Chicago Blackhawks' Right And Wrong In The First 3 Games
Oct 12, 2016; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Blackhawks left wing Richard Panik (14) reacts after scoring against the St. Louis Blues during the first period at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports
Three times is the charm! The Chicago Blackhawks won their first game of the season on Saturday night with a 5-3 victory over the Nashville Predators.
That’s right, Chelsea Dagger played five times Saturday night, as the Chicago Blackhawks brought home their first win of the season. I had a front row seat, as we were in attendance at the game to witness a Richard Panik hat trick, Nick Schmaltz’s first NHL goal, and Brent Seabrook pound home a power play tally. As soon as the game was over, happy Chicago Blackhawks fans filed out of the United Center just in time to hear about the Cub’s grand slam and subsequent win over the Dodgers. Yes, it was a special night in Chicago.
But now that the dust has settled, we have a chance to take a closer look at these first three games. What have the Chicago Blackhawks done right? What have they done wrong? And what can they do to continue to stay in the win column? Even with a win, there were a lot of things that still weren’t all that pretty Saturday night. To be honest with you, it’s easier to look at what went wrong, as there is still a lot of work to be done.
Apr 17, 2016; Chicago, IL, USA; St. Louis Blues center Paul Stastny (26) and Chicago Blackhawks center Artem Anisimov (15) fight for a face off during the first period in game three of the first round of the 2016 Stanley Cup Playoffs at the United Center. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports
Here are some things that haven’t gone well for the Chicago Blackhawks through the first three games.
Shots on goal. The Hawks had only 19 shots on goal in their first game. This was compared to 34 shots for the St. Louis Blues. In Friday’s game against the Nashville Predators, the shot differential was 24 to 27 for the Preds. On Saturday, the Hawks managed 27 shots, but this was against 36 shots for the Preds. The Hawks have managed more shots in each game as they have gone along, and this is a positive sign. But they are still being outshot by their opponents.
Faceoffs. The same can be said for faceoffs. They won only 40% of their draws against the Blues, and then 44% and 48% respectively in their tilts against the Preds. Again, this is trending upwards, which is good.
Artem Anisimov is especially struggling on the dot. According to The Athletic’s Scott Powers, he has won only 14 of 41 faceoffs in these three games. As a result, he’s been taking less draws as each game has gone along. Perhaps this is part of the reason that his usual linemates, Artemi Panarin and Patrick Kane, also can’t seem to get much going offensively.
Penalty kill. Ugh, has the penalty kill looked bad so far! The Chicago Blackhawks gave up three power play goals in their first game, three in their second game, and one in their third game. Overall, they’ve let in seven power play goals out of a total of 13. It’s essential to note that this has also gotten better as the Hawks have gone along. They only gave up one PP goal in the last game. Which leads directly to my next point…
Stay out of the box! The Hawks don’t have to worry about the penalty kill if they don’t commit so may penalties. They have had a real problem with discipline, especially in the first two games. And it’s not the kids; it’s the veterans, who should be leading by example.
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In the first game, there was a march to the penalty box by Trevor van Riemsdyk, Jonathan Toews, Anisimov, Duncan Keith, and then TVR again. In the second game, Brian Campbell, Toews, and Nick Schmaltz (the only rookie to commit an infraction so far) all visited the box in the first period. In the second period, we were treated to fights that involved Jordin Tootoo (no surprise), and Toews (big surprise), as well as two more penalties by Anisimov. And then there were the very questionable third period calls on Brent Seabrook for closing his hand on the puck, and Patrick Kane for embellishment. But either way, the Hawks have to stay out of these situations.
Saturday’s game was better. Only two penalties, on Tootoo and Anisimov. Geez, apparently Arty needs to work on more than just his faceoffs! Penalties are going to happen, but the Hawks definitely need to work on keeping them to a minimum.
The good news is that even the things we complained about above were all better in the last game against the Preds, which was a win. The Hawks are a work in progress. They have six rookies in the lineup; it’s going to take time for things to gel. Here are some things that were different and encouraging in Saturday night’s win.
Top line was the top line. That’s why they call it the top line. It’s supposed to be the best line on the ice. That hasn’t been the case for a long time; but it was true last night. Toews was flanked by Panik on his right, and Vinnie Hinostroza on his left. I’m sure I’m not the only one that was surprised by Hinostroza on the first line left wing. But the Hawks won, so look to see this combination again.
Panik goal pic.twitter.com/keUdgXRZgq
— Stephanie (@myregularface) October 16, 2016
Panik, as we know, scored three goals. And although neither Toews or Hinostroza recorded any points, they led in possession numbers. Again, these stats are compliments of Scott Powers. Toews was a plus-5 Corsi and Hinostroza and Panik were plus-4 Corsi.
Rolling four lines. While we’re on the subject of lines, the Hawks truly rolled four lines Saturday night. Instead of seeing fourth line players like Tootoo with ice time of 4:26 and 4:18 minutes, everyone clocked over 10 minutes of time on the ice.
The way Coach Q managed this is a bit unorthodox, but it worked. In the interest of trying to combine balance and familiarity, the coaching staff has a rookie on the first line (see above), the Panarin-Anisimov-Kane line intact, a jumbled third line of Dennis Rasmussen–Marcus Kruger-Tootoo, and a fourth line of two rookies (Tyler Motte and Schmaltz) alongside Marian Hossa. That’s right, Hossa is on the fourth line, with two rookies. Well, Schmaltz scored, and Hossa and Motte both had assists. So hey, whatever works.
The Rasmussen factor. Dennis Rasmussen drew in for the injured Ryan Hartman, who left Friday night’s game with a lower body injury early in the first period. It’s been reported that Hartman is listed as day-to-day, and a replacement will not be called up from the Rockford IceHogs. This leaves Rasmussen, who was a healthy scratch for the first two games, as the man that gets the call.
Rasmussen isn’t a rookie; he played in 44 games last season for the Chicago Blackhawks. Although he never did fully establish himself as a regular. He performed well in the preseason, but has appeared to have lost the fourth line center position to Schmaltz.
Saturday night he played on the left wing of the third line. He recorded 12:35 minutes of ice time, a shot on goal, 2 hits, and 3 blocked shots. He even took a shift on the penalty kill. His shot blocking abilities could be helpful to the struggling penalty kill. And his familiarity with the systems and players, along with his energy, could earn him a more regular spot going forward. This is his chance to shine, and he knows it.
Goaltending is golden. Another thing that was different about Saturday night was that Scott Darling was in goal instead of Corey Crawford. He played an excellent game; there is something about the Nashville Predators that brings out the best in Darls. But other than that, I’m not even going to go there.
Crawford is the number one goaltender for the Chicago Blackhawks. He wasn’t the problem in the first two games. The penalty kill was the problem. If anything, seeing Darling have a solid game just goes to show how lucky the Hawks are in net.
The Chicago Blackhawks carry on with their next game this Tuesday, against the Philadelphia Flyers. They also play on both Friday and Saturday night this weekend, so don’t make too many plans. Can they continue to trend in the right direction? A few wins could certainly go a long way towards building confidence for the youngsters and veterans alike.
Now all we need is for Hossa to score goal number 500 for his career. The next one will be the one! What better reason to tune in to Chicago Blackhawks hockey this week?!
LET’S GO HAWKS!!!
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