Blackhawks: November Report Card

Two Months Down: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

Two months are in the books, and November gave us a little bit of everything: a winning streak, a losing skid, and one total blowout loss to Buffalo.

But make no mistake—this was the Month of Connor Bedard.

While the superstar led the way, he finally got some help from the veterans. Bertuzzi, Burakovsky, and Teravainen started to find their rhythm. However, it wasn’t a smooth ride. Injuries forced Coach Blashill to scramble, leading to the call-ups of Oliver Moore and Artyom Levshunov, who were thrown right into the fire on Power Play Unit #1.

In the crease, Spencer Knight continues to give this team a chance to win every night, while Arvid Söderblom struggled with inconsistency. We also lost our captain, Nick Foligno, to injury, which hurt the room.

Tactically, Blashill stuck to his 7D/11F system for most of the month. It lead to some great moments and some confusing ones, but the collective effort and “hard work” mentality was there most nights.

On the prospect front, we saw mixed results. While youngsters like Rinzel and Nazar hit the “Rookie Wall,” Ryan Greene elevated his game, earning a massive promotion to the first line.

In this November Report, we break it all down. We will evaluate every player’s performance through detailed stats, analytics, and key moments, combining the first two months of the season to see where we really stand.

Blackhawks Stats

Category	OCTOBER	NOVEMBER	SEASON
Record	5-4-2	6-5-3	11-9-5
GF (Goals For)	36	44	80
GF/GP	3.27	3.14	3.20
GA (Goals Against)	31	41	72
GA/GP	2.82	2.93	2.88
GD (Goal Differential)	5	3	8
PP (Power Play %)	16.7%	31.6%	24.3%
PK (Penalty Kill %)	85.1%	82.9%	84.1%
FOW (Faceoff %)	47.2%	46.4	46.7%
S/GP (Shots per Game)	24.5	25.7	25.2
SA/GP (Shots Against per Game)	29.6	30.9	30.3
Shots %	13.4%	12.2%	12.8%
NETPEN (Net Penalties)	-12	-3	-15
MINOR (Minor Penalties)	51	41	92
GF 5v5	27	44	71
GA 5v5	22	31	53
CF% (Corsi For %)	46.7%	45.9%	46.3%
xGF% (Expected Goals For %)	49.6%	46.8%	48.2
HDCF% (High-Danger Scoring Chances For %)	43.3%	45.1%	43.95%
HDCF-HDCA (Differential)	95-137	101 – 113	196 – 250

The Rebuild is Ahead of Schedule

When you look at the raw numbers, you might see some red flags. We are giving up too many shots (30+ per game) and our possession numbers (45.9% CF) show we are chasing the puck.

BUT… look at the standings.

We finished November with a 6-5-3 record. We are 11-9-5 on the season.

For a team in the middle of a massive rebuild, this is exactly where we want to be. We are playing MEANINGFUL GAMES in December. The young kids aren’t playing garbage time; they are fighting for playoff positioning. That experience is worth more than any Corsi stat.

Here is what the numbers tell me about the identity of this team:

1. The “Miracle” Power Play (The Bedard Effect)

Our Power Play exploded from 16.7% in October to an elite 31.6% in November. This is the equalizer. We might get outplayed 5-on-5, but our special teams are winning us games. When you have Bedard and Bertuzzi clicking at 31%, you are never out of a fight.

2. Bending But Not Breaking

Yes, the Goals Against (2.93 GA/GP) and Shots Against crept up in November. We are relying heavily on Spencer Knight to bail us out. But guess what? He is doing it. In a rebuild, your goalie has to be your best penalty killer, and right now, he is giving us a chance to win every night.

3. The Discipline Improvement

This is the sign of good coaching. In October, we were undisciplined (-12 Net Penalties). In November, we cleaned it up (-3). We stopped taking stupid penalties and started forcing teams to beat us 5-on-5.

THE BOTTOM LINE:

Are we a perfect team? No. The defensive metrics show we have a lot of work to do.

But are we a competitive team? Absolutely.

We are finding ways to grab points even when we don’t play perfect. That is a sign of culture change. The rebuild is working, folks.

All Situations

Records

Situation	Overall	Home	Away
Scoring 1st	10-4-3	5-3-3	5-1-0
Opp. Scores First	1-5-2	1-2-0	0-3-2
Outshooting Opponent	3-2-2	2-1-2	1-1-0
Outshot by Opponent	8-7-3	4-4-1	4-3-2
1Goal Game	3-5-5	2-4-3	1-1-2
After 1st Per. Lead	4-2-2	2-2-2	2-0-0
After 1st Per. Trail	1-3-0	1-0-0	0-3-0
After 1st Period – Tie	6-4-3	3-3-1	3-1-2
After 2nd Per. – Lead	6-1-1	3-1-1	3-0-0
After 2nd Per. – Trail	1-6-1	1-3-0	0-3-1
After 2nd Period – Tie	4-2-3	2-1-2	2-1-1

What do these numbers tell us?

