With the Olympics going on and no Blackhawks hockey to write about here, I took the time to figure out the next step for this Substack.

As most of you know, I’ll now be writing for Second City Hockey, which means most of my Blackhawks writing will be there.

As for Eat The Hatchet, well, I think it’s time to put this on the shelf for now.

I’ve been getting hit with an influx of spam accounts on Substack, and I just don’t have the time to focus on both Second City Hockey and here.

Will I return here? Probably not. Unless I get kicked off of SCH for some reason. I actually planned to step back from writing about hockey, and they recently approached me to write for them. They are my biggest inspiration for wanting to even write about hockey, so I wasn’t going to turn them down.

So if you enjoyed my Blackhawks work (for reasons), there’s a way to stay up to date.

I’ve created an author website/blog. I’m working on writing a memoir about Afghanistan (unrelated to hockey, I know). On that website, I’ll be sharing my Hawks thoughts and other sports thoughts on occasion. I’ll also be sending out a newsletter with links to my written work over at Second City Hockey.

Feel free to join me over there. You can use this link to take you to the new website. I have the option to just migrate emails from here to there, but I don’t feel comfortable forcing that on people, and also, like I said, there are a ton of spam accounts on Substack.

I’ll be keeping this website up for now and still reading the other Substacks that I have subscribed to.

If Ryan Donato was hurt after getting knocked into the boards, I’d understand why he left the DZ for a line change. But he was clearly okay enough to lay a huge hit. Donato's leaving the DZ gave the Blue Jackets a 5v4 advantage, and they scored on it.

And it’s these kinds of air-headed decisions that plagued the team last night. The Blackhawks had 18 giveaways (Columbus had seven). There were numerous turnovers at the blueline and plenty of failed breakouts.

On the offensive side of things, the Hawks didn’t get a whole lot of good looks. They finished the game with a 33.59% expected goals share (xG%) at 5v5, with their “best” period coming in the second (62.71 xG%). But that came after the Blue Jackets had a 3-0 lead and took an early Olympic break mid-game. The Blackhawks also had three power play opportunities, with none of them going in (obviously).

Wyatt Kaiser and Colton Dach were also both injured last night (with Kaiser looking like he might miss some time). This had an impact on the team, but the team played like ass before the injuries anyway.

With that said, here’s some things I’d like to see from this team when they return:

1. Frank Nazar - In the last 31 games, he’s only scored two goals. In that same stretch, he’s given the Hawks a 41.72 xG% at 5v5. Granted, that includes games before he was injured. We need to see Nazar step up his game. Significantly.

2. Artyom Levshunov - Maybe the break will make something click for Levshunov, but I’d like to see less of the chaotic mess he’s been and more of the chaotic offensive flashes he’s shown. My concern is that I’m pretty sure his hockey IQ just isn’t there.

3. Kevin Korchinski - If the Hawks move Connor Murphy, Korchinski gets a look for the rest of the season at the NHL, right? My concern is I don’t know how the blueline is going to look with so many young players. Kaiser will probably be out, and he’s actually been alright. I’m still a believer in Korchinski.

4. Connor Bedard - I’m not convinced that he’s been playing healthy. Blashill has prevented Bedard from taking faceoffs as a precaution, and I feel like Bedard wanted to make a last push to make a case as a late addition to Team Canada. After the break, Bedard needs to go HAM.

5. Tactical Tweaks - I get it. There’s not a whole lot you can do when the players are who they are. But I’d like to see some of the aggressive 1-3-1 NZ play we saw earlier in the season. Something needs to be done in the OZ too. But offense can’t be relied only on Bedard, and as mentioned, Nazar isn’t helping at the moment. Maybe this comes in the form of their OZ entries (less chipping in), but again, who’s going to carry the puck in and who’s going to stretch the opponents’ defense?

I’ll probably be taking some time off during the break. We’ll see. Might write a couple of thoughts here and there.

For two periods, both teams had limited chances and played back-and-forth hockey. Both teams only had one 5v5 shot on goal in the first period, with two 5v5 scoring chances a piece. The second period saw an increase in action with a 6-8 scoring chance ratio (Sharks edge). The Sharks dialed the pressure up in the third period, facing a 5-2 deficit on the scoreboard, and owned a 65.48% expected goals share (xG%) at 5v5.

While the score suggests the Blackhawks’ offense finally “woke up,” I’m not wholly convinced. Connor Bedard’s line with Frank Nazar and Tyler Bertuzzi only generated a 31.25% shot attempt share at 5v5 (Corsi). They tallied only one shot on goal while facing four against. They were matched up against Macklin Celebrini’s line, who had a 76.67% Corsi and a 64.16 xG%.

It’s an interesting comparison. Celebrini had Will Smith and Tyler Toffoli on his wings. Connor Bedard had Nazar and Bertuzzi. Yesterday, I briefly talked about how Toffoli has had a positive impact on Celebrini. Let’s look at Will Smith’s goal.

Following a line change, the Sharks offense attacked the Blachawks zone with a 2v2 entry. Macklin Celebrini took a shot on goal and followed up his own rebound to carry the puck behind the net. Both Alex Vlasic and Louis Crevier puckwatched Celebrini. Crevier ignored his man, Will Smith, who received Celebrini’s pass through the slot.

Louis Crevier was on the ice for two goals against and had a 33.03 xG%. Crevier eventually saw limited ice time, and Connor Murphy replaced him as Alex Vlasic’s partner.

The other goal that Crevier was on the ice for wasn’t his fault. A quick refresher. The Hawks play a hybrid defensive zone structure. It’s man-to-man with the weakside forward responsible for the high slot. Andre Burakovsky was the weakside forward and left the high slot to pressure the puck carrier at the point. Ryan Greene should have grabbed Burakovsky’s assignment, but instead double-teamed the puck carrier, leaving the weakside wide open.

Burakovsky could have also not bit for the puck carrier, and instead pressured the passing option until Greene came in to pressure the puck carrier.

I don’t want to break down the Blackhawks’ defensive zone coverage in the following, but as a hockey fan, you have to admire Macklin Celebrini’s goal.

Ryan Donato had two goals and two assists, Ilya Mikheyev had a goal and three assists, and Bedard scored a nice power play goal in the first. That goal, by the way, displayed some nice hockey smarts as Bedard got in close to the Sharks’ penalty killer, made contact, and slowly backed away.

But let’s talk about Sam Rinzel, who scored his second goal of the season in his second game back. Rinzel gave the Blackhawks a 56.25% Corsi and a 50.65 xG% at 5v5. He looks much more comfortable than he did prior to getting sent back down to Rockford on Dec. 8. His skating was on display, he moved the puck, and he looked more comfortable. He wasn’t perfect—I caught him a little out of position on a DZ entry. But nothing glaring.

Rinzel did get a look at quarterbacking the power play (which the Blackhawks had four opportunities and scored on one). Maybe it was because we’re so used to watching Levshunov, but Rinzel was a breath of fresh air. He distributed the puck and took shots (one shot on goal and two shot attempts). I was overall impressed with Rinzel. Not so much the Blackhawks’ power play entry, which continues to be an issue.

One more game before the Olympic Break. The Blackhawks travel to take on the Columbus Blue Jackets at 6 pm CT on Wednesday. We’ll see what we do for the Olympic Break here. I’ll have an update and will probably take that time off from hockey writing.

