In Patrick Kane’s 1,000th NHL regular-season game, the Chicago Blackhawks looked lost against the Dallas Stars, falling 6-1 at American Airlines Center on Tuesday. Far from a memorable night for No. 88. The Blackhawks have now allowed six goals in each of their last two games, and have also been outscored 12-1 in the last five periods. With the loss, the Hawks are 13-9-5 through 27 games in the 2021 regular season.
“It hurts losing games like that,” defenseman Connor Murphy said. “No one likes it. It’s no fun, home or away, any time of year. It just hurts. Even if the whole game doesn’t go well and you want to kind of throw it away and move on as quick as you can, you still want to take an edge with you into the next game.”
Subban Surrenders Six
Following a 39-save victory over the defending Stanley Cup champion Tampa Bay Lightning on Friday, Blackhawks head coach Jeremy Colliton elected to give Malcolm Subban the start in the series-opener against the Stars. After all, Subban was 4-1-1 in his previous five games with a .930 save percentage, while teammate Kevin Lankinen has given up 20 goals in his last five starts. Seemed like a good night to give Lankinen some rest.
Well, that decision backfired for Colliton, as just like Lankinen on Sunday, Subban allowed six goals to earn the loss in goal for the Hawks. However, the defense in front of Subban was just as lackluster as he was on Tuesday, and the combination of both being sub-par led to the one-sided affair. Whether it was Subban, the poor defensive-zone play, or both to blame, the Blackhawks NEED to make some changes in order to keep the puck out of their net so frequently.
“We all, in that room, would’ve liked to respond better,” Colliton said. “We get another chance, so the story isn’t really any different. They’re going to be desperate, they’re trying to pull us back, they’ve got a bunch of games in hand. If they can make that gap look a little less insurmountable, then those games in hand look a lot better. And we’ve got to be ready.”
Kane’s Special Messages
While the Blackhawks spent most of the game trailing by multiple goals, the most exciting part of the night was Kane’s video messages from former teammates and close friends. From Marian Hossa to Patrick Sharp, and even Dominik Hasek, ‘Kaner’ received a few kind words from many people to congratulate him on game No. 1,000 in his NHL career.
We even got a surprise showing from Hawks captain Jonathan Toews, who has not made a public appearance since announcing he would be out indefinitely with an illness a few months ago. Until now.
The Captain congratulates Kane on game # 1000!#1Kanepic.twitter.com/rDZFTLgAV2
— Blackhawks Talk (@NBCSBlackhawks) March 10, 2021
Big Hoss 🥺
Check out Marian Hossa's message for Kaner. #1Kane pic.twitter.com/7areOaS5TV
— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) March 10, 2021
Dominik Hasek with what might be the most charming message for Patrick Kane for his 1,000th NHL game.
You gotta watch this one! #1Kane pic.twitter.com/awLBuoYxA0
— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) March 10, 2021
Andrew Shaw 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 record his message for Kaner in a unique fashion. #1Kane pic.twitter.com/vTUF9Lzutj
— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) March 10, 2021
Former #Blackhawks teammate and fellow Patrick, Patrick Sharp congratulates Patrick Kane on his 1,000th game#1Kane
(🎥@NHLBlackhawks) pic.twitter.com/7z28JuzJUB— Bleacher Nation Blackhawks (@BN_Blackhawks) March 10, 2021
Mitchell Left Out Of The Lineup
After dressing in each of the Blackhawks’ first 26 games of the season, defenseman Ian Mitchell served as a healthy scratch on Tuesday with Calvin de Haan returning from a lower-body injury. While Mitchell has fared well so far in his rookie campaign in the NHL, the 21-year-old struggled in the three-game series against the Lightning last weekend. Although, those kinds of lapses are to be expected from a first-year player serving as a top-pairing defenseman. Especially against an elite team like Tampa Bay. Based on how Colliton has gone about his ways with several other young defensemen this year, Thursday was likely just a night off for the kid. Nothing more, nothing less.
“It’s a hard league… it’s a chance to give him a rest, both physically and mentally.” Colliton said.
