CALGARY, Alberta — It’s almost weird to see the Blackhawks playing consistently competent hockey after two years of numbing fans with hideousness nightly.
That’s what the Hawks did throughout their season-opening road trip, however. Their 3-1 loss Tuesday to the Flames won’t be recorded in any history books — and it was a far-from-perfect performance — but it was competent, just like their games in Utah, Winnipeg and Edmonton.
It’s too early to declare they’ll be able to keep it up all season, and it hasn’t — and won’t — translate into a ton of victories. But it should give them at least a chance to win on most nights.
“We’re a better team,” captain Nick Foligno said. “That’s just the reality. That’s why the expectation goes up, though. We talked about it: It’s no more moral victories.
“I’m still proud of guys and the way we’re battling and coming together. It’s early in the season. But you set that standard early, then hopefully it continues on throughout the year.”
It was rare for the Hawks to outshoot their opponents last season. Against the Flames, however, they won the shots-on-goal battle 32-26. A sharp start by young and talented Flames goalie Dustin Wolf was the primary reason that advantage didn’t carry over on the scoreboard.
“It would’ve been great to come out of this road trip with another point or two,” coach Luke Richardson said. “But we have to look at the good things that we did and build off of them and correct a few things, like [having] a shooting mentality a little bit more.”
The teams traded goals 10 seconds apart in the first period, as Foligno’s tip-in of a shot by defenseman Seth Jones quickly answered a rebound goal by the Flames’ Matt Coronato.
The Hawks’ penalty kill has been a bright spot early this season, frustrating opponents with aggressive up-ice pressure, and it did the same to the Flames early on.
But the Flames’ power play finally pinned the Hawks deep in their own end during the second period, drawing another delayed penalty to make it a six-on-four advantage. Andrei Kuzmenko eventually scored to give the Flames the lead for good. Coronato added a late empty-netter to seal the result.
The Hawks will return to Chicago with a 1-2-1 record entering their home opener Thursday against the Sharks.