As of this writing (Sunday night), the Sharks sit two points out of a wild-card spot with 58 points. They’re above .500 (.547) but have a -17 goal differential. And let’s be real, being above .500 in the NHL doesn’t mean a whole lot. Only six teams aren’t above .500 (including Chicago). But because the Sharks are close to a playoff spot, pundits are ready to declare the Sharks as buyers. And it’s likely they are, considering Atermi Panaren has popped off on the Sharks’ radar.

The Chicago Blackhawks held a wild-card spot early in the season and have struggled to generate offense as of late. They sit in seventh place in the Central Division with 51 points and an ugly -30 goal differential. Barring an incredible run, it’s safe to say the Hawks aren’t playoff contenders.

Davidson’s Rebuild

The Hawks’ current rebuild started in 2022. At least, that’s their current iteration. Let’s not forget that the Blackhawks front office wrote a letter to fans declaring the start of a rebuild in 2020, only for Stan Bowman to jettison that plan for a retool and Stanley Cup aspirations. We don’t need to revisit what followed. The Sharks’ rebuild started in 2022 following a failed retool and the hiring of GM Mike Grier.

Kyle Davidson’s plan (and I’m not here to argue if a full-tear-down rebuild was the right idea) included accumulating a stockpile of draft picks. Grier did the same in San Jose. Where the two rebuilds begin to diverge is in the players they drafted. Davidson and his scouting department identified picks based on singular traits. Small and fast (Frank Nazar, Oliver Moore, and throw in Nick Lardis here) or sizable players (Sacha Boisvert, Anton Frondell, Nathan Behm).

Kyle Davidson identifies players he likes or a specific type and goes after them.

Davidson has also drafted players to build from the back out. The forwards he drafted could make for a solid middle six. Sam Rinzel, Artyom Levshunov, and Kevin Korchinski are intriguing defensemen that he drafted. We don’t know if Anton Frondell or Roman Kantserov will be top-six players, but he hasn’t really drafted those types of players. Connor Bedard fell into his lap, and Frank Nazar isn’t a guarantee at 2C.

There’s also little shift from the plan (which isn’t a bad thing, right Bowman?). The only “shifting” Davidson did was when he boldly proclaimed that the Hawks were ready to take a step forward in 2024. He signed a plethora of veteran players meant to help the team improve in the standings. The Blackhawks finished the 2024-25 season with 61 points—31st overall.

Grier’s Rebuild

The Sharks have focused on drafting potential top-six forwards. William Ecklund was drafted before Grier took over. Will Smith, Michael Misa, and Igor Chernyshov (who looks interesting) are all players who could become solid top-six players. And of course, Macklin Celebrini fell into Grier’s lap in 2024.

The Sharks arguably signed better veteran players to surround Celebrini and their youth. Tyler Toffoli was signed in the summer of 2024 following Celebrini’s selection to San Jose. Toffoli and Celebrini have a 60.5% goals share and a 41.8% expected goals share at 5v5 through 116 games played together. Bedard has infamously gone through a carousel of players.

The glaring issue for the Sharks is on their backend. Prospect-wise, Sam Dickinson could hit, but it’s doubtful he’s the future No. 1. Their blueline is currently manned by veteran players and some plugs. Dickinson is currently slotted on the third pairing as he is still developing.

The trade for Kiefer Sherwood may have been premature. Two second-round picks (and a 25-year-old Cole Clayton) were given up for depth. The talk about acquiring Panarin might be concerning for some San Jose fans. Panarin will only go to a team if he’s signed an extension, and although it’s hard to see his production drop dramatically, he is 34 years old.

The Sharks sit dead last in expected goals share at 5v5 (44.23%) and 24th in actual goals share at 5v5 (46.61%). San Jose is also seventh in 5v5 shooting percentage (10.51%), which will regress towards the mean. The moves that the Sharks make ahead of the trade deadline will be interesting, as it gives insight into where Grier sees this team.

And oh hey, look at that. The Blackhawks host the Sharks tonight at 7:30 pm CT. There’s your preview.

It didn’t start off that way. They looked okay in the first period. Chicago owned a 52.38% shot attempt share (Corsi) and a 53.92% expected goals share (xG%), both stats at 5v5. Even though the Pittsburgh Penguins had the slight edge in 5v5 shots on goal (8-6) and 5v5 scoring chances (6-5), this looked like a winnable game.

And it should’ve been. The Blackhawks have fast young players, and the Penguins, despite their recent success, are old and slow.

We even got a good look at Ryan Greene’s hockey smarts with Connor Murphy’s third goal of the season.

Frank Nazar made a great interception in the defensive zone (which you can appreciate here), carried the puck through the neutral zone, passed to a trailing Ryan Greene, who opened space for Connor Murphy.

It wasn’t perfect, though. The Penguins' fourth line did some excellent forechecking and scored.

And then the second period happened.

Artyom Levshunov had a rough game, and the Hawks beat is currently pinning the loss on him (while acknowledging that the team as a whole sucked). Levshunov was all over the place and looked lost. This has been the story for the past few weeks now. Both he and partner Wyatt Kaiser were on the ice for the final five goals against.

The above screenshot is the Penguins’ fourth goal. Kaiser (CHI44) made a questionable pinch at the offensive blue line, which means Levshunov (CHI55) needs to stay in between the dots. He’s out of position at the Hawks’ blueline, and Ben Kindel is able to pass to a streaking Anthony Mantha.

That wasn’t his worst mistake. But it wasn’t just on him. The Hawks had an 18.36 xG% in the second period. They didn’t even try to generate meaningful scoring chances.

This team didn’t give a shit in the second period. That didn’t change in the third period either. The Penguins had zero issue pulling the Hawks’ defense out of position and tiring them out on the forecheck. And it was the older players who looked checked out and couldn’t wait to get the hell out of there.

Both Jason Dickinson and Ilya Mikheyev couldn’t give two shits about playing defense. And both of these players are constantly praised for their defensive work. And no, neither one of them should be “cheating up for offense.”

But hey, Connor Bedard scored a beautiful goal, so hopefully that breaks the scoring dam for him.

There are some concerns that I have regarding the Blackhawks’ lack of offense as of late. Yes, it’s a compressed schedule. Yes, the Hawks are currently on pace for 77 points (better than last season’s 68). But I have concerns that may be worth exploring another day.

The Chicago Blackhawks were one power play goal away from putting this game to bed. The Hawks had five opportunities to do it—including in overtime—and failed. A three-goal lead was squandered and eventually erased as the Minnesota Wild took the Hawks to the shootout.

There's a few talking points, then goals.

Teuvo-Bedard-Nazar

I finally got my wish with Teuvo Teravainen playing on the same line with Connor Bedard. While I don't think Frank Nazar on this line is a long-term solution, this was a needed change to get the offense going. And going it did.

This line did most (if not all) of the heavy lifting in the offensive zone. They had a 72.73% 5v5 shot attempt share (Corsi) and a 74.85% expected goals share (xG%). They outshot their opponent 11-3 and scored that first goal on their first shift by crashing the net. It's a safe bet that we see this trio again in Thursday night's game.

