As the Chicago Blackhawks survive their toughest month in March, the boys are still in the hunt for a playoff berth, sitting right behind the Nashville Predators for fourth in the Discover Central Division.
It was expected by most that the Blackhawks were going to get banged up facing the division-leading Tampa Bay Lighting five times, and the Florida Panthers four times who currently sit just behind the Lightning in second.
This brutal month also featured a four-game losing streak, coming against the Lightning and the Panthers. Despite that, there were a few players on this Blackhawks roster that played a solid brand of hockey, producing consistent numbers through this tough stretch of games.
Third Star: Suter’s Hot Streak
The third star goes to rookie centre Pius Suter, finishing March with four goals and two assists for a total of six points for the Blackhawks.
Suter found the back of the net quite a bit near the end of the month scoring in three straight games from March 23 to March 27, placing him near the top of several rookie categories league-wide.
The 24-year-old is currently tied with Minnesota Wild left-winger Kirill Kaprizov for the most goals scored by a rookie this season and sits sixth place for most points this season by a rookie with 18.
Despite heating up near the end of March, Suter struggled in the middle of the month not recording a point in six straight games from March 9 to March 20.
Second Star: DeBrincat Shoots and Scores
The second star goes to Alex DeBrincat, finishing the month with a team-high eight goals and three assists, for a total of 11 points.
DeBrincat was unstoppable on the offensive end, as he was one goal away from scoring a hat trick twice this month, once against the Tampa Bay Lightning on March 5 and the other against the Nashville Predators on March 28.
The Blackhawks’ scoring leader also ended the month on a good note, recording seven points in his last seven games, placing him fifth overall in goals scored this season among all skaters in the NHL.
Despite leading his team in goals scored this month, DeBrincat recorded his lowest monthly assist total this season with three.
Nonetheless, DeBrincat has done his job of putting the puck in the net consistently this month, and that is why he is named the second star of the month.
First Star: Kane Making Plays
The first star goes to none other than Patrick Kane who had an excellent month being the playmaker for this team despite the Blackhawks
Kane finished with two goals, and a team-high in assists and points with 13 and 15 for the month of March, as he
To go along with that, Kane also ended the month on a five-game point streak which started on March 23 against the Florida Panthers.
Kane’s solid month of playmaking also puts him in second overall in assists sitting behind Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid.
Although Kane is awarded the first star for this month he struggled to score goals with only two, which is the lowest goal total in a given month this season. Despite that, Kane has done a great job of leading this young group of guys to where they are in the season now, which is fighting for a playoff spot.
With that said, it should also be noted that the Blackhawks as a team had a rocky month, winning only 5 out of the 14 games that were played, allowing teams like the Nashville Predators and the Columbus Blue Jackets to catch up to them in the standings.