Everything about the Winter Classic on Tuesday was as good as anyone could have hoped. From the surprisingly solid weather to the pregame shows, there was something for everyone to enjoy. The FanFest seemed to go over well, Smashing Pumpkins and Jim Cornelison put on impressive performances, and fans were treated to unique intermissions including a show from Chance the Rapper and the reveal of the Quarter-Century teams of the Blackhawks and Blues.
While the festivities off the ice were top-notch, the product on the ice couldn’t have been much worse, and the Blackhawks knew it. Wrigley Field was packed with fans eager for Chicago to put on a show, but the Blackhawks didn’t even show up, falling 6-2 without much of a fight.
After the game, the Blackhawks didn’t hold back. It started when reporters were told that Nick Foligno, Connor Murphy, Seth Jones and Taylor Hall would be speaking to the media. Jones, who is still an alternate captain on this team for some reason, was nowhere to be found – 19-year-old Connor Bedard took his place.
Is that a coincidence? Jones was once again the worst player on the ice Tuesday. It may not entirely be his fault, but Chicago was on a three-game winning streak when Jones returned from IR – they’ve lost five straight since. This team is better with Jones than without him in theory, but not in practice. That reality, along with the fact that he’s made it clear that he doesn’t want to be in Chicago, isn’t a great combination.
While Jones apparently didn’t have anything to say about his and his team’s performance, Hall didn’t hold back.
“I’m shocked at how we played. It’s really disappointing. Our fans have been through so much this year and they really came and supported us today… For us to lay an egg like that, I’m really sad for the people that support us.”
– Taylor Hall
Bedard echoed a similar sentiment.
“That’s what makes it so damn difficult right now. It’s just embarrassing to lose 6-2 in an environment like that, at home. Our fans deserve better.”
– Connor Bedard
It seemed what hurt the Blackhawks most about this loss wasn’t that it was just an ugly loss – they’ve had plenty of those over the past few years. It was because the Winter Classic was a golden opportunity to finally turn the corner and to set the table for what the Blackhawks hope is a dynasty in the making. On one of the biggest stages in hockey, Chicago folded.
‘‘It’s just embarrassing to lose 6-2 in an environment like that. On this stage, with the excitement that we had before the game, I thought this was going to be a turning point for our club. And obviously it wasn’t.’’
– Nick Foligno
