Blackhawks lose 4-1 in Detroit
Chicago dropped to 0-5 on the road after a 4-1 defeat, with Patrick Kane returning to the city where he spent his final three seasons.
By Lily Carter ·
The Chicago Blackhawks lost 4-1 to the Detroit Red Wings on Thursday, extending their road losing streak to five games. The defeat dropped their overall record to 4-9-0. It marked the fifth consecutive game in which the team scored two goals or fewer.
The day began with a shock announcement from Detroit coach Todd McLellan. Center Dylan Larkin would not play after telling the team he no longer wanted to play for the organization and reiterating his trade demand. The Red Wings suspended Larkin without pay, costing him $41,000 per day in salary. Fans were already upset with the former captain.
The Chicago team held its morning skate with the players' fathers present. The group posed for a photo before resuming drills. That night marked Patrick Kane's first game back in Detroit since signing with the Blackhawks in the offseason. The right wing played the last three seasons in Detroit, recording 57 goals and 106 assists in 189 games alongside Larkin.
Kane, 37, received a warm welcome. His son, Patrick, and the son of Red Wings forward Alex DeBrincat sounded the horn before puck drop. The two families have known each other for eight seasons. During a break in the first period, the arena displayed a video tribute to Kane. The crowd gave him a standing ovation before play resumed.
Connor Bedard scored the only goal for Chicago. He deflected a shot by Wyatt Kaiser into the net 5 minutes and 59 seconds into the first period. Bedard has seven points in his last seven games. The Red Wings dominated the second period, outshooting Chicago 13-3. Viktor Arvidsson tied the game with a shot from the blue line at the 7:31 mark.
Frank Nazar had a penalty shot denied by goaltender John Gibson less than four minutes later. The Red Wings took the lead on a power-play goal by Lucas Raymond at 1:09 of the third period. Arvidsson scored two more goals, including an empty-netter, for his sixth career hat trick. The Blackhawks finished with 19 shots, just 13 over the final two and a half periods.
Coach Jeff Blashill criticized the team's effort. He said too many players were not skating or competing hard enough. Center Ian Cole said the team must find consistency for 60 minutes. The Blackhawks face a tough schedule next, with their next six opponents holding a combined record of 48-22-10.
Source: Pioneer Press
