Chicago Blackhawks Look to Continue Offensive Surge in 2019-20

Things are starting to get interesting for Chicago Blackhawks fans. While there appears to be signs of life, and with a shift in approach for their offensive scheme, head coach Jeremy Colliton may have made the move needed to finally get the ball rolling.

“We made a conscious effort to be a bit looser when the puck turned over, so we could create more out of D zone in transition and I think it’s helped,” Colliton said following Sunday’s 5-4 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs.

“There’s been a lot more plays available for us. Probably closer to how it looked last year, as far as our ability to make plays out of D-zone and through the neutral zone, and probably fits our top guys — and you can see, they’re coming to life. It’s good to see. Doesn’t mean that the defensive side won’t be a continued emphasis, because you’ve got to keep the puck out of your net to win, and when you get up like we did, would’ve loved to control the game.”

"Just trying to battle, trying to get the two points. Guys were blocking shots and we were all hurting a little bit. That was a team win."#Blackhawks https://t.co/Sdrqfgx2GB
— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) November 11, 2019

It’s seemed to have worked (so far anyway), as the Blackhawks have scored 12 goals in their last three games and are 2-0-1 over the span. But to keep things moving, they will need to step up facing a pair of tough road opponents. They open their week on Wednesday against the Vegas Golden Knights, followed by a Saturday evening matchup against the Nashville Predators. The week caps off with a Sunday evening when they host the struggling Buffalo Sabres at the United Center.

Wednesday, Nov. 13 @ Golden Knights

The Golden Knights came off a win over the Blue Jackets at Columbus and a near-miss over the Toronto Maple Leafs early last week, only to follow that with a pair dismal road showings against the Washington Capitals and Detroit Red Wings.

With the hiccup, the Golden Knights remain at 21 points through 19 games and now are fifth in the Pacific Division.

The Sabres’ struggles present another opportunity for the Blackhawks to take their new approach out for a spin, and hopefully cap a week with some positive results.