INSTANT ANALYSIS: Defensive Performance to Build on in Loss to Blues

The frustration is mounting for the Blackhawks, who fell to 0-7-2 on the year on Saturday night with a 1-0 loss to the St. Louis Blues. It was the closest game from start to finish on the season and lowest-scoring matchup of the season, but in the end a third-period power-play tally from the Blues and the inability to solve Jordan Binnington in net proved the difference.
"We were in it. We gave ourselves a chance. I thought it was a solid road performance," head coach Jeremy Colliton said. "They're a good team. I think we defended hard, got some real good kills. Obviously they got the one… We had our chances. I thought we probably had even more opportunity to score."
"Build on it, play better, create more. That's what we've got to do in order to break through and win. We're clearly not happy with where we're at," he added. "For me, at least the effort looked like it could win a hockey game tonight."

POSTGAME LINKS
GAMECENTER: CHI at STL
RECAP: Blackhawks Fall Late in St. Louis 
MEDICAL: T. Johnson Out vs. Blues
HIGHLIGHTS: Blues Shutout Blackhawks
GALLERY: Blackhawks at Blues
After what was easily the most complete performance of the season thus far, though, even the moral victories are becoming tougher to find solace in.
"We definitely played better than previous games" Alex DeBrincat said. "It's still frustrating. We don't get enough, score goals, obviously win the game... We can say we played well all we want, but if we're not winning it doesn't mean anything. We've got to keep going, get our first one under our belt and move on from there."
"Frustrating. Embarrassing at times," Marc-Andre Fleury said of the start overall. "We've got to get out of this hole."

FLEURY SHOW

After falling behind early, chasing games and seeing bad bounces end up in the back of the net so often over the first eight games of the year, the team's confidence grew on Saturday night with each and every one of Fleury's 29 saves in the opening two periods.
For the first time on the season, the Blackhawks held a team scoreless deep into the third period thanks in large part to the heroics of the reigning Vezina winner, who looked the part in his best performance of the year in goal.
"He was really good. It was a big lift to our team," Colliton said. "That's the kind performance we need and I thought our team responded as well."
"He played great. He obviously kept us in it for most of the game, made a lot of huge saves," DeBrincat said. "I think in the second period it could've gotten ugly there and he stood on his head. We're happy to have him back there."
In the third, the lone puck that escaped him came on a Blues power play as Torey Krug looked off a pass from the circle before putting a shot between the legs of Seth Jones, appearing to glimpses the defenseman's skate on the way, and past Fleury for the difference on the night.
For the ultimate competitor, though, not getting the victory still weighs more than the best individual performance of his season.
"At the end of the day, all I want is a win. It doesn't matter how we get it," Fleury said. "Definitely today was nice to not give up four, five, six goals and making some key saves to keep the team in it and did more like myself in helping the team."

DEFENSIVE GAINS

Though Fleury was called into action often on Saturday night, the quality of chances were vastly different than in any other game.
Instead of the odd-man rushes and blown-coverage chances that have plagued the Blackhawks for most of the season, Chicago more often than not had numbers back behind the puck and broke up the cross-ice feeds, limiting chances in transition and giving the netminder at the last line of defense at least a chance to make the play -- which Fleury did time and again. And if there was a rebound in tight, there was more consistently a white jersey there to sweep it from danger.
"I thought the guys battled hard in our D-zone," Fleury said, "helping me out with rebounds and loose pucks around the net. As a team we defended better and I think that showed on the scoreboard."
"I thought we defended better," Colliton said. "To me, it's a mindset. I thought the players had the right mindset tonight and showed a lot of leadership and determination that they were going to do what needed to be done to win on the road against a good team. It didn't go our way. The chances were there and I thought defensively we were better."
The Blues came into the night as the league's most potent offense, averaging 4.67 goals per game, while the Blackhawks defense was allowing nearly as many the other way at 4.5 per night, tied for the most in the NHL.

CHANCE TO BUILD

Though the result didn't come on Saturday night, the biggest test of the game's impact will come on Monday as the team hosts the Ottawa Senators at the United Center. While there have been some stronger games than others throughout the opening month of the year, the trouble has largely lied in the ability to follow up a good performance with another one the next night, result or not.
Following the strongest all-around game of the year, the ability to continue the forward momentum the next time out could make or break the young season.
"We just haven't been consistent enough," he later added. "Tonight was a pretty good effort, so it's four out of (our last) six games. We need six out of six games where we're solid, hard to beat, we put close to 60 minutes together, we don't beat ourselves. The ratio hasn't been good enough to break through."
"I think we know we've got to play more consistent," DeBrincat said. "We have one good game here and there. It's tough when you don't put two, three, four good games together, the results probably aren't going to go your way, especially when you're battling the puck, not scoring so much. We've got to be consistent and it'll work out for us.