Blackhawks 3 Questions For Game 2
Game 1 was extremely exciting to watch. But, I have questions!
Can you stay out of the box?
The Edmonton Oilers have a lethal powerplay and it was on display in Game 1. When the final buzzer sounded on Saturday, the Oilers had 4 goals. 3 of them came on the powerplay. 1 of them came with the goaltender pulled. If Edmonton has an extra skater on the ice, Chicago needs to tighten up their game. The question is – how hard are they going to make this on themselves?
Are you ready for Edmonton to score?
Look, Edmonton didn’t get to where they are because they are defensive wizards. Draisaitl put up 110 points in the regular season and McDavid had 97. That’s only two players. Edmonton is going to score. That’s just fact. It’s what follows a goal that matters most. Will the Blackhawks let it mess with their head and lead to more defensive lapses? Or will they shrug it off and focus on the next play? Crawford has been known to not worry about the last goal and only focus on the next shot. Will the rest of the team do the same? If not, they’ll get stuck puck chasing, and the Oilers will eat them alive.
Is Crawford actually ready?
By now, we all know that Corey Crawford tested positive for COVID-19 and missed most of training camp. That, after not playing hockey for 4 months. He got a few practices in, half of an exhibition game, and one full meaningful game. He hasn’t looked bad, by any means. But, there were a few plays that left something to be desired on Saturday. He will get up to game speed soon, no doubt. But if he isn’t there for Game 2, the Blackhawks might not be able to score their way out of trouble this time. The Blackhawks will be in a much more comfortable position going into Game 3 with a 2-0 series lead rather than letting Edmonton tie the series at 1. The skaters need to do their job, but the Blackhawks are going to need Crawford dialed in as well. I think he will be ready for Game 2.
The Chicago Blackhawks kicked the series off with a bang. They beat the Edmonton Oilers 6-4 and didn’t look like the offensively deficient team that we’ve seen so often in the last few years. It was extremely exciting as a Blackhawks fan to watch.
Now the anxiety sets in for the game tonight . . .