NASHVILLE, Tenn. — For only the second time in 15 games so far this season, the Blackhawks recorded more five-on-five shots on goal than they allowed Saturday.
That still didn’t translate into a victory, and nobody could reasonably argue the Predators’ 4-2 win over the Hawks was undeserved.
After all, the Predators finished with a 22-18 advantage in scoring chances during five-on-five play, per Natural Stat Trick — even though the Hawks finished with their 27-23 edge in shots on goal — and also fielded the more dangerous power play.
They built a 2-0 lead after the first period, then fended off some Hawks pushbacks in the second and third periods before adding a late empty-net goal to seal the victory.
But for the Hawks, who dropped their third straight to fall to 5-10-0, this season (like last season) is about more than just the final scores — because those scores are usually not going to end up in their favor.
So they can leave Nashville disappointed about the result but encouraged by their step forward in terms of balance of play. Yes, they still rank second-to-last in the NHL with a minus-90 differential in five-on-five shots on goal, but at least it’s better than minus-94.
“We were in the game,” forward Taylor Hall said. “Every line created chances in their own way. Sometimes you’re going to lose nights like that, but for the most part, we battled and we made plays.”
Coach Luke Richardson was also pleased by the Hawks’ improvement but felt they could’ve employed even more of a shoot-first mentality, particularly on choppy ice late in the periods.
Tyler Johnson exemplified that on his strike with 7:45 left in regulation; he found a hole through a Corey Perry screen to temporarily pull the Hawks within one goal. Hall and Taylor Raddysh, however, exemplified the opposite during a first-period two-on-one rush during which they both could’ve been more decisive.
“If you see something [to shoot at], your first instinct is usually right,” Richardson said. “It was a first step in the right direction, but we’ve got to make sure we’re hungry for more.”
As the Hawks make more of a routine of getting shots on net, they will also need to get better at fighting for and retrieving — or banging in — rebounds.
The Predators’ second and third goals both involved jamming in rebounds around Arvid Soderblom’s crease, but when Predators goalie Kevin Lankinen spit out a few juicy rebounds of his own in the third period, the Hawks weren’t present to make him pay.
There will be time to learn those lessons, since learning is this season’s objective. And it should help that most of the Hawks’ upcoming opponents will look a lot more like the Predators than the Lightning — who limited the Hawks to only eight shots on goal during five-on-five play Thursday — and the gauntlet of contenders the Hawks have faced up until now. The Sabres and Blue Jackets are next.
Veteran forward Nick Foligno analyzed that dynamic astutely on Friday — while looking ahead to Saturday — and his message will remain applicable over the next few weeks.
“We’re never, ever satisfied with losing,” Foligno said. “But you can take some things away from [these losses like], ‘OK, we did that well,’ or, ‘Oh, that’s why we lost to that team. It’s not because of something they did; it’s because of something we did.’
“When you have that kind of [learning-focused] mentality, it allows you to overcome some of the adversity. Hopefully we can put it into our next game and be ready for a team that’s lower in the standings. But no team we’re going to face this year [are we] going to have an easy night with. We haven’t earned the respect of anyone. That’s the mindset we need to have each and every night.”