Remember what it felt like in the second period of Sunday’s game against the Lightning? Remember that overflow of optimism once Chicago took a 3-0 lead over the defending Stanley Cup champions?
Funny how quickly that all evaporated.
It departed with good reason. The Blackhawks gave up six straight goals to Tampa, ultimately losing 6-3 on Sunday at the UC. Chicago tallied three points in those three games versus the Lightning, a far cry from the 10-3 aggregate ass-kicking Tampa handed out in the first two games of 2021.
But it still feels like the Blackhawks missed out on a golden chance to secure the type of win a team headed in the right direction uses to provide evidence that a corner has been turned.