The Chicago Blackhawks are not the same team they were a year ago. The rebuild still has a long way to go, but two players are pushing the franchise forward in a way you can feel every single night. Spencer Knight is giving Chicago real stability in net, and Connor Bedard is proving why he was drafted first overall. This is the beginning of a new standard inside the organization.
Spencer Knight: Blackhawks Backbone
Knight has been the quiet force behind the Blackhawks’ strong start. At just 24, he already looks like a long-term answer in goal. He has started 10 of the club’s first 14 games and posted top-tier numbers with a .919 save percentage and a 2.56 goals-against average. Those stats matter when you consider how often he faces heavy pressure.
Knight isn’t just stopping pucks. He is taking over games. The win in Vancouver made that clear again. He stopped 43 of 45 shots, added an assist, and kept the team steady through a rough second period. His presence is changing the way Chicago plays. Younger defensemen are more confident. Breakouts are cleaner. The team believes they can win tight games because Knight gives them that chance.
Advanced metrics say even more. Knight is near the top of the league in Goals Saved Above Expected (2nd 10.7), which shows he is stealing chances that should be goals.
Connor Bedard: The Player Chicago Hoped For
Bedard is proving why he was the first overall pick. He isn’t a kid anymore. He looks like the Blackhawks’ best player on most nights, and over the last six games, he has played the best hockey of his NHL career. Five goals. Six assists. His first career hat trick. Thirteen individual scoring chances. He looks fast, confident, and dangerous on every shift.
The numbers show a real jump. His faceoff percentage is up to 46.2, which is eight points higher than his first two seasons. He is plus-seven, a huge improvement from the minus-eighty he posted across his first two years. He is averaging six shot attempts per game, which puts him on pace for over 500 attempts. That is roughly one hundred more than he has ever produced. His shot percentage is up to 15.2, which is a four-point jump from last season. He is also on pace for two hundred seventy shots, another career high.
Five-on-five hockey tells the full story. Chicago is plus-five with Bedard on the ice at even strength. His first two seasons were minus-thirty and minus-sixteen. That swing is enormous. His metrics across the board — CF%, xGF, xG — point to a player driving play at a top-line level.
This is no longer a talented young player learning how to survive. This is a star pushing the team forward.
Blackhawks Notes
Chicago broke their road skid with a statement win in Vancouver. They survived heavy pressure for two periods and exploded for five goals in the third. Their special teams delivered at key moments and Knight’s performance kept the game in reach until the offense took over. The team looks more balanced than last year.
Tyler Bertuzzi is heating up. His hat trick brings him to six goals in fourteen games, which is far ahead of last year’s pace. Ryan Donato picked up two assists to notch his third multi-point game. André Burakovsky, Donato, Bedard, Bertuzzi, and Frank Nazar have all hit the five-goal mark already. The Hawks didn’t reach this type of balance until much later last season.
Artyom Levshunov keeps taking steps. He has assists in four of his last five games and is starting to look more assertive with the puck. His usage reflects that growth. Last game, he bumped Sam Rinzel off the top power-play unit and ran PP1 without looking out of place. The coaching staff clearly trusts him.
In college, Adam Gajan picked up Goaltender of the Month after a dominant stretch for Minnesota Duluth. He allowed one goal or less in six of nine games and finished October with an 8-1 record and a .931 save percentage. He is becoming a serious part of Chicago’s long-term plan in net.
Across the prospect pool, the organization is collecting wins everywhere. Anton Frondell added two more goals yesterday. Nick Lardis was named AHL Player of the Month. In the WHL, Nathan Behm sits second in league scoring. Roman Kantserov leads the entire KHL in goals (15). And Václav Nestrašil ranks second among NCAA freshmen in goals (7) this season. No matter the league, Blackhawks prospects are producing.
Next Game:
Tonight, the Blackhawks are back on the ice in Calgary. It is game five of the six-game road trip and a chance to build real momentum after the win in Vancouver. The Flames are 4-9-2, but they have won two straight, so Chicago cannot sleepwalk into this one. For the Hawks, this is a matchup they should target. Puck drop is at 8:00 PM CDT.
Big game tonight, for playoff teams tonight would be a most probable win, for the Blackhawks it’ll be a battle but in my opinion a game that separates bottom dweller teams to middle of the pack teams.
Thanks for your comment and for reading my article. You’re right — this is one of the rare games where the Blackhawks are actually the favourites. It’s a perfect chance to see how they handle that extra pressure.
A win here could boost their confidence and change the whole feel of this road trip.
Enjoy the game tonight!