EDMONTON, Alberta — If the Blackhawks have proven anything this season, it’s that they cannot defend the Oilers.
The Hawks traipsed into their bye week with a 7-3 loss Saturday, concluding a chaotic and fruitless three-game season series against Edmonton. The Hawks previously lost 6-5 on Oct. 27 and 5-4 on Nov. 30.
“We pre-scout them and know what they’re going to do, and they still seem to do it,” coach Luke Richardson said. “They’re really good at it.”
An onslaught of three goals in a span of 2:33 during the second period transformed a relatively tight 2-1 game into a blowout. The Oilers eventually racked up 46 scoring chances, tied for the second-most the Hawks have allowed this season.
“We played well the first period, and even the first half of the game, other than the two [Oilers] power-play goals,” Richardson added. “Then we got impatient with ourselves… When we don’t play patient and we get spread out, we lose our pace and our game and we don’t really get much accomplished.”
Oilers star Connor McDavid toyed with the Hawks much of the night and finally exploited Seth Jones for a pretty goal after being barely denied several times earlier. He tallied three points, finishing with nine against the Hawks alone this season and upping his overall total to an NHL-leading 92 in 50 games.
Of course, McDavid partner-in-crime Leon Draisaitl also tallied three points Saturday as well as nine total against the Hawks this season. He ranks second in the league with 76 points.
“They obviously have two of the best players in the world, and they can create stuff out of nothing,” Taylor Raddysh said. “We all have to be aware of it and be on top of them, make it hard on them. It’s tough when they find the scoresheet like that.”
Raddysh, Jason Dickinson and Jonathan Toews scored for the Hawks. Goalie Petr Mrazek stopped 36 of 43 shots.
The Hawks, sitting second-to-last in the league standings with a 15-29-4 record, will now enjoy nine days off during the bye week and All-Star break before hosting the Ducks on Feb. 7.
