Knight & Söderblom’s Partnership Aiding Blackhawks Early Success

Without solid goaltending in the NHL, teams can’t expect to go very far. It’s difficult to find a “franchise” goalie. It’s just as difficult to find a backup goaltender who can complement the starter just as well.

Yet, the Chicago Blackhawks have both of those things in their goalies, Spencer Knight and Arvid Söderblom.

Both are playing solid hockey. But what makes the partnership work goes beyond what you see on the ice.

Knight and Söderblom’s Effectiveness for Blackhawks

Seattle Kraken goaltending coach Steve Briere wrote a piece on “7 Habits of Highly Effective Goalies.” They were:  1). Passion. 2). Surround Yourself With Positive, Like-Minded People. 3). Write Down Goals 4). Plan 5). Habits 6). Consistency 7). Character.

When you look at the two goalies, the Blackhawks have seen all seven traits out of them this season.

Let’s start with the technical side. The Blackhawks have had a successful start to the season with a 10-7-4 record. On the goaltending side, they are fourth-best in the NHL with a team .909 SV% (Save percentage). Their goals against per game is 2.86, 12th in the league.

There’s been a lot of talk about Knight, who has the third-best SV% in the NHL (.922). However, Söderblom cannot be left out. He has an .881 SV% and a 3.46 GAA (Goals-against average). Keep in mind, it decreased from a .912 SV% and 2.52 GAA due to a 9-3 loss to the Buffalo Sabres on Nov. 21. Aside from the team’s off night, Söderblom has been just fine as a backup.

When speaking about goaltending, you will rarely find the Blackhawks players or coach mentioning one without the other. Alex Vlasic and I discussed team confidence last week, and he said, in part, “…As a team right now, I think we believe in everybody, all the players. And obviously, our goalies, as well, have been so good. That’s a big reason why we feel confident as a team and why we’re winning a lot of these games…”

As far as the list goes, obviously, every hockey player has goals and plans for them. Knight and Söderblom’s passion and habits are evident in their play. Their consistency, especially, has been notable this season. But it’s the way they collaborate, as well.