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I haven’t been around as I was busy moving, but I wanted to say things are looking good. On pace for an 82 point season. Heck of a strong improvement for a young team. We need only 9 points to match the 52 point season two years ago and only 18 more to match last year. Been saying it since the end of last season, we likely get about 75 to 80 points and get out of the bottom 3 to 5 teams. Last season the offensive production improved, this year better D and goaltending. Soon it will be about building around the core by filling holes and maximizing depth to be a real contender.
Nice game on the road. Knight is difference maker in the standings, we probably have won 3 or 4 more games because of him than we would have if Mrazek was still here. That’s the difference between being in a wildcard spot vs battling Vancouver for last in the west. Have to give the team in front of him some credit too at they have been improving the shot differential, which has been almost even the last 4 wweks.
Some interesting stats. Only 2 teams in the west have more regulation wins that Chicago (Colorado/Dallas) and they are right now top 10 PP in the league and top 5 PK. The team is making progress!
Glad to see the team is playing well and having great periods against some solid teams. Seems like every game lately, we have at least one period where we dominate and overall we seem to be playing teams more even 5v5. The standings are so tight, the few blown calls by the refs and a minor mistakes have been the difference from this team being around the top 10 vs being 21st in the league.
I know the goaltending has been huge, but if they can just tighten the screws a little more defensively and find one more star forward, this team is going to start to be a problem.
I like Rinzel’s game, but man he has been getting caught a half step behind a bit too much lately and taking penalties or just barely getting away with infractions because he is trying to keep up. Last night vs Vegas he probably could have been called a couple more times for getting his stick in the hands because he was beat. I’m wondering if the NHL grind is wearing on him a bit.
Overall, really like the position we are in. Cap space is looking good. Young players growing into bigger roles. Prospects excelling in various leagues right now. 5 more draft picks this year in the first 2 rounds. We could be in for a really fun next 5-10+ years or more depending how they manage these assets.
Man, the Wild didn’t deserve to be in that game. Almost every break went their way. The Hawks have deserved to win 3 of their last 4 games and came away with none of them. I know they stole points early in the year, so this is like the world evening it out, but damn, they deserved to win tonight.
I don’t think anyone would have thought that Chicago would be top 5 in GA/G and GF/G both at around the quarter point of the season. The team is a +16 GF vs GA on the season through 19 games. I know the momentum will slow down but it’s giving the team confidence that is helping these young players push each other. Fun to see them taking steps towards being a solid team.
Bedard is really breaking out now after maturing for a couple seasons as a teenager. I would argue that offensively he is every bit as dangerous as Patrick Kane was at his peak, but this kid is only 20 and still likely to improve. I spoke a lot last year about how he needed that explosiveness on the attack to put defenders on their heels and he has delivered it. He makes some unbelievable passes to set up teammates, but I have to say he is really good with his feet too, and his ability to pivot and attack with speed is evident. Glad to see him finally getting to the point where he isn’t pushed around so much by the physical play in the NHL. His overall game, even away from the puck is growing as he just battles better, wins more pucks and makes a bigger impact.
The kid pretty much shattered the narrative that Chicago needed to “Get him help” by adding big expensive free agents to his line. He just needed time to mature more than anything.
Overall it’s been nice to just see more overall offensive depth. Donato/Teravinen/Bertuzzi were the supporting offensive pieces after Bedard, but adding Burakovsky, Nazar, and recently Moore, the Hawks are just a more balanced attacking team, especially when you consider the little extra we get from Mikheyev, Greene, Dach. We could be scary good offensively down the road here with some of the talent coming up.
We were pretty lucky to get a point out of that one. Knight continues to be the team MVP. As of right now, we have the highest SV% in the NHL, second best shooting% and you have to think that will course correct a bit more. NJ is just a deeper and more skilled overall team at this point.
Blackhawks ranked 5th, 5 on 5 goals for.
It will be interesting to see how that plays out through the season as it goes on. The shooting percentage will continue to come down to the curve but the Hawks are slowly getting better at getting shots on net. Over the last 6 games we are even in shots for and shots against, with those coming out even at 5v5. I think in part the Hawks were trailing a bit more, so a bit more motivation to get offense going when you are behind, vs the early part of the season where the Hawks didn’t trail for much of time on ice. I think a long road trip like this can help galvanize the team together while they players are learning life under the new coaching staff and in some cases still learning the NHL ropes.
I’m sure they are going to look to get the 2nd line rolling again which has been quiet the last few games. I know Bertuzzi has been scoring a few goals, but none of them were while he was on the second line, as he was out there on the PP or with line 3 or 4 for a shift.
Man, Spencer Knight is just the MVP of this team. Outstanding play from him this season. I think he has had maybe one game where he wasn’t great.