Everyone Else

The issue with moving Frank Nazar up on the first line with Bedard and Teuvo is that there isn't any scoring ability anywhere else in the lineup. Granted, Ryan Donato scored because of sloppiness on Minnesota's part. But the other lines struggled to generate meaningful offense.

Ryan Greene's line with Oliver Moore and Andre Burakovsky finished with decent metrics (50% Corsi and 65.61 xG% at 5v5), but I attribute this more to the Hawks' defensive work than offense.

The Blackhawks' defense did a solid job of playing man-on-man most of the night. They weren't perfect, but I do want to highlight Alex Vlasic. He had a solid night. Vlasic made excellent outlet passes, and Ilya Mikheyev's goal doesn't happen without Vlasic.

The Blackhawks had a 56.67% Corsi and a 73.46 xG% when Vlasic was on the ice.

The numbers say one thing, but my eyes told me a different story. The Hawks finished the night with a 54.67% Corsi and a 62.6 xG% at 5v5. Only one line wasn't above 50% in both metrics, and that was the fourth line (Slaggert-Foligno-Donato with 6:33 minutes of 5v5).

I noticed in the third period that the Hawks were conceding the blue line a bit too much. I wouldn't say they were turtling (the metrics point that they weren't), but it was pretty damn close.

The Power Play

Chicago failed to convert five power plays into a goal. That includes a power play in OT, which actually had some good looks. Their 5v4 PP (which excludes the OT power play) generated six shots on goal and four high danger scoring chances.

Where the Hawks struggle is with their entries and getting set up.

The power play relies on the drop pass to get going on the entry. Most NHL teams use some form of a drop pass, and it's especially effective when a team has fast players (like the Hawks). The defenseman carries the puck while a forward (or forwards) swings below, builds up speed, and receives a drop pass to enter the zone.

Where the Hawks mess this up is when the only player with momentum is the forward who just received the puck. No one else is moving, they're just waiting at the blue line for things to kind of... happen.

And when they do get set up, they haven't been able to generate meaningful chances. The first powerplay actually featured decent OZ time. But there was a lot of passing until Levshunov took a point shot right at the goalie. A low percentage shot. It wasn't a shot meant to turn into a rebound. It was a low-effort flub.

I'm a little concerned about Levshunov. I get that he's young. I get that defensemen take a long time to develop (even though this is a new era, and comparing anyone to Duncan Keith's development route is a bit of a stretch). But I hold Levshunov to a higher standard as the No. 2 overall pick in 2024.

Goals

I've linked the Hawks' three goals above, so I'll focus on the three the Wild scored.

Goal 1 (Yakov Trenin)

Andre Burakovsky's pass to the point bounced beyond Matt Grzelcyk. This created a 2-on-1 with Connor Murphy defending the rush. It's hard to tell, but I'm giving Burakovsky the benefit of the doubt. It looks like the defender got a stick on Burakovsky, or this was a horrible pass.

Goal 2 (Joel Eriksson Ek)

Quinn Hughes displays some pretty skating mechanics and gets a shot on goal for a rebound. Joel Eriksson Ek is there to collect.

Goal 3 (Jared Spurgeon)

I would've liked to see Bedard take away the pass from his guy and the defense to do a better job of clearing the net on this one.

That's it for now. No SITREP today. This will be it for Hawks-related stuff. Chicago visits the Pittsburgh Penguins tomorrow at 6 pm CT. Looking to have a SITREP with a preview inside tomorrow.

No morning skate lines to report today. You can read about yesterday's lines here, which features Frank Nazar, Connor Bedard, and Teuvo Teravainen in one line. Nick Lardis was sent to the Rockford IceHogs yesterday, I discuss the move below. There's also a game preview for tonight's game in Minnesota. You can find that at the bottom.

Nick Lardis sent to Rockford

The reason given for Nick Lardis' demotion is that, because the Blackhawks have a surplus of forwards, and now that everyone is healthy, Lardis had to be sent to Rockford. Through 21 games, Lardis averaged 12:39 minutes a night and will see more ice time in Rockford in an elevated role. Although, I'd argue that 12 minutes in the NHL is more valuable than what the AHL offers.

The Rockford IceHogs need help, and I'm sure Lardis will provide that for them. In his time with the Blackhawks, he averaged 13.27 shot attempts per 60 (at 5v5), 5.81 shots on goal per 60 (5v5), and a 5v5 52.15% Corsi—second best on the roster for players with over 10 games played.

Most encouraging was that Lardis was finding areas of the ice to score from. One of the concerns was translating his scoring from junior to pro. Five goals and two assists in 21 games isn't eye-dropping, but when you watch Lardis play, he isn't taking those chances from the perimeter.

While sending Lardis to Rockford ensures he gets icetime over the Olympic break, I'd much rather have him for the five games remaining. Landon Slaggert has looked better in the bottom-six, and I'd keep him there given the role. Lardis could have seen top-six minutes, allowing Slaggert to stay on the roster. So, who gets the boot in that situation? Why not Sam Lafferty?

Blackhawks @ Wild 7 pm CT

The Hawks travel up north to Minnesota to take on one of the best teams in the league. The Minnesota Wild are second in the Western Conference (29-14-10 record with 68 points) and are 4-4-2 in their last 10, having lost their last game in overtime to the Florida Panthers.

While the Wild's metrics aren't eye-popping (26th in Corsi and 17th in expected goals share), they've received excellent goaltending with a 5v5 team save percentage of .923 (third best in the league). Rookie Jesper Wallstedt has posted a .914 SV% through 21 games, and Filip Gustavsson has a .909 SV% through 33 games. Minnesota has one of the league's best forwards in Kirill Kaprisov (28 goals and 64 points) and one of the best defensemen in recently acquired Quinn Hughes (four goals, 48 points).

This one could go either way for the Hawks. If Spencer Knight is in net, he should be able to withstand the lack of firepower Minnesota provides (bottom half of the league in possession metrics). But the Hawks need to be careful with Quinn Hughes on the ice. He shouldn't have an issue creating space and swirling the Hawks' man-on-man defense.

Chicago's new look first line (Nazar-Bedard-Teuvo) will either produce much-needed offense or get stiffled along the boards. With the goaltending that Minnesota deploys, I'm not very confident that the Hawks are going to be able to get much going.

We're exploring this topic because I recently published our "Salaries" page. There, you can view the current Blackhawks salary cap situation based on the current roster. It's updated by me, so don't expect immediate updates after a roster move. But I'm hoping to make this place a one-stop shop for Hawks information.

Alright, let's start with what Kyle Davidson has already done.

Signed Players

Frank Nazar $6,599,991 x 4 years

Frank Nazar's first year of his new deal hasn't even started yet. So it's much too early to make bold declarations. That said, the signing in and of itself was a strong declaration. Kyle Davidson is gambling that Nazar is this franchise's 2C. Considering the annual average salary (AAV), it's a low-risk gamble. Also, this was the largest deal a player signed with the amount of games Nazar played (56—not even a full season).

Davidson is taking a swing, and if it's a miss, this deal won't hurt the cap. If Nazar hits, this is a steal that's setting up Nazar for a hell of a payday. Except, I haven't been impressed with Nazar this season. That 21-game goal drought is enough to have me concerned. Goal scorers in the NHL don't go cold like that. They go cold, sure, but not 20+ games cold.

