It’s that time of the year again, where all the good little boys and girls have put together their Christmas lists, and they’re anxiously awaiting what Santa Claus will bring them. This is the season of gifts and goodwill, with a little magic sprinkled in. It’s a time where anything seems possible if we just dare to dream a little.
So let’s get in the spirit of Christmas with some things the Chicago Blackhawks are wishing for this season. What gifts can Santa grant this rebuilding team?
More Consistency for the Blackhawks
This has been a problem for the Blackhawks all season long. We’ve seen improvement in many areas. The potential is there for better offense, with more talented players in the mix from the offseason signings. The defense has greatly improved. Special teams is better on both sides of the puck. Young goaltender Arvid Soderblom has been a pleasant surprise in net.
But for some reason the team just can’t seem to put it all together. They execute all of the above things in spurts, but seemingly never at the same time. One shift might be phenomenal, while the next is a disaster. They play hard for one period, and then the wheels come off in the next frame. The team has a triumphant win over the high-power Colorado Avalanche, then lose to the lowly San Jose Sharks the very next game.
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The Blackhawks are especially notorious for starting strong in the first period, but then letting up in the second and third frames. Or they might fight back after a slow start, to only have it be too little, too late. In most cases this season, the Blackhawks haven’t been able to put together a full 60-minute effort. This isn’t uncommon for a young, inexperienced team trying to find their way, but it sure is frustrating. Perhaps this is an area where Santa could give them a little help.
Win More Faceoffs!
The Blackhawks have an abysmal record in the faceoff circle. They’re currently 31st in the league in this department, with an overall faceoff win percentage of 43.1%. Without winning faceoffs and gaining possession right away, the players are having to do a lot of extra work chasing the puck. This can be exhausting, and obviously deters from offensive production.
Individually, pretty much every player is struggling. The Blackhawks’ current centers and their faceoff percentages are: Connor Bedard (30.9%), Frank Nazar (25%) Jason Dickinson (44.7%) and Lukas Reichel (34.9%).
Other players that have been tasked with faceoff duties this season include: Ryan Donato (44.9%), Nick Foligno (51.3%) and Philipp Kurashev (48.3%). Hey, look at that percentage for Foligno! But unfortunately he’s the only one that’s above 50%, and there-in lies the problem.
Bedard, Nazar and Reichel’s struggles can be attributed to being young and new to the league. Young centers notoriously struggle as they get used to the small details (lots of cheating!) that eventually leads to more success at the dot.
In the case of Bedard, the Blackhawks are dealing with this by having his linemates, Foligno and Donato, take most of the draws while Bedard then shoulders the rest of the centering responsibilities.
One could argue that general manager Kyle Davidson’s failure to address a true second line center could haunt the Blackhawks in the future. Regardless, it’s an area that the Blackhawks wish they could improve upon.
Get the Power Play Rolling
The Blackhawks actually have a decent power play. At the time of this writing, they’ve scored 19 times out of 86 tries on the man advantage for a 22.1% success rate, which is currently good for 13th in the league. Thank goodness for Teuvo Teravainen, who leads the team with five power play goals.
Related – Teuvo Teravainen’s Newfound Encouragement Hopes to Spark Blackhawks Production
But then there are nights like Dec. 17 against the Washington Capitals. In this contest, the Blackhawks had four power play opportunities, but were unable to convert on any of them. Defenseman Alex Vlasic is manning the point on the top power play unit with Seth Jones out (right foot injury), while Kevin Korchinski is acting as quarterback to the second power play unit with Alec Martinez out (neck injury). It goes without saying that there is an adjustment period with both Vlasic and Korchinski as they adjust to this added responsibility.
There’s also the tendency, with the top unit especially, for the players to pass a little bit too much while they look for the perfect, pretty play. It might behoove them to crash the net a little bit more, or shoot more and hope for a rebound or deflection. In short, to get more of those greasy goals.
Gosh, if the Blackhawks could really get on a roll with their power play…well, that’s why it’s on the wish list.
Someone to Play With Bedard
This has been another bone of contention all season long. Who can keep up with Bedard? It’s obvious the 2023 first overall pick has elite skills and an exceptional hockey IQ. The problem is the rebuilding Blackhawks don’t have someone who can think the game the same way, or complement Bedard to give him the best chance at success.
Former head coach Luke Richardson didn’t do Bedard any favors by constantly changing up his linemates. He also asked him to play a more defensive role than he was used to, which stifled his offensive play.
The Blackhawks have tried seemingly everything, and everyone, to ignite Bedard this season. They’ve played him with Teravainen, their new free agent toy. They tried to go with last season’s success, pairing Bedard with Kurashev, Donato and Foligno at different intervals.
Ilya Mikheyev, Reichel, Taylor Hall, Dickinson and Tyler Bertuzzi have all had a few games playing with Bedard, but nobody has really clicked. New head coach Anders Sorensen is currently rolling Bedard with Foligno and Donato, for lack of any better options.
If Bedard could ask for his own personal wish from Santa, I’m sure he’d ask for more goals. Can anyone on this team build that chemistry with Bedard so he can score more goals?! There is another option, the Blackhawks’ 13th overall draft pick from 2022, Frank Nazar.
Nazar was called up from the Rockford IceHogs on Dec. 13, after blowing everyone away with stellar production at the AHL level (11 goals and 24 points in 20 games). He’s currently being deployed as the second line center alongside Hall and Bertuzzi, which makes sense because Nazar could potentially be the second line center of the future (behind Bedard) for the Blackhawks.
But Nazar is also playing on the first power play unit, where the chemistry between he and Bedard is palpable. You can see it in their body language when they’re working to create on the man advantage. Could this be an option during five-on-five play? I’m just throwing it out there!
Related – Blackhawks Win 3rd Straight, Defeat Kraken 3-1
The Blackhawks are looking to take the next step in their rebuild this season, but they’ve struggled to win games through most of the season to date. The irony is they’ve been competitive in almost every contest. But time and time again they find themselves on the losing side at the end of the night. Finding that finish just seems to elude them.
The good news is they might be finding their way even without Santa’s magic. The team has just won three consecutive games for the first time since February of 2023. Captain Foligno gives some perspective on what the team needs to do to continue winning.
Nick Foligno on the team needing to get a 3-game win streak tonight
— CHGO Blackhawks (@CHGO_Blackhawks) December 19, 2024
Which would be the first one since February 2023, before Foligno was even on the team#Blackhawks pic.twitter.com/qVQdCxI8c5
It’s a feeling, winning is. And winning begets more winning, so the Blackhawks must continue digging deep and working hard. Nothing comes easy, so they could use all the help they can get! It goes without saying that if the above wishes are granted, the Blackhawks will win more games. So let’s get to it, Santa!
