The Chicago Blackhawks are going through it right now. They entered their Sunday night contest against the Vancouver Canucks having lost their last three contests. Furthermore, Chicago's top three defensemen — Seth Jones, Alex Vlasic, and Kevin Korchinski, all missed this game for various reasons.
Still, the Blackhawks battled. In the end, it wasn't enough. After a promising first period, Chicago fell 4-3 in front of their home fans. Veteran Nick Foligno scored twice to lead a resilient Chicago effort. Following the loss, Foligno spoke more about his team's performance given the circumstances.
“I hate moral victories. But with what we’re facing right now with the group we have with injuries, I’m proud of our guys for competing,” Foligno said, via ESPN. “That’s the standard — we talked about that — that’s bare minimum. And it gives you a chance to win every night.”
Blackhawks, Nick Foligno start fast vs. Canucks
Foligno opened the scoring for Chicago when he ripped home a feed from Joey Anderson in the first period. The veteran scored again, his sixth of the season, in the middle frame. He slotted home a rebound from Connor Bedard on the power play to give the Blackhawks the lead again.
However, Vancouver soon found their footing. Dakota Joshua tied the game before Brock Boeser scored his 23rd of the season to give the Canucks the lead. Ilya Mikheyev's 10th of the year padded the Vancouver lead and ultimately helped secure the 4-3 victory.
Given Chicago's predicament, Foligno certainly can be proud of the way his team performed. Still, the loss stings, especially as it marks their 14th defeat in their last 18 tries as they sit near the bottom of the NHL. Nick Foligno and the Chicago Blackhawks will look to get back in the win column on Tuesday as they play host to the Colorado Avalanche.