Granted, Nazar was probably playing hurt (my speculation), eventually was hurt, and is playing his first full NHL season—one that's compressed by the Olympics.

Spencer Knight $5,833,333 x 3 years

Spencer Knight is in the last year of his current deal and signed his extension just before the season started. Knight has impressed and will more than likely get a fat raise. He's among the league leaders in goaltender metrics, and that's with a poopoo defense in front of him. Knight is eighth overall in goals saved above expected (12) and is 14th overall in save percentage (.914).

Alex Vlasic $4,600,000 x 5 years

Remember when people (myself included) praised this signing as the potential steal of the century? That was when Alex Vlasic posted some of the best defensive metrics in the league, you know, when Seth Jones was still a Blackhawk. Vlasic is still only 24 years old, and this deal so far is looking about on par. While Vlasic looks good, he's also somewhat stagnated. Remember, some were calling Vlasic a potential first-pairing defenseman when this team is playing meaningful hockey again. Some even compared him to Jaccob Slavin. I hate to say it, but this season (and the one before it) makes it look like he'll be a solid middle-pair defenseman. And that's okay.

Ryan Donato $4,000,000 x 4 years

There's not too much here worth exploring. If Donato is on this team when his deal ends in 2029, he'll be a fine fourth liner. The cap is expected to be over $110 mil by then.

Pending RFA's

Connor Bedard

Connor Bedard will get whatever deal he wants. About the only leverage Chicago has is that they own his rights. Now, does Connor sign long-term? Or does he sign a short-term deal, use unrestricted free agency as leverage in the future, and get the big bucks? Fans shouldn't be worried about the fact that there hasn't been a deal signed. It'll get done. But that doesn't mean we can't ask, "Why hasn't it happened yet?"

Colton Dach

Colton Dach will probably get a small, short-term deal. He's looked alright on the bottom-six. Not sure I see him staying here long term.

Pending UFA's

Nick Foligno, Ilya Mikheyev, Connor Murphy, Jason Dickinson, Matt Grzelcyk, and Sam Lafferty are all pending UFA's. Of the bunch, Mikheyev is someone the Hawks could resign for a couple of years. He's been solid on the PK and was one of the Hawks' best defensive forwards last season. This season? It's been a bit of a regression, but still. He's not someone I'd hate to see return.

Scott Powers identified Murphy, Dickinson, and Mikheyev as players other teams have shown interest in. I wouldn't hate to see the Hawks trade Foligno either. Let him go win something. Not sure what either Murphy or Dickinson could get you in return, and this isn't a trade deadline preview, but I wish Dickinson had been traded instead of signed a couple of years back. You know, when he was worth a little something.

Again, not much worth getting upset about. There are things Davidson has to be mindful of; not every young player is going to hit. Once Nick Lardis, Anton Frondell, Sam Rinzel, and Artyom Levshunov are out of ELCs, things could get a little tricky. That is, if all of those players are who the front office says they are.

I know, I know. I said I wasn't going to do these this week. But I can't help myself. There's some changes to the Blackhawks' lineup, and I want to talk about them.

And remember... SITREP stands for Situation Report.

Morning Skate

It appears I'll be getting what I wanted, and that's Teuvo Teravainen playing with Connor Bedard on the first line. Unfortunately, before Teuvo was hurt, he didn't look all that good.

The Blackhawks have had a 47.12% Corsi and a 39.07% expected goals share at 5v5 when Teuvo is on the ice. Not great, but there isn't a Hawk above 50% in expected goals share. Teuvo is a pass-first winger who has heavily leaned pass-first this season. In fact, he's bottom five on this roster in shots per 60 at 5v5. But, Connor Bedard NEEDS someone to get him the puck. And I think Teuvo is that guy.

Curiously, Frank Nazar is also on Bedard's wing. We'll see if that stays for Tuesday night's game, but I'm for it. For now. I'd prefer Nazar to be the 2C, but we need to get Bedard going. My only concern is what if Nazar isn't the Hawks 2C of the future? That's what Kyle Davidson was betting on when he signed that extension of his (with not a full season under Nazar's belt).

Andre Burakovsky seems to have been bumped down to the third line. After his recent performance (or lack thereof), this is a welcome change. Burakovsky had a negative impact on three goals in yesterday's game. He's overstayed his welcome on Bedard's line.

Of course, with the return of Teuvo, it seems that someone is going to be sent down to Rockford. And from reading the tea leaves, that someone might be Nick Lardis. There might be an announcement later today (which I'll have thoughts on tomorrow), but I'm not for Lardis getting a demotion. Send Lafferty. But I'll hold my thoughts until an actual move is made.

No NHL news today. Didn't plan on typing this thing up, and I want to get it sent out. I'll be back tomorrow.

The Chicago Blackhawks' offense continued to produce zilch as the Florida Panthers collected their second win in as many nights. This has been a problem for the Blackhawks ever since the calendar turned to 2026. Even though the Hawks earned points in three of their last four games, when they lose, they lose hard.

Same format as the last one. My thoughts on the game, followed by a breakdown of each goal.

The Game

The Florida Panthers' defense prevented the Blackhawks from getting to the middle of the ice. The heat map below shows how Chicago was pushed outside of the slot for most of their 5v5 shot attempts. In fact, the only goal the Hawks scored was because Wyatt Kaiser held the blue line and forced a turnover with the Panthers defense scrambling to get back in their zone. Tyler Bertuzzi had all the space in the world to score.

I was surprised to see that the Blackhawks were actually above 50% in expected goals share in the second and third periods (5v5). That's probably due to the Panthers not generating many chances themselves unless they had to. The two scoring lines didn't look good, and head coach Jeff Blashill juggled Connor Bedard around a bit too much.

Bedard spent most of his time with Oliver Moore and Andre Burakovsky (5:46 of 5v5 time). They generated a 33.33% Corsi and a 23.76 xG%. Bedard also saw a shift with Ryan Greene, Nick Lardis, and I saw him with Frank Nazar. At 5v5, Bedard generated three shots on goal and two shot attempts (better than his quiet game against the Tampa Bay Lightning).

Ever since Bedard returned from injury, he hasn't looked the same. It's not that he looks like a ghost of himself, but where's that bite he had to his game earlier in the season? He can't do it all himself, and I'm looking at his line mates. Like Andre Burakovsky, whose lack of awareness (in both ends of the ice) should get him bumped off Bedard's line.

Frank Nazar's line, with Nick Lardis and Ryan Greene, generated a 33.33% Corsi and a 54.75 xG%. Nazar had two shots on goal, two shot attempts, and one scoring chance at 5v5. Oliver Moore's impact in the top six was 10.14 xG%. I say let's keep Moore and Lardis together and bring Nazar up with Bedard. Bedard needs the help. Nazar is a much more proven top-six player than Moore. And I get that Blashill wants to spread the talent where he can, but maybe Nazar playing 1C with Bedard on his wing won't be such a bad idea.

The only issue is who is going to get these guys the puck?

While figuring out who to play on the top line is a reason for the Hawks' lack of offense, there are some tactical issues as well. The Blackhawks' forecheck in the OZ doesn't help, their shot selection has been woeful (despite their expected goals share being plus 50% some of the time), and the power play has been ineffective. There's a lot more to dig into, but this recap is already well past its bedtime.

