As much as this was about Andrew Ladd’s return to Winnipeg (Jets fans gave their former captain a standing ovation during a tribute), the Chicago Blackhawks needed a win.
Heading into Friday’s game, the Blackhawks had lost three in a row in regulation and four straight, including a shootout defeat against their Central Division rivals, the St. Louis Blues.
In fact, Chicago had lost to Dallas and L.A., two teams it may need to face at some point in the playoffs, as well as the hard-charging Philadelphia Flyers, during this recent slide.
The Jets aren’t heading to the playoffs. Not this year. They sit at the bottom of the Western Conference.
The Blackhawks, especially after the deadline, were billed as a team that was building toward taking another run at the Stanley Cup. Yet, their recent performances were likely a wake-up call with the playoffs only a few weeks away.
They earned a 4-0 victory over the Jets.
After a scoreless first period, the Blackhawks began to roll in the second. It started with Patrick Kane going short-side, top corner with the backhand for the goal -- No. 39 on the season for him -- and Marian Hossa following up 26 seconds later to give Chicago a 2-0 lead.
Ladd and Tomas Fleischmann scored in the third period and Scott Darling made 28 saves for the shutout.