The Blackhawks wrapped up their four-game road trip last night with a battle against the Calgary Flames. The team would be unable to build off the momentum in terms of staying in the win column as they would drop this one 3-1. Despite the outcome, there are good things developing with this team. The slow start that we have gotten used to from this team seems to be less of an issue as the season goes on. They also are starting to see a lot of fights from this roster compared to last year. The Flames took the lead with four minutes to go in the 1st, and the Hawks would go on to respond just 10 seconds later off a beautiful tip by Foligno off a Jones shit. Last year when a goal was let up, you just felt the life leave the Hawks bench, so for them to respond so quickly is a great change of pace. There are going to be growing pains with this team as they are still working on building chemistry, but even though it’s only been four games, it already feels like a huge step in the right direction to getting this team closer to where they want to be.
Three Takeaways
Creating Chances
A theme of last season for the Hawks was being grossly outshot by their opponents night in and night out. This team’s offense lacked the necessary skill to create legitimate scoring chances or just even get pucks on net. While still being outshot through the first three games this season, minus the game against Utah, you just see them playing with more urgency to get pucks on net. Last night this continued as they were able to outshoot the Flames 32-26. They finished this one with 64 shot attempts, and the Flames just got the perfect combo of stellar play from Dustin Wolf and 21 blocked shots from Flames players. While the lack of conversion on these chances is frustrating, the key thing here is they are still attacking and making things happen. The top line was a big factor, as they were credited with 12 of the 32 shots on goal. Pucks are going to go in; they just need to keep getting them on the net.
Third Line is Buzzing
One thing I miss about the Cup-era teams was the ability for all four lines to be a factor. Obviously, in the stage this team is in, this isn’t a realistic option for the Hawks. So, when you see either the third or fourth line playing well, you have to acknowledge it. This game, that line was the combo of Dickinson, Mikheyev, and Anderson. As a line, they finished this one with a 92.31 Corsi rating at 5 on 5. They were a thorn in the side of the Flames, and in doing so, they are helping create more chances for the team’s top two lines. You wanted to see these guys get rewarded for their play, and if they keep this up, the reward will be huge.
Time to Play New Guys
Overall, I really like where this lineup is at right now. I think guys are coming together and really starting to find themselves. However, the deeper you go in the lineup, there are some questions as to why certain players are in while others are sitting. For me, there are two examples of this, one on offense and one on defense. For defense, I would love to see Nolan Allan back in the lineup in place of TJ Brodie. I know the plan for why Brodie was brought in was to give the younger guys the chance to develop. He played a season low in ice time (15:29) and shifts (20). He's making some bad passes out there and had a giveaway that could have been costly. Why not give Allan a look and get him some playing experience, especially early on before he ultimately gets sent down to Rockford? In terms of the forward group, I want to see Reichel in the lineup. I find it hard to believe that he is that far behind guys like Maroon, Smith, or even Athanasiou. The handling of the 22-year-old has just been questionable to me, and I think, in fairness to the kid, you need to play him or give him a fresh start elsewhere. I want him to be good, and I want him to be a factor here, but if it’s not in the cards, just cut the cord and let’s move on.
The Hawks take 3 points out of a possible 8 to kick off the season and gave us a pretty good baseline of what this team is currently, what they need to improve on, and what a perfect situation could look like. There are a lot of fans who aren’t happy with this start, and I am not sure if it’s because they had delusional expectations heading into this season, but I like what I am seeing so far from the small sample size. This team is better than they were last season, and they are building up to something good. The tough part of it is that what they are building towards isn’t going to happen this year, and it might not even be completed next year either. The point is these baby steps are going the right way, and fans need to take a deep breath and show some patience. I'll be back tomorrow with a preview of the team's home opener against the Sharks. Until then, Let's Go Hawks!
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