The Goals

Panthers 1 - Blackhawks 0: Tobias Bjornfoot (assisted by Cole Schwindt)

Tobias Bjornfoot had one career goal in 139 NHL games before tonight. He added two more to that tally. No one was watching the back door after the Panthers won the draw. I get Connor Bedard cheats up, but someone has to prevent a player from doing that.

Panthers 1 - Blackhawks 1: Tyler Bertuzzi (assisted by Ilya Mikheyev and Wyatt Kaiser)

I talked about this one above, and Kaiser deserves the praise for standing up the blue line as he did. Jason Dickinson was there to support him should Kaiser's pinch fail. It didn't, and it caught Florida off guard.

Panthers 2 - Blackhawks 1: Mackie Samoskevich (assisted by Gustav Forsling)

Spencer Knight let this one trickle past the goal line after he couldn't hold Mackie Samoskevich's shot. The Hawks gave Samoskevich the space to get open for the wrist shot. Artyom Levshunov made a poor outlet pass, which turned the puck over to Florida. Andre Burakovsky arguably was more at fault than Levshunov, as he wasn't paying attention. Gustav Forsling (FLA42) rimmed the puck around to Samoskevich (FLA11), and the Hawks were swirled in their zone like little meatballs.

Panthers 3 - Blackhawks 1: Carter Verhaeghe (assisted by Evan Rodrigues and Gustav Forsling)

Even though Florida was outnumbered 4v3, Evan Rodrigues delayed at the dot and found Carter Verhaeghe, who scored from the slot. Burakovsky getting pulled out of position so easily didn't help.

Panthers 4 - Blackhawks 1: Sam Reinhart (assisted by Evan Rodrigues and Eetu Luostarinen)

Empty net.

Panthers 5 - Blackhawks 1: Tobias Bjornfoot (assisted by Carter Verhaeghe and Anton Lundell)

I feel like we've seen this a lot. The game is about done, and the Hawks are down bad. Somehow, they let the opposition score. I get that the Hawks media has been preaching the resilience of this young team. But shouldn't this be a little... I don't know, annoying?

Hawks play Tuesday night in Minnesota at 7 pm CT.

Yes sir (or ma'am), you're getting the elusive weekend post. I'm dealing with some jet lag and woke up much earlier than my wife appreciates. So, I'm taking to the pen on this fine morning to talk some Blackhawks hockey.

Additionally—and this is where you can skip ahead to the recap while I talk shop—I'm looking to move back to more of these in-depth recaps. I'll be going away from SITREPs for now and focus on analysis. More updates to come on Monday as I get this site in shape.

One last note. I earmarked some plays I wanted to clip. Unfortunately, ESPN+ won't let you screengrab. So until I find a workaround, this is what I have.

The Game

The analytics heavily favored the Tampa Bay Lightning in this one. The Blackhawks had a 34.09% Corsi and a 26.27% expected goals share at 5v5. However, props to the Blackhawks for limiting scoring from the Bolts on the back-end of a back-to-back. The fact that the Hawks grabbed a point after taking another elite team to the shootout (the Hurricanes the night before) says something. Arvid Soderblom deserves a shoutout for his goaltending as well. Soderblom stopped 30 of 31 for a .968 SV%.

Tampa Bay is one of the hottest teams in the NHL right now. Prior to their game against Chicago, they were on a 14-game point streak. And they're without Brayden Point and Victor Hedman. Even then, all they had to do against Chicago was limit Connor Bedard, get pucks in deep, and pull Chicago defenders out of position.

Bedard had a disappointing night with zero shots on goal and one shot attempt. Sure, the Lightning had an easy time defending Bedard by rolling out Yanni' Gourde's line. But I observed Bedard forcing passes and trying to make plays with linemates who just aren't talented enough to finish. Bedard has shown that he is willing to be more selfish earlier in the season, but that wasn't the case last night. Again, Tampa's defense is worth mentioning.

Tampa Bay had an easy time picking apart the Hawks' defense. Pucks got deep in the Hawks' zone, and their defenders struggled to make clean exits. Artyom Levshunov, in particular, had a bad shift in the second period. He whiffed on a breakout attempt and passed the puck straight to the opposition, which prolonged Tampa's OZ time. It was easy for the Lightning to outcycle the Hawks and work the puck to the weakside, often with a pinching defenseman to shrink the zone.

Again, good on Soderblom for surviving Tampa's onslaught.

The Goals

Blackhawks 1 - Lightning 0: Ryan Greene (Assisted by Nick Lardis and Oliver Moore)

The opening goal of the game followed the Hawks' second attempt on the powerplay. Nick Lardis pulled two Bolts defenders with him as Ryan Greene skated to the net. Greene has been finding great areas in the OZ, but has struggled to finish. This was an opportunity he really couldn't have messed up.

Blackhawks 1 - Lightning 1: Nikita Kucherov (Assisted by Brandon Hagel and Anthony Cirelli)

It's hard to see what the weakside forward is doing, but in a hybrid man-on-man, they're supposed to be covering the high-slot. The Blackhawks have done this. But no one is covering the slot, which forces Louis Crevier to get sucked into Brandon Hagel and open space for Nikita Kucherov.

Former Blackhawks prospect Dominic James would win the shootout, sending the Blackhawks off to the night with one point.

Extra Observations

• Frank Nazar had a couple of good looks, and his speed was noticeable. Nazar had three shots on goal and six shot attempts.

• The Blackhawks' penalty kill deserves mention. They survived all three kills and weathered eight scoring chances.

• Let's give Nick Lardis and Bedard a look. Lardis was one of three Hawks who had an expected goals share over 50% (51.62%).

• The ESPN broadcast was brutal. I don't need to hear someone fumble their way through the Laurent Broissoit trade to explain goalie depth for the Hawks. That doesn't even make sense.

The Hawks take on a struggling Florida Panthers team tomorrow at 6 pm CT. Should have a recap for that out on Monday.

We'll talk about the Blackhawks 2-0 win over the Winnipeg Jets today. I was able to catch the replay. Woke up to some loud waves and wasn't able to go back to sleep (still on vacation... sorry to those freezing in Chicago).

Jonathan Toews returned to the United Center and received his standing ovation. Below is his tribute video and his reaction. There's a lot I want to say about Toews, but we have a recap to get to.

That was my highlight of the game because the Blackhawks' offense lacked a lot of punch in this one. A very winnable game against a bad Jets team. At 5v5, the Hawks' expected goals share was 34.9%. The lone even-strength goal of the game came from Jason Dickinson. Connor Bedard scored the empty-netter at the end of the game.

The Jets owned over 60% of 5v5 scoring chances and were above 50% in 5v5 Corsi in each period. Winnipeg's top line with Alex Iafallo, Mark Scheifele, and Kyle Connor was limited to only a 51.56% Corsi. Thanks to being matched up against Jason Dickinson's line who played a decent shutdown game. Jonathan Toews line with Cole Perfetti and Gabriel Vilardi recorded a 73.91% Corsi. They were matched up against Bedard's line.

What I didn't like about this one is how the Hawks played with a 1-0 lead in the third period. The Hawks conceded the blueline without any aggressive defensive zone entry defense. Sam Fels articulates this better than I can, so I'll direct you there.