Looking at the situational records, three major trends define the first two months of the season:

1. We are “Front-Runners” (The First Goal is Everything)

The most glaring stat on this board is the split between scoring first and falling behind.

When Scoring First: We are dominant at 10-4-3. The team plays with confidence and structure.

When Opponent Scores First: We crumble to 1-5-2.

The Verdict: We only have 1 win in 8 games when chasing the game. This shows a young group that panics when things go wrong early. We don’t have the mental maturity yet to shake off a bad start.

2. Playing “Meaningful Hockey” (The One-Goal Games)

For a rebuilding team, this is the most encouraging stat. 13 of our 25 games have been decided by exactly one goal.

The Record (3-5-5): While we are losing more of these tight games than we win, the fact that we are in them is huge. We aren’t getting blown out. We are fighting until the buzzer. The next step in the rebuild is learning how to close out these coin-flip games in regulation or OT.

3. The 40-Minute Mark Tells the Story

This team is learning how to close, but they don’t know how to comeback.

Leading after 2: We are 6-1-1. When we have the lead, we lock it down (thanks largely to Spencer Knight).

Trailing after 2: We are 1-6-1.

The Verdict: If we aren’t winning entering the third period, we don’t have the firepower or the “killer instinct” yet to mount a comeback. We live and die by the lead.

Scoring by Period

Overall	1	2	3	ot	Tot.
Team	20	21	38	1	80
Opponent	15	29	24	4	72
Home	1	2	3	ot	Tot.
Team	11	12	17	1	41
Opponent	4	17	13	2	36
Away	1	2	3	ot	Tot.
Team	9	9	21	0	39
Opponent	11	12	11	2	36

Shots by Period

Location	1st	2nd	3rd	OT	Total
Overall	1	2	3	ot	Tot.
Team	223	190	206	10	629
Opponent	247	242	252	17	758
Home	1	2	3	ot	Tot.
Team	137	94	114	6	351
Opponent	119	128	131	12	390
Away	1	2	3	ot	Tot.
Team	86	96	92	4	278
Opponent	128	114	121	5	368

A Team of Two Faces

The stats tell a clear story: The Blackhawks are a team that struggles to get the puck, but knows how to finish the game.

1. The “Siege” Mentality (Shot Volume Crisis)

Let’s be honest—the shot clock is ugly. We are getting outshot in every single period, with a staggering -129 shot differential overall (629 For vs. 758 Against).

The Reality: We are relying far too much on our goaltending. You cannot give up 30+ shots a night consistently and expect to make the playoffs. We are spending too much time in our own zone defending.

2. The “Second Period” Slump (The Long Change)

The 2nd period is where this team falls apart.

The Stat: We have a -8 Goal Differential in the middle frame (21 GF vs 29 GA).

The Reason: With the “Long Change” in the second period, our young defensemen are getting trapped on the ice tired. The opponents are pinning us deep, and the shot counter reflects that (242 shots against). We need to manage the puck better in the neutral zone to survive the middle 20 minutes.

3. The “Third Period” Monsters (The Bright Spot)

This is the most impressive stat of the season. Despite getting outshot, we are absolutely dominating the final 20 minutes.

The Stat: A massive +14 Goal Differential in the 3rd Period (38 GF vs 24 GA).

Road Warriors: Look closely at the Away stats. In the 3rd period on the road, we have outscored opponents 21 to 11. That shows incredible mental toughness and conditioning. We know how to close games.

The Verdict:

If we can fix the Second Period bleeding and cut down the shots against, this team becomes dangerous. Right now, our elite finishing in the 3rd is bailing out our defensive mistakes in the 2nd.

Blackhawks Players Stats

Player	Month	GP	G	A	PTS	+/-	SOG
C. Bedard	Oct	11	6	8	14	5	33
	Nov	14	10	13	23	5	52
	TOTAL	25	16	21	37	10	85

