It was a Texas-sized New Year’s Eve for the Chicago Blackhawks to end 2023. They went into Dallas and played a very rare back-to-back in the same city to wrap up an eventful but painful year. It looks like the visitors started the party early, as well. The Dallas Stars took a 3—0 lead in the first period to easily cruised by Chicago, 8—1. Dallas toyed with the young Blackhawks most of the game, the way Bantams eventually take it easy on Squirts. The Blackhawks were outshot 17—6 in the first, 10—9 in the second, and 14—9 in the third period for a whopping 41—24 thumping.
★ Most of the Stars’ goals were just pure speed and skill over youth and inexperience. Veteran Blackhawks forward Nick Foligno had some choice words for the team following the loss, though:
Foligno: pic.twitter.com/45mQuiTq7T
— Mark Lazerus (@MarkLazerus) January 1, 2024
🏒 Forward Tyler Johnson left the game early, and missed the entire third period. According to NBC Chicago’s Charlie Roumeliotis, Johnson will miss some games.
🏒 The lone bright spot was a beautiful tic-tac-toe goal from Cole Guttman, to Connor Bedard, to Philipp Kurashev.
the passing 🤌 the goal 🤌 pic.twitter.com/cRLHBusW3B
— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) January 1, 2024
★ Mason Marchment (three goals, assist) was the hero in this game, for Dallas. Roope Hintz, who was coming off a hat-trick two nights previous, had a goal, and Tyler Seguin had three points (goal, two assists).
🏒 Defenseman Isaak Phillips was an abysmal minus-5 on the ice, not that the rest were any better. Jarred Tinordi continued to struggle with a minus-3. Despite scoring the lone Blackhawks goal, Philipp Kurashev was the low-water mark for forwards, with a minus-4.
🏒 I pointed this out on Twitter, but there are some things worth building on:
👍 Defenseman Alex Vlasic continues to be a low-key bright spot. He has played smart and simple. He does not rush plays and has a massive wingspan. After Connor Bedard, he is the Blackhawks rookie (yes, he is basically still a rookie) I have been most impressed with.
👍 Kurashev did not look great on the box score, but if you told me this unassuming Swiss player with a Russian name, picked in the fourth round, would be the Blackhawks’ biggest breakout player in that draft, I might have suggested you be committed for hallucinations. Yet, here we are. He had been more impactful than Adam Boqvist, Nicolas Beaudin, Jake Wise, and Niklas Nordgren before him.
🏒 This is a very timely and relevant reference, but the Shirelles once sang, “Mama said there will be days like this. There will be days like this, my mama said.” These are the growing pains of rebuilding with a young team and over-the-hill vets. Some day, we will all look back on these games and laugh, but they are degrading and disappointing in the moment.
The Blackhawks will travel to Nashville to face the Predators on Tuesday, January 2. The puck drop is scheduled for 7 p.m. CST unless Nashville has another insignificant banner to raise.