Nick Foligno and the Blackhawks beat the Coyotes on Tuesday.
Rick Scuteri/AP Photos
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, earning their first road win since Nov. 9 and snapping an absurd stretch of 22 consecutive road losses since then.
When Seth Jones’ one-time blast deflected into the net for the game’s opening goal 11 minutes in, it seemed to sink in throughout the Hawks’ roster that a genuine opportunity to end their travel woes lay in front of them. Only 4,600 fans fit in the building and more than half were supporting the Hawks; the Coyotes had lost 14 of their last 16 games in a second-half freefall.
The next few shifts were some of the Hawks’ best, and that resilient attitude lasted the rest of the night, with the visitors twice responding to Coyotes tying goals in the second period by retaking the lead within the next three minutes.
In the third period, they locked down the game effectively — a stark contrast to their meltdown Dec. 23 against the Blues, the last time they held a multi-goal lead on the road.
Tyler Johnson tallied three assists, Connor Bedard tallied two assists, Nick Foligno added one goal and one assist and goalie Arvid Soderblom made 37 saves to seal his long-awaited fifth career win.
Next location unknown
Tuesday marked the Hawks’ fourth trip to tiny Mullett Arena — Arizona State’s hockey facility — and there’s no guarantee they’ll be back next season for a fifth. The Coyotes’ future in Arizona has never been less certain.
NHL Players Association director Marty Walsh blasted Coyotes owner Alex Meruelo during All-Star Weekend last month, mentioning the ownership group had missed multiple deadlines to not only build an NHL-caliber arena but also to simply meet with NHLPA representatives to discuss their plans.
The Coyotes claim they intend to buy a tract of state trust land in north Phoenix, but bureaucratic obstacles and construction time would make it take years before they could begin playing there — and the NHL may or may not be willing to wait that long.
Relocation feels like a very real possibility, as Utah Jazz owner Ryan Smith has been pushing fervently for an NHL franchise and the Delta Center in Salt Lake City would be able to host the franchise immediately.
Avalanche stifled Bedard
Connor Bedard hasn’t been prolific against every opponent the Hawks have faced this year, but the Avalanche stifled him more than anyone.
Across the four-game season series against Colorado, Bedard was held without a goal — an unsurprising stat, considering the Hawks were shut out as a team in three of the four games. In the one win on Dec. 19, he did play well, tallying two assists and six shots on goal. But in the other three matchups, he not only didn’t record a point but was also held to only three total shots on goal.
His advanced stats across the four games were also poor; the Avalanche outshot the Hawks 44-24 and outscored them 6-2 during Bedard’s five-on-five ice time.
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.