The Hawks didn't totally shell up and shrink to the slot, they still played with a pretty open man-on-man defense. But once the halfway mark hit in the third period, there was a very noticeable shift in zone entry defense. On one hand, they almost need to play like this to secure a victory. They lack offensive talent where they can't dominate in the OZ—although I'd argue this is a game where they were able to do that, but didn't.

When the Hawks bring in more offensive talent, I'm sure Blashill will have them play a bit more aggressively. The young kids who are on the roster are still developing and aren't going to be top-six offensive players anyway. Right now, it's just Bedard. Frank Nazar will have a lot to prove again once he's back (that 21-game goal drought is still a concern). The other prospects in the pipeline being touted as possible wingmates for Bedard (Anton Frondell and Roman Kantserov) are still unknowns.

For now, I guess all we can do is wait.

Normally, I'd wait until the afternoon to post this, just in case there's some news following morning skate. However, since I'm on vacation, I'm throwing this out there in the morning.

Obligatory moment of silence for the Bears' season coming to an end yesterday. What an incredible year.

The only Blackhawks news from the weekend was confirmation that Frank Nazar and Tuevo Teravainen will be out for tonight's game. Nazar is making a faster recovery than expected, and I think I've seen some of the beat writters say that it's possible for him to return before the Olympics.

The Hawks need Nazar. A fully healthy Nazar. I'm not convinced that Nazar was 100% before a puck broke his jaw. But that that 21 game drought of no goals made me nervous. That's something goal scorers don't really experience.

I typed up a recap while flying at midnight over the weekend. Take that for what it's worth.

Game Recap: Bruins 5 - Blackhawks 2

As I'm typing this, I'm in the air, and I'm using this as an excuse to warm up for my other writing (I'm writing a book!). Why am I prefacing with that? Well, I don't know if I'll drop this on Monday. I'm about to hit the beaches. And this game was another flat affair that hardly deserves attention. But I spent time watching this effort in an airport. So, I'm writing about it, damn it!

The biggest thing that jumped out to me wasn't Artyom Levshunov having another rough night. He made a horribly timed pinch (with some sorry support from Connor Bedard), was brutal in his zone on the breakouts (passing to no one), and other poor decision making on his part. Those are all worth mentioning. But this team can't score. Their offense has dried up. The Hawks finished the game with a whimpy 38.47% expected goals share (5v5).

At its core, this is a roster construction issue. The young kids have hit a wall (as they will when it's about the middle of their first NHL season), and there's no supporting cast. Tyler Bertuzzi, who I've praised this season, isn't doing much with Jason Dickinson and Ilya Mikheyev. This team can't get the puck with a lone forechecker.

There really isn't a solution to this other than trying different line combinations and asking more from the players. Maybe a Nazar return gets the kids going?

Oliver Moore and Nick Lardis looked good in this one, although they didn't produce. Maybe place them in an actual top-line role with Bertuzzi? Even on a line with Bedard? Let's leave Dickinson's checking line to that of an actual third line.

Not too much to dig into this one, although it's raising some mild concerns.

Preview: Blackhawks vs. Jets

The Hawks host the Winnipeg Jets tonight at 7:30 pm CT, which means this will be Jonathan Toews' first visit to the United Center as an opponent. For Toews, it's a season that's gone about as expected. He's posted seven goals and 18 points in 47 games this season. But the Jets as a whole have struggled.

Winners of the Presidents' Trophy last season, the Jets find themselves at the bottom of the standings. With a 19-22-6 record, Winnipeg is in 31st place—just one below the Hawks.

Like I said about the last two games, this is a very winnable game for the Hawks. And they need it. They're now on a three-game losing streak and have scored two goals or fewer in three of their last four. I should note that these are obviously division rivals, but I'm not sure anyone thinks the Hawks are going to make a case for the playoffs again. Although it's still possible.

We'll see if I end up catching this one, if I do, there will be a recap out tomorrow.

Look, this isn't a game worth analysing in depth. The Blackhawks entered the night as the better team with superior special teams. But they failed to score on their four powerplay attempts (while generating two shots on goal) and failed to close a 2-1 deficit. This was a game that should have been worth analysing, but it isn't.

The Blackhawks looked disjointed, despite starting okay. In the first period, they had a 52.38% Corsi and an 86.26% expected goals share. In the third period, the Hawks' expected goals share at 5v5 was a meager 26.81%. They were disconnected and lacked urgency even to tie the game.

I could excuse the Hawks for dealing with the flu. But that can't be an excuse now, can it? In their last four games, they've lost three. In those three losses, the Hawks only scored one goal. It's not like the Hawks were going up against the Oilers. This was a very beatable Calgary Flames team.

There's not a whole lot to dissect in this one other than: horrible effort.

But that power play deserves mention. The Hawks have struggled in the past with power play entries. Usually, it was Artyom Levshunov not doing a great job of initiating the double late entry. Last night, the forwards struggled to enter the OZ. Andre Burakovsky's turnover that led to Calgary's shorthanded goal is an example.

It wasn't just the entries; when the Hawks entered the zone, they struggled with getting set up. In their four powerplays, the Blackhakws generated one shot on goal and faced two against. That's not good.

I'll go more into details in the newsletter with the way ahead, but next week expect limited (if any) posts from me. I will be out of town and roasting in the sun. Thanks for a solid first week of the website. Definitely some things I'd like to tweak with content and spruce up some things on the social media side. This has been a good "test week." Thanks to those who've subscribed, and if you haven't, feel free to sign up below (it's free!).

A blog about the Chicago Blackhawks.

Cooked up a game preview for tonight as the Hawks host the Calgary Flames. No news from morning skate. Lineup remained the same as yesterday. Just a couple of NHL news pieces at the bottom.

Morning Skate

Same lineup as yesterday. You can read my thoughts on the potential Greene-Bedard connection here. Spencer Knight will start tonight.

I was listening to the DFO Rundown Insider Edition this morning, and it appears that Connor Murphy is a possible player to be traded by the deadline. Ilya Mikheyev is also a likely candidate, but it's very possible that the Hawks resign him.

I do have thoughts on this and may save them for an article. So stay tuned and check out the preview below.

Blackhawks vs. Flames 7:30 pm CT

The Chicago Blackhawks host the Calgary Flames tonight at 7:30 pm CT. The Hawks are 6-3-1 in their last 10 games, coming off a 4-1 loss to the Edmonton Oilers. They sit four points out of a wild-card spot. The Flames, on the other hand, are 4-6-0 in their last 10 games in a season that is spelling the start of a rebuild. Despite their struggles this season, they sit three points behind the Blackhawks in the West and are seventh in the Pacific Division.

For as bad as the Flames have been this season, their 5v5 analytics aren't horrible. Their expected goals share places them in the middle of the league (17th), and they rank 11th in Corsi. Their problem is finishing. The Flames have an expected goals rate of 2.64/60 but an actual goals rate of 2.14/60. That's in large part due to a horrendous team shooting percentage of 7.30%—31st in the league.

It's not pretty on the backend. The Flames sit at 19th in 5v5 team save percentage (.901), and goaltender Dustin Wolf has a -3.4 goals saved above expected, which ranks 63rd. The good news is that backup Devin Cooly has looked good in his 14 games played. Cooly boasts a 10.6 goals saved above expeected which ranks ninth overall, according to Money Puck's data.

