NEWSLETTER
If you were like me and decided to spend your Friday night watching the Blackhawks take on the Jets, you likely saw what should be, but won’t be, Jeremy Colliton’s last game as head coach of the Chicago Blackhawks. 47 seconds into the game, the Jets scored. 2:23 minutes into the game, the Jets scored again and the game was over from there. Chicago out-shot the Jets 10-7 in the first period, even with a 2-0 deficit, but following it up by being out-shot 26-9 over the final two periods, and out-scored 3-1. Correct me if I’m wrong, but when you are a team that has lost 10 of their first 11 games of the season and need to be in desperation mode to try to begin to dig yourselves out of this hole you’ve created to begin the season, maybe a bit more urgency and more than nine shots on goal when down 2-0 is necessary.
Whatever. The loss was predictable after the first minute of the game. The Blackhawks inexplicably, once again, were not ready to play at a competitive level from the opening face-off. They had to play catch-up all night, and they couldn’t.
Wash. Rinse Repeat. Nothing changes, except the amount of fans that will eventually go from anger to apathy about the team as they battle with the winless Arizona Coyotes for the worst record in the NHL this season.
• Colliton’s tenure as Blackhawks head coach will not end on the same day it started, three years ago.
Three years ago today, the #Blackhawks fired Joel Quenneville after a 6-6-3 start to the 2018-19 season, and replaced him with Jeremy Colliton, who is 87-92-26 since then.
— Mario Tirabassi (@Mario_Tirabassi) November 6, 2021
• Chicago is 1-9-2 to start the season. What has been made better for the Blackhawks since Colliton took over? Which players have improved? What do you point to as the tangible reason Colliton is the “right person” for the job? I’ll wait.
• I agree, the Blackhawks are nowhere close to anything with the game they played last night. Only thing they could be close to is a chance at the top overall draft pick in the NHL Draft lottery.
Colliton: "We're nowhere close with that effort."
"It's a team game, and as a team, we didn't do enough to help each other out there, to put ourselves in good situations to protect each other with how we play individually."
— Ben Pope (@BenPopeCST) November 6, 2021
• Kyle Davidson was put in charge of the Blackhawks as interim General Manager after the departure of Stan Bowman. In Scott Powers’ latest for The Athletic, he asks the same questions I have about what Davidson can and will actually do as interim GM and what power he really has.
What is Blackhawks interim GM Kyle Davidson thinking now? My column after another Blackhawks’ loss: https://t.co/CqIC9GWJWX
— Scott Powers (@ByScottPowers) November 6, 2021
• Will he (can he) make the kinds of decisions that could change the course of the organization beyond the next few months? Or is he keeping the seat warm until the team can find a long-term option? We should find out soon if the team continues down this current trend.
• The lone bright spot last night was a short-handed goal from MacKenzie Entwistle early in the third period. Entwistle is a young guy who is easy to root for on this Blackhawks squad. Knows his role, plays it well, and gives the effort you want to see every night.
Hawks get one back pic.twitter.com/XudqrIUC1U
— Blackhawks Talk (@NBCSBlackhawks) November 6, 2021
• Getting an assist on the play was defenseman Seth Jones, his tenth of the season through 12 games. He is part of a four-way tie for second in the NHL in points among defensemen and is second on the Blackhawks in scoring.
Seth Jones is on pace for 68 assists this season.#Blackhawks
— Mario Tirabassi (@Mario_Tirabassi) November 6, 2021
• While Jones is without a goal yet this season, his point production is where you want to see it, even though his defensive responsibilities have been lacking to begin the year. Also without a goal this season, and more concerning, is Jonathan Toews.
Jonathan Toews has no goals in 12 games. That ties his longest goal-scoring drought to open a season.#Blackhawks
— John Dietz (@johndietzdh) November 6, 2021
• We knew there was a very good chance that Toews would not be the same when he came back to the team this year, but getting off to his slowest goal-scoring start of his career was likely not to be expected.
• Here’s another milestone for Patrick Kane this season, moving into fourth all-time in games played for the Blackhawks, surpassing Bobby Hull last night. He’s a full season away from passing former teammate Brent Seabrook for third-place on the list.
Kaner keeps making history @ATT | #MilestoneMoment pic.twitter.com/iF8Ye0UFGg
— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) November 6, 2021
• After being recalled to make sure the team could ice six defensemen due to Canadian COVID restrictions, defenseman Nicolas Beaudin is being sent back to the Rockford IceHogs today.
#Blackhawks are sending Nicolas Beaudin back to Rockford this morning. IceHogs play their home opener tonight.
Beaudin made his season debut last night in place of Riley Stillman, who was unable to travel to Winnipeg due to Canadian COVID-19 restrictions.https://t.co/XTeQMbscVx
— Carter Baum (@CarterBaum) November 6, 2021
• Speaking of the IceHogs, tonight is their home opener at the newly renovated BMO Harris Bank Center!
Tonight is the night…it's #OpeningNight! Puck drops at 6 p.m. vs. @griffinshockey at the BMO! 1st 2,500 grab magnet 📅!
