James Reimer stole the show as the Toronto Maple Leafs beat Chicago on Saturday night, yet the Blackhawks seem most concerned about some gaffes in their own end.
Specifically, it seems like they’re worried about especially bad turnovers, as they told CSNChicago.com after the loss.
“The second goal in particular, we’re coming along, we’ve got the lead, we’re controlling the play and then it’s 2-2. That was a big turning point in the game for us,” Quenneville said. “The three goals we gave up tonight were all tough plays. Certainly, we were definitely generous on our goals.”
Here’s video of that goal:
Yeah, that was an ugly one.
“We’re a better team than that,” Marian Hossa said.
A 6-4-1 record has to be a little frustrating for Chicago, especially since the Blackhawks are currently ranked fourth in the highly competitive Central Division.
The irritation can be understandable considering the fact that they’ve lost games in which they fired 50, 38 and 47 shots on goal. When you only allow two goals per game (22 in 11), yet you’re barely above .500, it’s understandable to feel a little annoyed.
Still, the Blackhawks remain a possession beast. While the credibility of arena-to-arena real-time stats has been questioned, it’s at least heartening to see that Chicago’s basically average when it comes to “giveaways.” During an 82-game season, one would think that many of these bad bounces will even themselves out.
Now, if the Blackhawks are still concerned about turnovers in a month from now, maybe it will be time to worry.