This is a team the Hawks should beat. Chicago has the upper hand on special teams with a penalty kill that ranks second in the league, up against the Flames powerplay that ranks 30th. The Hawks' powerplay ranks seventh, while Calgary's PK ranks ninth. More importantly—and knock on wood—Connor Bedard will be back.

Bedard makes the Blackhawks a better team.

NHL News

• The New York Rangers lost at home (again) 8-4 against the Ottawa Senators. The Rangers were booed off the ice after the first period (a 4-0 lead for Ottawa).

• Brayden Point is week-to-week for Tampa with an undisclosed injury.

• Neal Pionk is now one of three Winnipeg Jets defensemen who are listed week-to-week.

Newsletter will be out later today to those who subscribe.

A blog about the Chicago Blackhawks.

It's Wednesday. And I'm here with some Blackhawks updates. Just a couple of news items from morning skate, followed by some thoughts on Ryan Greene. At the bottom is some NHL news with some thoughts about the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Morning Skate Updates

• According to Ben Pope, Connor Bedard was on the ice this morning. Tuevo Teravainen was not and will miss tomorrow's game. Teuvo missed the last two periods during the Hawks' loss to the Oilers.

• Charlie Roumeliotis reported that Sam Lafferty (who hasn't played since Dec. 28) missed practice because he got the flu.

Since there's no game tonight, the lineup could change. Jeff Blashill isn't known to bust out the line blender anyway. My speculation about Connor Bedard centering Ryan Greene remains since we didn't get to see that last game.

Greene has impressed me this season. I didn't expect him to start the season with the Hawks. But he held down the 1C spot in Bedard's absence. Greene has a knack for finding scoring areas, but hasn't found his finish (five goals in 46 games). His individual expected goals rate per 60 is only .69 and Greene has an 8.06 shooting percentage (all situations).

While I'm sure Bedard will help Greene score goals (hello Philipp Kurashev), I'm more interested in Greene finding Bedard. We'll see how this goes.

NHL News

The Tampa Bay Lightning tied their franchise winning streak at 11 games following a 2-1 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins last night. The Bolts sit on top of the East with 61 points. Head coach Jon Cooper grabbed his 601st win and is the 25th head coach in NHL history to reach the 600-win mark.

Sure, two points separate them from fourth place in the East (Montreal has 59 points). And yeah, we'll have to wait for the postseason to see how far Tampa can go. But every season, the Lightning prove that you can't count them out. That's what you get with excellent roster construction and a phenomenal head coach. Every offseason (after they're eliminated in the playoffs), talk turns to their depleted prospect pool and how it might be time to start a rebuild.

General Manager Julien BriseBois will probably tell you that rebuilds are for the birds.

• Don't look now, but the Boston Bruins are somehow on another heater. A four-game win streak, 6-3-1 in their last 10, and a wild card spot (in a crowded race).

• Head coach Rick Bowness grabbed his first win in his debut with the Columbus Blue Jackets. 5-3 over the Calgary Flames.

• Connor McDavid extended his point streak to 20 games (a career best). But don't worry, their goaltending took a dump in a 4-3 OT loss to the Nashville Predators.

Subscribers will get today's newsletter in their inbox. Don't know if there's going to be anything else to add.

A blog about the Chicago Blackhawks.

Like the new logo? We're cleaning up our act around here. But you can read about our updates at the bottom of this thing. Let's talk some hockey.

The Chicago Blackhawks didn't hold practice today, according to Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times. There's no update on Teuvo Teravainen. But he's someone I want to talk about.

If you're not sure how to read that, let me help. The blue lines going to the right indicate above average. The orange indicates below average. The "middle" is 0, or average across the NHL. Teuvo has a lot of below-average marks according to All Three Zones data.

Teuvo has spent most of his time in Chicago playing in the middle six. That hasn't changed with Jeff Blashill. A pass-first winger, I lamented loudly that Teuvo needs to play with Bedard. That was last season.

He does have a roster spot on Team Finland for the Olympics, which means that he could be saving his real effort for something more meaningful. But I'm not really buying that. Maybe he's been dealing with an injury, and last night's loss to Edmonton aggravated it.

All I'm saying is, I want to be whining about how he's not playing with Bedard. He hasn't really given me cause to do so.

NHL News

With the Blackhawks news front quiet, let's take a quick look around the league.

• Dean Evason was fired as head coach of the Columbus Blue Jackets. Rick Bowness replaced him. The Blue Jackets are last in the East with a 19-19-7 record and are 5-4-1 in their last 10 games. Despite being last, the firing comes as a surprise. I don't think there were any rumors regarding this.

• Brayden Point did not return after appearing to hurt his leg in Tampa Bay's 5-1 win over the Florida Panthers on Monday. There's no update on Point, but if he is injured, this could open a spot for Connor Bedard to play on Team Canada.

• For those into prospects, Gavin McKenna is still the consensus No. 1 according to the scouts' midterm rankings.

• Patrick Kane is four points away from passing Mike Modano as the top-scoring USA-born player.

Website Updates

New logo is done. It's simple. Nothing special.

• Right now, we're just making sure the newsletter is up to speed. If you noticed, we have an official domain now (fromthepoint.cc).

• Check out our Instagram. I'm figuring out how I want posts to be there. It's a fine line between making it a "grind" and making it fun.

• I created a new page on the website, which you can see here. There's a list of websites, blogs, and podcasts that I frequent to quench my thirst for knowledge.

That's all for today. Those who receive the newsletter will get it by the end of the day. Thanks for being here.

Moments before puck drop, the Blackhawks announced that Connor Bedard was going to sit this one out due to the flu. Going up against Connor McDavid and his Edmonton Oilers was a tall task beforehand; after Bedard's scratch, it wasn't any better.

Game Summary

Overall, a disjointed affair from the Hawks. From defensive gaps to losing puck battles and poor neutral zone play, the Hawks didn't look good out there. The younger players looked decent, a lot better than most of the veterans out there. Tyler Bertuzzi scored the lone Hawk goal with Wyatt Kaiser grabbing the assist. Spencer Knight had a .917 SV%, stopping 33 of 36. With a couple of hairy moments sprinkled in their two power-play attempts, the Hawks looked good on the man-advantage.

I'll note that the Hawks kept the game 2-1 for most of the night. Although that can be attributed to the Oilers clutching on to a lead. It took an empty net goal late in the third to put the Oilers up 3-1 and a bad Leon Draisaitl goal to make it 4-1 with less than a minute remaining.

Observations

Defenseman Evan Bouchard had his way with the Blackhawks man-on-man defense. He found lanes and skated through the Hawks' holes. The Oilers' first goal is an example of this. Bouchard drew two Hawks defenders and found a backdoor Zach Hyman, who had zero issues battling with Alex Vlasic.

Spencer Knight made incredible saves, as expected, but he can't be the sole reason why this team wins. In the above example, I would have liked Vlasic to defend harder against Hyman. Something Jeff Blashill has noted in the recent past about both Vlasic and Louis Crevier.

I will give props to Jason Dickinson, who was matched against McDavid's line. Dickinson gave the Blackhawks a 5v5 Corsi of 63.64% and a 59.56 xG%.

