Whenever things seem to be clicking, even for a moment, the house of cards comes crashing down on the Chicago Blackhawks. The Original Six franchise in Illinois cannot escape the bottom of the NHL standings, and seems destined to spend the rest of the season in the basement. Following the 4-3 loss to the Edmonton Oilers, a Stanley Cup champion in the locker room voiced a powerful statement to Connor Bedard and the rest of the team.
It’s safe to say the Blackhawks won’t be competing for the Stanley Cup during the 2024-25 NHL season, barring a miracle. Although everybody in the team is aware of the team’s deficiencies and their limited expectations, some players are less open to accepting that fact, and hope they can have another shot at eternal glory.
That won’t be happening this season for them, at least not in Windy City. Regardless, it’s a positive note that some players hold the team to high standards even in such rough stretches.
The Hawks fell to the Oilers at home after letting two different two-goal leads slip away. Connor Bedard’s point streak came to an end at nine games, which was the best active streak in the league. There were really no positive takeaways from this game, and Stanley Cup champion Alec Martinez issed a harsh message to the team.
“We got away from our game,” Blackhawks defenseman Alec Martinez said, per NHL.com. “Obviously against a team like that, you’ve got to play a full 60 [minutes]. They went to the [Stanley Cup] Final for a reason. Two of the top players in the world [Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid]. We got away from what made us successful in the first period. You give a team like that opportunities, they’re going to capitalize.”
Anders Sorensen’s postgame statement
Chicago suffered its second loss in as many games, and morale is at an all-time low for the Hawks during the season. The loss in the NHL’s Winter Classic sparked a wave of uncertainty and disbelief within the team.
Interim coach Anders Sorensen is among the least to blame for the Blackhawks’ current state, though he still feels the responsibility to help right the ship. However, amid several rumors surrounding the possible replacement for Sorensen next season, the coach made a sincere statement after the defeat to Edmonton.
“They pushed us back,” Blackhawks interim coach Anders Sorensen commented. “We were on our heels a little bit. They’re a good team, so they’re coming at us in waves, and we had a hard time kind of stopping that. We got out of it.”
Bedard’s hot streak comes to an end
The league’s next great talent, Connor Bedard, had put the league on notice with a remarkable nine-game point streak, which came to a close after the loss versus the Oilers.
Bedard recorded 12 points over the last ten games, with four goals and eight assists. His production witnessed a significant increase after Sorensen’s appointment, and he hopes to extend it into the latter half of the season.
Chicago will get back on the ice vying to snap their losing streak on January 13 against the Calgary Flames at United Center.