in the second, but they've been outshot 266-198.
Opponents are taking advantage of the Hawks' lack of speed on the back end and firing stretch passes down ice in an attempt to catch them off guard. It worked to perfection Tuesday when Carolina's Jacob Slavin hit Andrei Svechnikov, and it led to a Svechnikov goal seconds later.
After practice Wednesday, Colliton said he'd like to see the Hawks reverse this trend.
"We'd prefer not to have all five guys changing at one time," he said. "If you're 30 seconds into your shift, it's probably a lot easier to get it deep, to have pressure on the puck, to not all change at once.
"But if you're hemmed in for (over a minute), then it becomes trickier. We want to do it to teams where we expose them and keep their 'D' out and don't let them change, and that's what teams are trying to do to us.
"It's no secrets, really. Just about execution."
Scouting report
Blackhawks vs. Tampa Bay Lightning, 7:30 p.m. Thursday at the United Center
TV: NBCSCH • Radio: WGN 720-AM
The skinny: Tampa Bay, in the midst of a three-game stretch against Central Division foes, dropped its first two to Winnipeg (4-3) and St. Louis (3-1). The Lightning won the Presidents Trophy for best record in the league last season (62-16-4), but Jon Cooper's team is just 9-7-2 thus far in 2019-20. ... Tampa Bay is 1-7-0 when it doesn't score on the power play. ... The Lightning has killed 18 of 19 opponents' power plays in the last six games. ... Ten players have double-digit points for the Lightning, which is led by Steven Stamkos (7G, 13A), Nikita Kucherov (6G, 12A) and D-man Victor Hedman (4G, 13A). ... Tampa Bay tied an NHL record with 33 shots on goal in the second period of its 6-3 victory over the Hawks last season at the United Center. "Oh, man, I don't even know what to say, to be honest," Hawks goalie Cam Ward said afterward.
Next: Dallas Stars, 7 p.m. Saturday at American Airlines Arena
- John Dietz