Head coach Luke Richardson has been a rather composed coach in his tenure with the Chicago Blackhawks. Now in his second full season in Chicago, the former NHL defenseman has always been direct, firm and consistent with his approach. He’s demanded respect and accountability from his players, but he does it by way of calm and detailed instruction. Never does he rant and rave.
But apparently that changed last Saturday night (March 23) when the Blackhawks had yet another slow start, and were down 2-0 after the first period to the 32nd place San Jose Sharks. Sometimes it takes different approaches at different times. Let’s look at how Richardson seems to already know how to push the right buttons with this team.
Richardson’s Rant
The Blackhawks had one of their worst starts of the season in their most recent tilt against the Sharks. They were slow, undisciplined and out of sorts, and the Sharks were dominating play. The Blackhawks gave up two goals in the first period, and the bleeding didn’t stop there. The Sharks scored two more quick tallies at the beginning of the second to make it 4-0. But the Hawks hadn’t forgotten what transpired in the locker room at the break. Ryan Donato, who eventually got things rolling with the first goal for the Blackhawks, said it wasn’t a pretty scene.
Ryan Donato said Luke Richardson gave a rant that was "a little scary" after the awful start.
— Ben Pope (@BenPopeCST) March 24, 2024
"Luke is a very kind guy. When he needs to be, he can definitely get us going in the right direction."
I’m sure this rant was unexpected, because it’s so out of character for the 55-year-old bench boss. He doesn’t believe in losing his temper to get through to the guys. As a matter of fact, if someone is constantly screaming and yelling the message tends to get tuned out. But when said person does fly off the handle, people pay more attention. As Richardson told the media after the game, “I like to keep calm because [that usually gets] the message across, but tonight was a circumstance where they needed a little less calm.”
Sure enough, the players turned it around with five unanswered goals and a feel-good, 5-4 OT come-back win. It was one of those games where the Blackhawks really dug deep to turn things around. It was the kind of game that could define the season down the stretch, and into next season.
Related – Chicago Blackhawks’ Comeback Win Means More Than 2 Points
This coaching staff is trying to develop young players and build the right culture, and usually that can be handled with positive feedback and honest instruction. But not always. Sometimes it takes “a little less calm”.
Blackhawks Endure a Bag Skate
So everything is roses and unicorns after a big win, right?!
Not so fast. After a full practice on Monday, Richardson put the team through a bag skate. He wanted to send a message that he still wasn’t happy with the way they started out that game against the Sharks, or the 4-0 loss to the Anaheim Ducks (currently 30th in the league) the Thursday before.
In other words, even if the team is out of the playoffs, that doesn’t mean they can throw in the towel. There’s still work to be done and progress to be made in the remaining games of the season.
Luke Richardson on today's bag skate: "I know we skipped out of the game luckily on top…but we weren't happy with our performance in two games. That's just not professional enough for me. You have to do it every day. Sometimes that's the way the game is played: up and down the… https://t.co/4gRDQqGr3F
— Ben Pope (@BenPopeCST) March 25, 2024
It’s pretty simple, really. If the players don’t like bag skates in practice, they need to give their all during the games. No matter who the opponent. Make no mistake, Richardson knows exactly what he’s doing. He’s usually a “very kind guy”, as Donato put it. He’s confident in his style of communicating clearly and directly, which is a relatively new line of thought in the hockey world. But he knows how to be old school when it’s necessary. Here’s more on the bag skate decision.
"I think society’s different. … One sentence is going to mean 20 different things to 20 different people.
— Phillip Thompson (@_phil_thompson) March 25, 2024
“(But) I was pretty clear — I think they all got the same message.”
—Luke Richardson on using old-school communication with new-school players pic.twitter.com/Hf8JZinXjp
I love how Richardson tries not to smirk when he says all this. He doesn’t quite manage it. But hey, sometimes there’s just no substitute for good, old-fashioned hard work.
Richardson’s Expectations Are Consistent
At this time last season the Blackhawks were known as the team that came to battle every night. They were decimated by the losses they incurred at the trade deadline. General manager Kyle Davidson was selling off everyone he could, i.e. Patrick Kane, Max Domi, Sam Lafferty, Jake McCabe and Jack Johnson.
The team that hit the ice for the remaining games was NOT very talented. But Richardson had them coming to compete every night. Even if they still lost, they were relentless, making the other team work hard for the win. And the Blackhawks won a handful of games they had no business winning. Heck, they knocked the Pittsburgh Penguins out of the playoffs!
This season’s team still isn’t very good, especially since they’ve lost numerous key contributors to injuries throughout the season. But they have a plethora of young players who will define the future of this team. So, they might as well start building the correct culture and mindset right off the bat. This is what the coaching staff is attempting to instill in these remaining games. Here’s another interesting quote from Richardson.
Good teams “have driven guys who drive it all the time, and they’re going to carry people with them. ‘Oh, it’s not my night.’ ‘Too bad, you’re coming.’”
— Phillip Thompson (@_phil_thompson) March 25, 2024
—Blackhawks coach Luke Richardson pic.twitter.com/j6HTef6sXw
With winning teams, there is an expectation to play hard all the time. No questions, no excuses. We’ve seen from numerous games this season where the Blackhawks aren’t exactly there yet. But they’re working at it. In some ways, maybe Richardson had to be “the good guy” to earn the trust and respect of the players. Now it’s time for some tough love. Yes, even at the end of a losing campaign. Even when winning hurts your odds for the first overall draft pick. Richardson isn’t here to tank, and neither are these players.
“It’s easy to pack it in this time of the year, with our record and where we’re going,” Richardson said. “We’re not going to get to the playoffs. But we’re playing for lots of things. There’s guys playing for jobs and contracts. They’re playing for pride. The character they showed tonight was a good step in the right direction.”
Related – Blackhawks Building Blocks: Bedard, Slaggert, Korchinski & More
We shall see if the Blackhawks respond accordingly down the stretch. Like Richardson said, there’s still lots of things to play for. It’s been another dismal season, but I believe this coach has the team headed in the right direction. The Blackhawks are going places, and Richardson is, and will be, a huge part of that.
