Blackhawks Get Back Where They Need To Be
On Wednesday night the Chicago Blackhawks got back where they needed to be, in the win column. The 4-1 victory over the dreadful Edmonton Oilers didn't put them back in the playoffs, but it was a must win game.
"It's good to get a win, we needed that one obviously," Blackhawks' center Jonathan Toews said. "Still a lot of things we need to get better at."
The win brought them to 2-2 on the road trip with two games left, Friday in Dallas and Saturday in Phoenix. Games like these next two are the types of games that the Blackhawks need to win to secure a place for themselves in the playoffs. With the exception of the Oilers, every team in the Western Conference has a chance to reach the playoffs so games become increasingly important with each passing day.
"I think we did some good things tonight," Toews said. "And I think once we get our power play going and get some bounces going our way we can maybe open some games up and get a little more confidence in the offensive zone."
The Blackhawks' power play is ranked second in the NHL, converting 24.1% of their opportunities, but over the last six games they've scored only four times on their 24 power plays (16.7%).
Finishing up the road trip with a winning record will be no easy task. Both the Coyotes and Stars sit above the Blackhawks in the standings. But if they're able to pick up at least two points in the last two games before a three game home stretch they'll put themselves in a much better position to make the playoffs.
