Blackhawks’ ability to overcome adversity will be tested after blowout loss to Sabres

A rough two-day stretch, culminating in a 9-3 loss to the Sabres on Friday, has brought a sudden end to the Blackhawks’ momentum. The six-game point streak they carried into Thursday feels like a distant memory.

That shouldn’t be too surprising. Coach Jeff Blashill has warned throughout the fall that such a young roster inevitably would encounter ups and downs, and this isn’t even their first downturn within a much-better-than-expected season.

The challenge for the Hawks will be proving they can handle this adversity and push through it without letting it derail the progress they’ve made.

This was their worst performance of the season as well as their first poor performance in which the goaltending didn’t bail them out.

Backup goalie Arvid Soderblom, starting because Spencer Knight played Thursday in the first half of the team’s first back-to-back set of the season, allowed nine goals on 30 shots, dropping his season save percentage from .912 to .881. The nine goals were the most allowed by the Hawks since 2011.

There were a few goals against Soderblom that a sharp Knight probably would’ve stopped, but the loss can’t be blamed exclusively on him. Two or three more saves wouldn’t have been enough, anyway.

The Hawks’ defensive coverage left a lot to be desired, and they failed to win battles or recover loose pucks against a desperate -Sabres team. Oliver Moore, Louis Crevier and Sam Rinzel, in particular, committed mistakes that directly led to Buffalo goals. In the third period, the team’s work ethic dropped off, too.

Scoring chances during five-on-five play favored the Sabres 31-17, and those numbers understated the imbalance of the game. It looked like a 2023-24 mid-tank Hawks game.

“We have a lot of guys that have never been through the NHL schedule, so there’s going to be moments where they have to learn as they go,” Blashill told reporters in Buffalo. “Part of it is learning that when you don’t have your best physically, you’ve still got to play good mentally.”

At 10-7-4, the Hawks still have a respectable record — far more respectable than anyone anticipated — but that could change quickly if consecutive losses extend to three, then four, then five or more. They must ensure that doesn’t happen.

Their 3-2 loss to the Kraken on Thursday felt somewhat similar to a defeat Nov. 29 last season against the Wild. They entered that game riding a three-game point streak, seemingly finding their footing after a rocky start, but they blew a 2-0 lead and fell 3-2 in dispiriting fashion.

Then they lost 6-3 two days later against the Blue Jackets — the equivalent of Friday’s rout in this analogy — and things began to spiral out of control. Two more losses after that got coach Luke Richardson fired.

The context is dramatically different this time around. The Hawks have demonstrated they’re more talented and resilient, led by two elite players in Connor Bedard and Knight. There’s also a happier, more uplifting vibe in the locker room that should provide protection against an implosion.

But with a tough matchup looming Sunday against the 14-1-5 Avalanche — Blashill called them the “best team in the league” — this feels like the thinnest ice the Hawks have traversed this season. Time will tell if they can manage to stay dry.

“You hope to not have games like that, but if you do, you can’t let it affect you negatively,” defenseman Connor Murphy told reporters. “You’ve just got to almost take it personally and look at yourself in the mirror and [think about] how you let your team down after those games. [We need to] be super motivated to make sure that doesn’t happen again.”