SAN JOSE, Calif. — The Blackhawks won just once during each of their last two road trips this season, but their quality of play differed greatly between the two.
They looked fairly atrocious on their East Coast trip in late March, bleeding tons of shots and scoring chances every night despite picking up one victory over the Islanders.
However, they played fairly well on their West Coast trip that ended Monday with a 3-2 loss to the Sharks.
All three efforts were respectable, even if there were still plenty of mistakes within them. The win over the Kraken was clearly the best, but the Hawks kept pace with the Oilers and Sharks, too.
Both meetings this season against the resurgent Sharks, who are fighting for a Cinderella playoff berth, have been entertaining. It appears likely to be one of the league’s next great rivalries, considering how much talented youth both teams possess.
“Any time we get to play these guys is a look at what it is in the future,” Frank Nazar said. “It’s the team we’re probably going to be battling against for the next 10 years.”
Second periods have been the Hawks’ weakest throughout the season, and that was the case again Monday. They dug a hole slightly too deep for their third-period push to overcome.
The Sharks play an opportunistic style that can create two-on-one rushes out of thin air, and they were able to take over the middle frame that way. Wyatt Kaiser got burned for an overly cute play that led to a breakaway against, and plenty of other Hawks were bailed out by goalie Spencer Knight.
“We had good moments, but overall, we still have better in us,” coach Jeff Blashill said. “Not enough guys had their A-game today.”
The Hawks’ five-forward power play was a bright spot. It sliced up the Sharks on three opportunities, converting on one and scoring one second after another expired. They racked up 19 shot attempts and 13 scoring chances, including a half-dozen by Anton Frondell alone.
“They’re definitely catching some confidence and swagger,” Blashill said, adding that he would “crazy not to” consider keeping it intact next season.
“[Connor Bedard] up top is real dangerous; he’s a great distributor. Frondell on that side is a real weapon, too, with his one-timers. The combo of all five guys, they’re starting to get some chemistry.”
The Hawks finished 15-20-6 on the road this season after winning just 17 road games over the last two seasons combined.
