Three victories on a five-game trip left the Chicago Blackhawks largely upbeat, especially after they rallied for wins at Los Angeles and Anaheim after a loss to struggling San Jose.
Make no mistake, though, the Blackhawks are far from content as they return home to face the Detroit Red Wings on Wednesday night.
“We’re not satisfied, and I think that’s a good step for a professional sports team,” Chicago coach Luke Richardson said. “Never satisfied. You go right after the next one, and we got four really big points, two big wins in California, and we’ll take that home with us.”
Chicago hasn’t played at home since a 3-2 loss to Nashville on Oct. 25. That left the Blackhawks 1-3 on a four-game homestand.
Behind Ryan Donato, who collected five goals and two assists on the trip, the Blackhawks have started to find an offensive groove.
Connor Bedard stopped a three-game pointless streak with three assists during Sunday’s 4-2 victory at Anaheim.
“Much better game (Sunday) than (Saturday, vs. Los Angeles),” Richardson said. “He was moving his feet better and playing a smarter game, where he was above and made them try to go through us and it created a couple of breakaway chances.”
Now for an elusive goal: Bedard tallied in the Nashville game but hasn’t scored a goal since Oct. 26 at Dallas.
“It’s been tough for me to put them in,” Bedard said. “Might need a little magic here soon. … I just can’t score to save my life right now. So hopefully soon, but we’ll see.”
Detroit has been idle since Saturday, when it snapped a three-game losing streak with a 2-1 home win against the Buffalo Sabres.
Special teams proved the difference, as each goal was scored with the Red Wings on the power play. Detroit captain Dylan Larkin scored twice on the man advantage but chastised himself for a turnover at the red line on a previous power play, when the Sabres’ Alex Tuch converted a steal into a short-handed breakaway goal.
“I put that goal on myself,” Larkin said. “Turning that puck over was unacceptable.”
Red Wings goaltender Cam Talbot, who stopped 31 shots, shared the blame.
“I wanted that goal back,” he said. “You get a turnover like that, you want to be the guy to bail them out. I was upset at myself that I wasn’t able to do that, but I felt good the rest of the night. Guys played great in front of me.”
Detroit was especially effective on the power play, with Lucas Raymond almost scoring in that situation midway through the first period. Sabres defenseman Owen Power cleared the puck from the crease after a Raymond one-timer got behind goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen.
Five of Larkin’s seven goals this season have come on the man advantage. He’s tied with Tampa Bay’s Brayden Point for the league lead in power-play goals.
Wednesday will begin a stretch in which the Red Wings will play six of their next seven games away from home, where Detroit is 2-2-0 this season.
–Field Level Media