Slaggert sent down to Rockford.
Honestly it’s probably for the best with how he has played. There is a lot of effort but not much result so far with him. He can get more minutes in the AHL right now and maybe find his next gear.
per Scott Powers:
Oliver Moore was recalled, in Seattle for the morning skate, and expected to play tonight.
Dickinson is now week to week.What a great opportunity for Moore. He has the tools to stick, we’ll see if he is ready to make it day in and day out.
I have to say, in general the team is trending in a good direction lately in the 5v5 play on the ice. I’m excited for when these young D have another year or two under their belt, we might really start to be a team that has some real play driving from the back end again.
Those on ice officials sucked! But I am really rankled by the offside that wasn’t called offside. What is the linesman looking at? Then, Toronto said he maintained possession when he clearly didn’t. This league is still a minor league with calls like that.
FWIW, Blashill said that after they got in the room and he was able to watch it again he agreed with the call on the ice. If that’s gonna be the way they call it now, I guess I would just hope they are consistent in calling it that way going forward. What gets me is where the rule seems to flip flop depending on the situation.
Agreed but Rinzel has been getting beat up lately and no one came to his aid last night in the 1st with that late hit behind the net. He’s already sporting a black eye as well. At what point does Kyle go out and bring someone in to protect his investments? Bring up EDM? And once they go to 12-6 again, they won’t be able to shield mins for Arty and our newest “3-wheeled shopping cart” Murphy.
Good points.
From my seat, I would like to see Vlasic take more of the stand up for the teammate role. Not saying goon it up, but he does have the physical gifts, I think he holds back.
You mentioned Murphy and we all know his groin issues and such are slowing him down, along with age creeping in, but I thought he had a better game last night. He had a couple really good hits, one that led to the shorthanded chance where Nazar and Foligno overpassed the puck. The dude is still getting a big share of the dzone draws, playing physical, and giving what he has out there. Out of all our D, the opposing team has the fewest shots on goal per 60(5v5) when Murphy is on the ice while he leads the team in dzone starts per 60 (5v5). His role has decreased a bit, but he hasn’t been a liability.
I think Blashill has more so sheltered Grezlyck along with Levshunov as the two guys he doesn’t want to put out in the Dzone. With this 7 D rotation, it seems like Rinzel/Vlasic/Kaiser get a little bit of everything, Murphy/Crevier are specialized into Dzone minutes as much as possible. Grzelyck/Levshunov shelter from Dzone starts. I have to say, I think Grzelyck for his deficiencies in his own end, has done the stuff he is good at pretty well. Skates well, makes good passes to move the puck but he can be an adventure in his own end and isn’t very physical or gonna win a ton of battles. I think the good is outweighing the bad with him as long as the Hawks can keep him out of situations they don’t want him in, like defending in his end against a heavy forecheck team.
Just wanted to add, the thing I liked tonight, it was better management of the puck to me. Lots of small space passes to players and more poise with the puck on the stick tonight as a group. I didn’t think that after 10 games we’d have 33 goals for and only 25 against for +8. The team hasn’t had to trail very often usually had the lead or tied. Actually approaching the middle of the pack for shots against per game now, they’ve brought that average down under 30. -4.9 shot differential per game right now, which is still not great but this is where the small things get important. Win a couple more shifts a game, and suddenly that differential will start to even out. That might come from more guys selling out to block shots, getting more sticks in lanes, winning more draws or improving the cycle on the attack to get more offensive pressure as examples.
Rinzel deserves so much credit too as a guy in his first real season playing the role he does on the top pair. Vlasic and Rinzel have been facing the other team’s top players (the numbers strongly back this up) and they’ve been a generally solid pair. They might become a pair that teams around the league hate to go up against.
This was a game where they really deserved to win it. Nice to see it. Bedard was feeling it and getting his shots going with a lot of chances.
Now I know it was against a more tired Ottawa team, but still nice to see them go out there and score a bunch while limiting chances against. It was shaky for a bit, but after the failed challenge (It was offside) at least they got a lot of momentum from the PK which almost resulted in a SHG.
Overall, just an entertaining game and they came out on the right side of it. I liked when Dach/Lafferty/Foligno were on the ice together, they seemed to be a really good checking line.
I came across and interesting quote on Twitter. Some praise for Lardis on his game away from the puck.
@Chi_Prospects
Here’s a quote from #IceHogs HC Jared Nightingale on Nick Lardis last week:
“Before he started putting points up his play away from the puck and defensive game. He scored 70 goals in junior but his care and hockey IQ away from the puck…”“I think that’s what really got his game going these first five games. It’s awesome to see him get rewarded. When the puck is on his stick he’s a threat, but for his youth and inexperience at the pro level to pick up our defensive habits was really impressive.”