T. Bertuzzi	Oct	10	2	4	6	-1	20
	Nov	12	11	4	15	0	28
	TOTAL	22	13	8	21	-1	48

F. Nazar	Oct	11	5	6	11	5	23
	Nov	12	0	6	6	-6	25
	TOTAL	23	5	12	17	-1	48

T.Teravainen	Oct	11	2	8	10	5	14
	Nov	14	4	4	8	0	15
	TOTAL	25	6	12	18	5	29

A.Burakovsky	Oct	10	3	4	7	0	10
	Nov	10	4	6	10	5	19
	TOTAL	20	7	10	17	5	29

A.Levshunov	Oct	10	0	4	4	4	9
	Nov	14	1	8	9	-6	18
	TOTAL	24	1	12	13	-2	27

R. Donato	Oct	11	6	2	8	0	25
	Nov	14	2	3	5	-4	21
	TOTAL	25	8	5	13	-4	46

R. Greene	Oct	11	1	1	2	3	4
	Nov	14	3	3	6	4	22
	TOTAL	25	4	4	8	7	26

L.Crevier	Oct	10	2	2	4	4	10
	Nov	14	0	6	6	3	14
	TOTAL	24	2	8	10	7	24

I.Mikheyev	Oct	9	3	2	5	5	19
	Nov	14	1	1	2	-5	20
	TOTAL	23	4	3	7	0	39

Colton Dach	Oct	11	1	2	3	-5	14
	Nov	14	2	1	3	-5	19
	TOTAL	25	3	3	6	-10	33

Sam Rinzel	Oct	11	1	2	3	0	18
	Nov	13	0	5	5	3	16
	TOTAL	24	1	7	8	3	34

Alex Vlasic	Oct	10	1	3	4	-2	7
	Nov	14	1	0	1	-1	16
	TOTAL	24	2	3	5	-3	23

Nick Foligno	Oct	8	0	4	4	-2	7
	Nov	7	0	2	2	4	9
	TOTAL	15	0	6	6	2	16

J. Dickinson	Oct	8	1	2	3	1	10
	Nov	4	1	0	1	-2	6
	TOTAL	12	2	2	4	-1	16

Matt Grzelcyk	Oct	11	0	2	2	8	14
	Nov	14	0	2	2	0	17
	TOTAL	25	0	4	4	8	31

Wyatt Kaiser	Oct	11	0	2	2	4	9
	Nov	14	0	2	2	1	15
	TOTAL	25	0	4	4	5	24

Oliver Moore	Oct	–	–	–	–	–	–
	Nov	13	2	4	6	-2	15
	TOTAL	13	2	4	6	-2	15

Connor Murphy	Oct	11	0	0	0	-1	13
	Nov	14	0	1	1	-2	9
	TOTAL	25	0	1	1	-3	22

L. Slaggert	Oct	4	0	0	0	-2	3
	Nov	6	1	0	1	2	2
	TOTAL	10	1	0	1	0	5

Sam Lafferty	Oct	3	0	0	0	0	0
	Nov	7	1	0	1	0	2
	TOTAL	10	1	0	1	0	2

Player	Month	GP	Record	GAA	SV%
S. Knight	Oct	7	4-2-1	2.11	0.930
	Nov	9	4-2-3	2.43	0.922
	TOTAL	16	8-4-4	2.29	0.926

A. Söderblom	Oct	3	1-1-1	3.01	0.888
	Nov	5	2-3-0	3.85	0.874
	TOTAL	8	3-4-1	3.54	0.881

NOVEMBER 3 STARS OF THE MONTH

⭐ 1st Star: Connor Bedard

Stats: 14 GP | 10 G | 13 A | 23 PTS | +5

Was there ever any doubt? Bedard took his game to a different stratosphere in November. After a “quiet” 14 points in October, he exploded for 23 points in just 14 games. That is a 1.64 Points-Per-Game pace. He isn’t just leading the offense; he is the offense. What is most impressive? Despite the team struggling defensively, he finished the month a +5.

⭐⭐ 2nd Star: Tyler Bertuzzi

Stats: 12 GP | 11 G | 4 A | 15 PTS

What a turnaround. In October, Bertuzzi was struggling with just 2 goals. In November, he became the sniper we paid for. He scored 11 Goals in 12 games, finding incredible chemistry on the top line. When Bedard is the playmaker, Bertuzzi is the finisher, and right now, he isn’t missing.

⭐⭐⭐ 3rd Star: Spencer Knight

Stats: 9 GP | 4-2-3 Record | .922 SV% | 2.43 GAA

The stats don’t tell the whole story here. Knight faced a barrage of shots (the team gives up 30+ per game), yet he held firm with a .922 Save Percentage. He only lost 2 games in regulation all month. In a system that often leaves him out to dry in the second period, Knight has been the calming presence that gives this team a chance to win every night.

🎖️ Honorable Mention: Andre Burakovsky

Stats: 10 GP | 4 G | 6 A | 10 PTS | +5

We have to give a stick tap to Burakovsky. He quietly put up a Point-Per-Game month (10 points in 10 games) and matched Bedard with a +5 rating. He has been a steady, reliable veteran presence in the top six while the rookies found their legs.

What’s Next? A Brutal Road Test

If the Blackhawks thought November was a grind, December is going to be a massive test of character. The schedule maker did us no favors.

This month is not just busy; it is brutal. We play 14 games, and 9 of them are on the road. We are looking at a heavy travel schedule that includes a long West Coast swing and a trip North.

The fatigue factor will be real. The team faces three back-to-back sets and a grueling stretch of 3 games in 4 nights.

The Competition Level:
It is not just where we play, but who we play.

Strength of Schedule: 8 of our 14 opponents are currently sitting in a playoff spot.
Divisional Breakdown: We play 4 games against the Atlantic, 4 against the Metropolitan, and 4 against the Pacific.
Central Battles: Surprisingly, we only see our own division twice this month (Dallas and St. Louis).

This month will tell us if this team can survive away from home. We need the “Road Warriors” mentality to survive December.