NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Blackhawks goalie Arvid Soderblom deserved to finally earn a win Thursday against the Predators, the team he made his NHL debut against three years ago and has faced more than any other NHL opponent.
But despite Soderblom’s heroic 39 saves on 41 shots, the Hawks let an opportunity for a rare road win slip away in a 3-2 shootout loss.
“It’s always tough to lose, no matter what — but especially today,” said Soderblom, who fell to 0-3-2 all-time against the Predators. “I felt like we played good as a team, and a good game by myself. It sucks not getting the win.”
With their dads in attendance at Bridgestone Arena, the Hawks played a respectable road game for 40 minutes and held a 2-1 lead entering the third period. Soderblom nearly allowed them to survive wave after wave of Predators pushes in the final frame, too, but fellow Swede Filip Forsberg eventually tied the game with 3:03 left.
“We got on our heels a little bit, so maybe [we should] try to get up higher on the ice and try to deny them those entries more,” interim coach Anders Sorensen said. “But overall, [there was] more good than the other way.”
The Predators scored on all three shootout attempts against Soderblom, who has remarkably yet to make a single save in three career shootouts. He singlehandedly got the Hawks to that stage, however, with a series of huge stops in overtime.
Since Nov. 3, the Hawks are 1-11-2 outside of Chicago, having now lost seven straight on the road. They’ve also lost four straight overall and 10 of their last 12 — even though Connor Bedard, who scored in the second period Thursday, has recorded at least one point in 11 of those 12 games.
Trustworthy Crevier
Sorensen’s arrival has worked out very well so far for young, towering defenseman Louis Crevier, who has become a Hawks regular after functioning as more of an injury fill-in option under Luke Richardson.
Crevier, the 23-year-old former seventh-round pick, made his seventh consecutive appearance Thursday, and he has logged more than 19 minutes of ice time in all seven. In his 24 NHL appearances last season, he averaged just 15:41 of ice time. This season, 12 of his 16 total appearances have come under Sorensen.
“It feels good having some confidence from the coaching staff,” Crevier said Thursday. “One thing I’m proud of is that’s the best role I can play personally. If I can play against good lines and get some [penalty-kill time] in the NHL, that’s awesome.”
Crevier (6-8) and Alex Vlasic (6-6) might comprise the tallest pairing in the league. Their long reaches help them cover a lot of ice.
“He’s been playing against some top lines, doing a good job…shutting them down,” Sorensen said. “And his puck plays have improved here. We’re trusting him, and he has had a good run here.”
Those puck plays — specifically breakout passes from the defensive zone — have been a focus area for Crevier lately.
Notes
Veteran defenseman Seth Jones delivered a much-needed improved performance Thursday. He wasn’t flawless, but he was sharper in the defensive zone — using his stick to break up plays — and more involved offensively.
The Hawks’ penalty kill conceded an early goal to Predators star Steven Stamkos — who still looks weird in yellow — but was solid after that. They’ve allowed a goal in six of the last nine games, though, so they haven’t been as reliable as earlier this season.