As pointed out in yesterday's preview, the Hawks simply don't generate enough offense without Connor Bedard. The Hawks' expected goals share at 5v5 was 40.05%. But Artyom Levshunov's offensive play was noticeable again. His analytics aren't great (both Corsi and xG% are sub-50%), but I liked what I observed in the offensive zone (passing, driving, and keeping the puck in).

Anything Else?

• Teuvo Teravainen missed the last two periods of the game due to an upper-body injury.

• Love the Green Bay sucks chants.

We'll be back with a SITREP today if there's anything worth sharing or discussing. The Hawks take on the Calgary Flames next on Thursday.

Oh, and if you noticed, on the home page, I added a sidebar with links to some Hawks-related sites. I’m not a fan of the customization here at micro.blog, which is making a migration over to Ghost a possibility sooner rather than later. So, bear with the old school look of this place for now (I personally kinda dig it).

Morning Skate Updates

Blackhawks lines via Ben Pope.

Greene-Bedard-Burakovsky
Bertuzzi-Dickinson-Mikheyev
Teravainen-Moore-Lardis
Donato-Foligno-Slaggert

Vlasic-Crevier
Kaiser-Levshunov
Grzelcyk-Murphy

Knight
Soderblom

Spencer Knight was in the starter’s crease, according to Mark Lazerus of The Athletic. I share some thoughts on Bedard’s line below. Depending on how Bedard and Greene looks I’d like to see Bedard with Lardis a little more. Me whining about Levshunov not playing with Vlasic is my new Teuvo not playing with Bedard.

Blackhawks vs. Oilers - 7:30 pm CT

I thought about doing full-blown previews like I’ve done at other places… but sometimes, I don’t want to preview every single game in depth. Once I start that precedence, it’s hard to take it back. So, you’ll get them here for now, stapled to the bottom of our daily updates. Some of these might go long, others may go short. Who knows!

The Edmonton Oilers are 5-4-1 in their last 10 games, with their last game being a 4-3 shootout loss against their rival, the Los Angeles Kings. Connor McDavid has an incredible 78 points in 45 games. He’s on pace for 142 points. Insanity. Leon Draisaitl has 63 points in 45, and defenseman Evan Bouchard has 43 points in 45.

Goaltender Tristan Jarry is now day-to-day, having been on injured reserve since Jan. 6. Defenseman Jake Walman is day-to-day and has been on long-term injured reserve since Dec. 11. Forward Adam Henrique is listed month-to-month since his injury on Jan. 7.

The last time these two played each other was on Nov. 1, a 3-2 overtime loss for the visiting Hawks, who are now 6-3-1 in their last 10 games. The Hawks could take advantage of the Oilers' atrocious team save percentage, which sits at 30th in the league at .887 at 5v5. It just depends on who’s in net. Edmonton’s expected goals against rate is the 13th best in the league, which tells me that their defense isn’t horrible. But it isn’t great either.

Bedard centering Ryan Greene and Andre Burakovsky will be interesting. Without Bedard, the Blackhawks' offense was pretty grim. So this is the line that’s going to have to get it done. Does Dickinson’s line take on McDavid and allow Bedard to run rampant? Blashill has last change tonight, since the Hawks are home, something to keep an eye on. In the span without Bedard, the Hawks ranked 27th in expected goals for per 60 and 17th in Corsi.

With Ryan Greene displaying impressive hockey IQ and finding scoring areas, it will be interesting to see how Bedard and Greene play together. With Bedard not taking face-offs for the foreseeable future (according to Jeff Blashill), we can expect Greene to take the dot.

Here’s our first go at this. Every Monday, I’ll wrap up the weekend’s happenings in one fat post. News and game recaps (although abbreviated). If you need a refresher on any fancy stats, read up on this primer.

News is up first.

Korchinski, Commesso, and Berezhnoy

Both Kevin Korchinski and Drew Commesso were recalled from the Rockford IceHogs ahead of Friday’s game against the Washington Capitals. Stanislav Berezhnoy was called up on Saturday. All three were called up due to a flu that’s hit the Hawks' roster hard. Both goaltenders, Spencer Knight and Arvid Soderblom, were out, which necessitated Commesso’s and Berezhnoy’s call-up. All three players were sent back to Rockford on Sunday.

I’ll talk more about Commesso below, but Korchinski… man. I’m not so sure about him anymore. I was never a fan of his spending so much time in Rockford. Despite his defensive shortcomings, I believed that his skating ability put him above most NHLers. In his two games this weekend, I didn’t like what I saw. It makes me worry if Korchinski is picking up bad habits from being in Rockford. His numbers weren’t great over the weekend. Against Washington, Korchinski had a 23.53% Corsi and a horrendous 19.03% expected goals share (xG%). In the game against Nashville, Korchinski had a 36% Corsi and a 21.73 xG% (all stats at 5v5).

Of course, there’s a lot to unpack in that paragraph. I’m starting to think that if Davidson doesn’t see Korchinski in this team’s future (and he needs to hit if he does), he should be traded. But is that even feasible?

Connor Bedard Returns from Injured Reserve

After missing 12 games, Connor Bedard returned to the lineup for Friday’s game. He scored two points on Saturday’s 3-0 victory over the Nashville Predators. Head coach Jeff Blashill said to expect Bedard not to take face-offs for some time.

Game Recaps

vs. Washington Capitals (5-1 L)

This was Connor Bedard’s first game back and Drew Commesso’s first game since Dec. 14, 2024. While he’s been posting solid numbers in Rockford (.909 SV% in 19 games), this wasn’t a good look for him. There were two specific goals that he could have done more to stop. On his defense, well… the Hawks didn’t really play with any. The team as a whole didn’t look great.

@ Nashville Predators (3-0 W)

Because both of the Hawks' main goaltenders were still out, Berezhnoy was called up to back up Commesso for a back-to-back start. Berezhnoy is incredibly underqualified to play in the NHL (he only has one KHL game and went undrafted), so Commesso had a shot at redemption. He didn’t just save all 36 Predator shots for a shutout; he made spectacular saves, too. Certainly a great look at his athleticism. Whether he’ll have a future in Chicago is still to be told.

Connor Bedard’s two assists were phenomenal. Of note was his pass to Nick Lardis (who has three points in his last three games). We’ll see if Lardis can make a case to the front office that he’s in the NHL for good (I think he is) and if he can translate that incredible scoring ability from juniors, too. A fully-realized Lardis with Bedard will be a deadly combination. But I might be drinking too much of that Davidson flavroed kool-aid.

Oh, and props to Korchinski on that pinch to keep the puck in for that Lardis goal.

Week Ahead

Hawks have three games this week:

• Mon: vs. Edmonton Oilers (7:30 pm CT)

• Thurs: vs. Calgary Flames (7:30 pm CT)

• Sat: vs. Boston Bruins (7:00 pm CT)

I’ll see if I can squeeze in a preview for tonight’s game (don’t count on it).

Site Updates

I’ll be missing some time next week as I’ll be traveling. Expect there to be some goodies updated in the sidebar. Going to throw in some links to other Hawks-related websites/blogs/newsletters that I regularly read. I’m setting up the infrastructure for this thing. I’m up on BlueSky, Mastadon, Threads, and Instagram. We’ll get momentum going before I think about a move to Ghost. For now, this is home. Although a temporary one.