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You bring up a lot of great points, and you’re right on several levels. Bedard’s skill was on full display on that penalty, but the frustration comes from the inconsistency on special teams. Nazar gets hauled down creating a chance, then later battles through a hook on one knee just to clear the puck — and no call. That’s the toughest part right now: Chicago is still finding ways to win despite these late-game penalties going against them. That says a lot about the maturity and compete level of this young team.
I also agree with your take on their skating. As the game goes on, the Hawks stay upright and fast while opponents drop lower trying to generate speed. That’s structure, conditioning, and trust in the system.
Good observation on Bertuzzi too. He’s been up and down, but tonight you saw him skating hard on the backcheck, helping exits, and bringing more bite. The coaching staff clearly noticed it as well.
And Torts said something really important — when you have a goalie you believe in, everything looks better. Plus, his story about Bedard and Nazar switching spots on the fly shows just how high their hockey IQ really is. It’s hard to defend when elite players adjust on the spot.
Overall, this group is young, learning, and still far from perfect… but they play as a five-man unit, and when they do, it honestly looks like they’re on the power play at times. If the league wants more offense, they need to start calling the obvious interference and holding. Until then, the Hawks just keep pushing through it.
Great breakdown from you — love the passion and the details.
Great period overall… just the indiscipline with those 3 penalties.
Shots/Chances: 9–9
Absolutely right, Mr. Ricochet — Chicago is well-structured and all five guys are connected on the ice. If they keep playing like this, they can win tonight.
You’re absolutely right. The Hawks are ahead of schedule, and the foundation is clearly there. My only real concern right now is the 11F/7D setup. In today’s NHL, no team can run a full season like that without feeling the grind. At some point—around the 50–55 game mark—the forwards are going to feel the mileage. Yes, they’re in great shape, but the body still needs recovery time.
The Olympic break will help them reset, but injuries could be the real challenge. They simply don’t have the depth yet to absorb multiple losses up front. The good news? Even with the imperfections, they’re developing their young players the right way. This experience is invaluable, and long-term it’s going to pay off in a big way for this franchise.
Great question…
This falls under the NHL’s Performance Bonus Carryover (Overage) rule. Teams are allowed to go over the cap during the season if players hit their bonuses — but any amount that pushes them over gets charged against next year’s cap.
So yes, the Blackhawks can use that mechanism. If Bedard or any other ELC players hit their performance bonuses, Chicago could end up with an overage that reduces next year’s available cap space.
This is why some rebuilding teams intentionally take on a bad contract or two — they have the room, and bonus overages won’t hurt them long-term.
But starting next season, extensions for guys like Bedard, Nazar, and Knight will tighten the cap picture, so Chicago won’t have quite as much flexibility as they do right now.
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Great point from you. The second period is all about game management and puck management — from the goalie and the skaters. You need to slow things down, shorten your shifts, dump the puck more often, and take simple shots just to force a whistle and reset. Less risk, more structure, more conservative hockey.
What a great, entertaining game today. Two young teams making a ton of mistakes, and that’s exactly what made it fun to watch. You can feel a new rivalry growing between these two teams — MacTavish vs. Bedard is becoming must-see hockey. And for Bedard, that’s already his third game this season with 4 points.
Thanks for your comment. Great point about the physicality. When I talk about the IDENTITY of this team, that’s exactly what I mean. Without Foligno, the Hawks don’t have enough grit or pushback. Same issue we see in Detroit — it can work during the season, but once you get to playoff-style hockey, forget it. At some point, Davidson needs to add more size and sandpaper in the bottom-six if this team wants to take the next step.
Thanks for your comment my friend.
Exactly — enough with the 11/7. The Hawks need a proper 12/6 lineup.
Thanks for your comment — I totally understand your point of view, and honestly, it makes a lot of sense. But here’s where I see things a bit differently.
Tampa could run an 11/7 because they had elite depth and experienced defensemen for years. Chicago isn’t in that situation right now. At some point this season, Blashill will have to go back to a 12-forward alignment. He’s already running games where only 8 or 9 forwards get real minutes, and that’s not sustainable. You can’t keep shortening the bench every night.
If the goal is truly about development and evaluation, then Rinzel and Levshunov need to be playing 17–18 minutes per game, not being sheltered forever. Even giving them 30 seconds of PK time helps them grow. You can’t expect these young guys to take on bigger responsibilities later if you never give them small steps now.
Winning games is important — no question — but for a rebuilding team like Chicago, the long-term success depends on getting these young defensemen experience in all situations. At some point, Blashill has to recognize that.
