Hey how about a first-week-of-the-season off day? The Blackhawks have two days between games to rally on their final 40 minutes (well, 39 if we take the two late goals off the board) and get ready for a division game in Winnipeg. As I have mentioned a few times here and on our social channels, the 5-2 final score was not indicative of the game play itself. The third period was back-and-forth and the Blackhawks had some good chances to tie the game.
Captain Nick Foligno spoke after the game and expressed some optimism that, despite the score not being as close as the play, this team is heading in the right direction.
“I’m not concerned,” Foligno said after the game. “I think we turned a corner already on that. I see a way different team this game… If we start burying those chances and play like we did the second and third, I think we’re going to like where we’re sitting.”
Coaching Matters
To that end, for all of the complaining about the “systems” and “coaching” being issues, head coach Luke Richardson and his staff made changes throughout the first game of the regular season with their lines and defensive pairs to find combinations that clicked. And the numbers support the reality that they worked when fixed.
In-game adjustments are one area I’ll be watching this season with the Blackhawks having an improved roster/better depth and preaching accountability. The first game of the regular season was a very good start in that regard. As Ben Pope pointed out in his postgame piece late Tuesday night, “The Hawks finished with a 56.8% share of the expected goals during five-on-five play, a better ratio than they achieved in all but seven games last season.”
Power Play Concerns
The Blackhawks got three power plays in the first game of the season and came up empty on all three. While there’s reason to be intrigued by the first unit, the second group leaves a lot to be desired. As they noted on the ESPN broadcast last night, it’s hard to generate offense when your second power play unit is effectively your fourth line.
Could the Blackhawks possibly improve the forwards on the second group by integrating Jason Dickinson or Ilya Mikheyev? Sure. However, as we’ve talked about, this Blackhawks team isn’t going to be among the top offensive teams in the league this season. Strong team defense is critical if they’re trying to win relatively low-scoring games. And keeping those guys more fresh to help kill penalties is arguably more important. I could see them being inserted, but their value as excellent defensive forwards makes their use complicated.
The most glaring need is a more dynamic defenseman to run point on the second unit. Kevin Korchinski played that role for most of the preseason, but he’s in Rockford working on his overall game — and should get adequate time to earn a recall. Long-term, he is probably the answer. But that isn’t an immediate help. And, at times, Alex Vlasic got some run with the second group during the preseason. But his value is more as a penalty killer and even-strength shut-down guy.
With all due respect to Alec Martinez, I don’t think he envisioned quarterbacking the power play as one of his responsibilities when he signed with the Blackhawks. This becomes a rock-meets-hard-place with the defensemen on the current NHL roster — who are healthy. When Wyatt Kaiser is healthy enough to join the lineup, maybe he slides into that role. He certainly has a better skillset than the veterans on the roster or, again, respectfully, Nolan Allan.
A Solid Rookie Debut
When he spoke with the media before the regular season began, Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson was asked about rookie defenseman Nolan Allan. I love what he said about the 21-year-old, and his play in Utah supported his statements. Allan played a calm game and didn’t make any significant mistakes — something other young defensemen have a tendency to do when under duress on the road in their debut.
“He just looks really calm out there,” Davidson said. “One of the things with Nolan is he plays a calm, solid game, and he’s continued to grow that. With his game, he plays within himself. He doesn’t try to do too much; he doesn’t beat himself. That’s a great trait for a defenseman. He’s gotten the trust of the coaching staff, and that’s no easy feat for a young defenseman, so he’s earned a spot in the Opening Day lineup, and we’ll see where it goes from there.”
CHSN Update
Since now this is a topic with increased importance, let’s shift our focus for a moment to the launch of Chicago Sports Network and how most of the local market will be able to watch the next Blackhawks game. Tuesday night was a national broadcast on ESPN, buying the new home of the Hawks (and Bulls and White Sox) a few more days before needing a deal in place with Xfinity so the majority of Chicago can see a regular season game from any of the three teams they’ll be presenting.
Scott Powers offered this update after the game on Tuesday night:
Nothing is definitive yet. If you’re holding out hope for CHSN to be on YouTube TV, it’s unlikely to happen. YouTube TV doesn’t appear to be interested in adding regional sports networks.
CHSN is likely to be on Comcast. It’s just unclear whether it will happen by Friday night. The sides have been negotiating and are expected to continue negotiating this week.