🎫: https://t.co/PkjwMN0v9E
📺: AHLTV
📻 https://t.co/FHLGZDbsrA, https://t.co/2iRG2MpL6Q
📝: https://t.co/zxquSqjzqD pic.twitter.com/kZBbY3id2g— Rockford IceHogs (@goicehogs) November 6, 2021
• Rockford is off to a not-so-great start to the season in the AHL with a 2-4-0 record and tied for last-place in the Central Division with the Milwaukee Admirals. The bright spots in Rockford have been rookies Lukas Reichel and Arvid Söderblom, as well as Alex Nylander to begin the season.
• Other Blackhawks prospect news from last night, 2021 first-round draft pick Nolan Allan tallied his first goal of the WHL season.
#Blackhawks defenseman prospect Nolan Allan scored his first goal of the #WHL season for the Prince Albert Raiders on Friday. He has four points (one goal, three assists) in nine games. #GoRaidersGo #HawksProspects pic.twitter.com/FLnkQzNkSW
— Brandon Cain (@brandonmcain) November 6, 2021
• Here’s a rundown of how the Blackhawks prospects are doing to begin their 2021-22 seasons:
• Jaylen Luypen’s start to his season has been incredibly impressive for the last pick and the smallest pick of the Blackhawks from the 2021 NHL Draft Class. On the other hand, Boston University has gotten off to one of their worst starts in school history in the NCAA and Alex Vlasic and Drew Commesso have been less-than stellar to begin the year.
• The Blackhawks are arguably the worst team in the NHL right now, worse than the Coyotes. The reasoning is because the Coyotes are supposed to be this bad and the Blackhawks were simply not. Arizona’s plan was to lose and the plan is going accordingly.
This season, the Arizona Coyotes have had the lead in a NHL game for 49 minutes.
Entering today, every other NHL team has led for at least 90 minutes. @ESPNStatsInfo
— ᴀʀᴅᴀ Öᴄᴀʟ (@Arda) November 6, 2021
• Last night in Edmonton, the Oilers and Rangers put on a show in a 6-5 OT win for the home squad. The game-tying goal coming from Connor McDavid in the third period is the early favorite for goal of the year in the NHL this season and had the late-night hockey world buzzing!
CONNOR. MCDAVID.
WHAT. A. GOAL. 🥵 pic.twitter.com/ujq0WeMSbw
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) November 6, 2021
• When Connor McDavid is shocked by his skill-level, you know that was something special.
Tying it at 5 for his #Oilers tonight, Connor McDavid joins Wayne Gretzky (1993-94), Joe Sakic (1994-95) and Mario Lemieux (2002-03) as the only players since 1993 with 8 multi-point efforts in their first 10 team games of a season (since Lemieux did it in all 10 to start '92-93) pic.twitter.com/6RaWMcjvqG
— StatsCentre (@StatsCentre) November 6, 2021
• McDavid led the league in scoring last season and is likely going to do it again this season. He and teammate Leon Draisaitl, who scored the game-winner in overtime, are going to be battling it out for the scoring title this season and the Oilers are going to have to continue to win games in this fashion this season since their defense is one of the worst in the NHL.
No. Words.
Leon Draisaitl completes the comeback and puts a bow on this incredible game in @EASPORTSNHL OT! pic.twitter.com/H69JzIgMc3
— NHL (@NHL) November 6, 2021
• But I don’t think too many people in Edmonton mind right now.
Teammates with 20+ points each in their team's first 10 games – Last 30 seasons (1991-92 to pres):
M. Lemieux- 32/K. Stevens- 27 (PIT, 1992-93)
P. Lafontaine- 29/D. Andreychuk (BUF, '92-93)
Lemieux- 27/J. Jagr- 21/R. Francis (PIT, 95-96)
L. Draisaitl- 21/C. McDavid (EDM, 2021-22) pic.twitter.com/GL9V5B81Lz— StatsCentre (@StatsCentre) November 6, 2021
• Other news from the Canadian NHL market, we learned yesterday that Montreal Canadiens goaltender Carey Price would be returning to the club next week.
It's going to be a process for Price–starting with a physical, moving on to gym work, getting back on the ice solo with the goalie coach before eventually joining practice. Asked Ducharme if a short stint in Laval might be a part of it, he said it's an option they'll consider.
— Eric Engels (@EricEngels) November 5, 2021
• Price has been away from the team since before the start of the season after entering the NHLPA Player Assistance Program. This is not going to be an overnight process, as Eric Engels lays-out, but it is great to see that Price is well and ready to come back to the club. I’m sure the Canadiens will be happy to have him back as well after their 3-9-0 start to the year without him.
• Today is opening day for the Premier Hockey Federation!
Our new era begins TODAY 💯 pic.twitter.com/v7zknWiOEs
— PHF (@PHF) November 6, 2021
• Formerly known as the NWHL, the league begins their seventh season and first as the newly branded PHF tonight with all six teams in action. Games can be seen this season on ESPN+, TSN, and on the league’s Twitch channel.
IT IS GAME DAY‼️
All 6 teams are in action 🔥
Let’s drop the puck🏒 pic.twitter.com/bFp4VkDzyY— PHF (@PHF) November 6, 2021
• That will do it for today. Hope you all have an enjoyable Saturday ahead of you! Take a walk outside, drink some water, enjoy the sunshine (if it’s sunny by you like it is by me today), and take a breath. I plan to.
