3 Takeaways From the Blackhawks’ 5-3 Win Over the Penguins

The Chicago Blackhawks have been reeling, even if losing to the defending Stanley Cup champion is not necessarily unexpected. With a tough week ahead of them, the Blackhawks needed to have a good showing at home on Tuesday night against the Pittsburgh Penguins.

With superstar Connor Bedard returning, the Blackhawks had one of their best efforts of the season. In a back-and-forth affair, the Blackhawks got the job done and left the home crowd feeling good after a 5-3 victory over the Penguins.

O’ Captain, My Captain

The biggest storyline out of this game is the return of Bedard. He had an unfortunate shoulder injury while training, pushing back his season debut. The Blackhawks are missing the world when he isn’t in the lineup, so simply having him back is a huge boost.

He didn’t waste time being productive, setting up Roman Kantserov on the power play for the first of two goals on the night for the young Russian. Bedard stepped right back into the lineup and logged 21 minutes of strong ice time.

Bedard is a game changer and instantly makes the Blackhawks significantly better. They may not be one of the best teams in the league, but the Blackhawks will be a lot tougher to handle with one of the game’s premier young centers in the lineup.

Defensive Lapses Sneed to Be Cleaned Up

If there is one thing you could really complain about from this game, it is the defensive lapses that led directly to goals. Multiple times, the Penguins had odd man rushes and Spencer Knight couldn’t really do much about it.

Part of that has to do with how young this team is; lapses come from inexperience and the Blackhawks are rife with that. They also like to freewheel a bit, and that has both its dividends and downsides.

This was one of the better defensive efforts they have put in so far this season, and cleaning up the egregious mistakes feels manageable. A number of the young Blackhawks had a strong game overall, so it is tough to really complain.

The Kids Are Alright

The Blackhawks are one of the youngest teams in the league, and they are leaning heavily on a young core of talented players. While there are going to be ups and downs, this was one of the strongest games from their young core so far this season.

Bedard returned with an assist. Kantserov had a pair of goals. Anton Frondell had a pair of assists. Artyom Levshunov had a nifty assist on Kantserov’s second goal. Everyone did something noticeable and helped the Blackhawks get a big win.

This is one of those games where it feels like the entire core is progressing together. Frank Nazar will be back next game after serving a two-game suspension for his hit on the Islanders’ Bo Horvat. The kids are buzzing and should be fun to watch this season.

Critical Win With Bedard Back

The Blackhawks, with just one win in their first six games, desperately needed this game. They have five more games left in this home stand – Winnipeg Jets, Dallas Stars, Montreal Canadiens, Florida Panthers, and Los Angeles Kings – and the Blackhawks have a chance to get some momentum going.

Playing in front of an electric crowd, the Blackhawks feel like they have a little energy for the first time this season. With Bedard and Nazar back, they got a lot better on paper. If they can mitigate some of the bigger mistakes and make life a little easier on Knight, they should be in more games than they aren’t.