The Blackhawks' seven game point streak was ended on the road by the Carolina Hurricanes last night, as the Blackhawks lost for the first time in regulation since opening night. The Hawks had no answer for Carolina goalie Cam Ward, who earned his first shutout of the season in the 3-0 contest. In fact, it was the first time the Blackhawks have been shut out all season as well.
Nothing went well for Chicago on Friday night, and coach Joel Quenneville was clear about that in the post game press conference:
"We got dominated in all areas of the game. We weren't very good tonight. They were a more determined team, and it was clear from the outset. ... I didn't like how we played."
Luckily for the Hawks (5-2-2), they have an opportunity to redeem themselves with a quick turnaround for a Saturday home game against the lowly Columbus Blue Jackets (1-8-1). Chicago will look to continue a hot start at home when the teams face off at 7:30PM CST.
Columbus has the worst penalty killing unit in the NHL and are ranked 26th in goals allowed per game, so look for Jonathon Toews, Patrick Sharp, Patrick Kane and company to get things back on track from an offensive standpoint.
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