TEMPE, Ariz. — The Blackhawks’ franchise-record road losing streak has ended at last.
The Hawks scored four power-play goals in a game for the first time since January 2018 and pulled away to beat the Coyotes 5-2 on Tuesday night, earning their first road victory since Nov. 9 and snapping an absurd stretch of 22 consecutive road losses.
“Oh, my God, that was a long time,” said forward Connor Bedard, who had two assists. “Obviously, you try not to think about it much, but that was a pretty crazy stretch there. It’s nice that that’s over. [It’ll be] the first happy plane ride we’ve had in a little bit.”
When defenseman Seth Jones’ one-time blast deflected into the net for the opening goal 11 minutes in, it seemed to sink in for the Hawks (16-42-5) that they had a genuine opportunity to snap the skid. Only 4,600 fans fit in tiny Mullett Arena, Arizona State’s hockey facility, and more than half were supporting the Hawks. The Coyotes (25-32-5) had lost 14 of their last 16 games during a second-half freefall.
The next few shifts were some of the Hawks’ best, and their resilient attitude lasted the rest of the night. They twice responded to tying goals in the second period by retaking the lead within the next three minutes.
In the third period, they locked down the game — in stark contrast to their meltdown against the Blues on Dec. 23, the last time they held a multigoal lead on the road.
“We can hear them talking in the dressing room and they were saying, ‘This is [our] night. Let’s stay dialed in,’” coach Luke Richardson said. “All four lines, all six [defensemen] and the goalie stayed right on task from the start to the end tonight. Nothing fazed them.
"[In] the third period, I heard them talking about taking it five minutes at a time, and that’s what they did.”
Forward Tyler Johnson had three assists, Jones scored twice — including the empty-netter that sealed the game — and goalie Arvid Soderblom made 37 saves in his long-awaited fifth career win.
“There’s been so many games where [Arvid has] kept us in it and we haven’t been able to pull it off for him,” Bedard said. “Tonight, he was our best player. It’s good to see him get a win.”
Last time Hawks see Arizona?
Tuesday marked the Hawks’ fourth trip to Mullett Arena, and there’s no guarantee the Coyotes will be back next season for a fifth, as their future in Arizona has never been less certain.
NHL Players Association director Marty Walsh blasted Coyotes owner Alex Meruelo last month during All-Star weekend, noting the ownership group had missed multiple deadlines to not only build an NHL-caliber arena but also to meet with NHLPA representatives to discuss plans.
The Coyotes claim they intend to buy a tract of state-trust land in north Phoenix, but between bureaucratic obstacles and construction time, it would be years before they could begin playing there, and the NHL may not be willing to wait. Relocation feels like a real possibility. Ryan Smith, owner of the NBA’s Jazz, has been pushing for an NHL team in Salt Lake City, and the Delta Center would be able to host the Coyotes immediately.
Avalanche: Bedard’s Achilles?
Bedard hasn’t been prolific against every opponent the Hawks have faced this year, but the Avalanche have stifled him more than anyone. Over the four-game season series, Bedard was held without a goal as the Hawks were shut out in three of the four. In their lone victory Dec. 19, Bedard played well, with two assists and six shots on goal. But in the other three matchups, he had no points and was held to three total shots on goal.
His advanced stats were also poor. The Avalanche outshot the Hawks 44-24 and outscored them 6-2 during Bedard’s five-on-five ice time. Defense-oriented Avalanche forwards Jonathan Drouin and Ross Colton matched up against Bedard most frequently and largely shut him down.
The Avalanche are one of the league’s best teams and Bedard was predestined for some learning experiences during his NHL adjustment period, but he should mentally circle next season’s Avalanche games as crucial opportunities to demonstrate his Year Two improvement.
