Jeff Blashill Gives Injury UPDATE on Frank Nazar & Talks Blackhawks Confidence After Road Trip

Jeff Blashill Gives Injury UPDATE on Frank Nazar & Talks Blackhawks Confidence After Road Trip

How’s uh Frank Nazar doing? Uh I mean I I would say still kind of dayto-day. Um I don’t have a I don’t anticipate him for tomorrow for Saturday. I’m not sure. Okay. Upper lower body mid. With the with Connor, he’s always been a confident kid, but you know, how much more confidence you seen out of him maybe even these last bunch of games with the point streak, everything? Yeah, I mean I think everybody, you know, every, you know, he’s, you know, you don’t get to to the level of player he is without confidence, but but to say that people’s confidence don’t eb and flow, that’s just not reality of life. And and I think, uh, you know, I think when it’s when it’s going good, it’s it’s going good. And um you know I think the good thing about Connor is uh when when it doesn’t you know when the production isn’t quite there and I actually I’ll say this for the beginning of the year. I thought he was playing just as good at the beginning of the year and wasn’t getting rewarded maybe with some of the production and and now the production’s there. Um certainly the power play has been hot and he’s getting rewarded with it. But I don’t think his game has necessarily I think it’s continued to improve, but it hasn’t been like, you know, they were really different uh players from from one section to the next. So, um but his uh you know, he he’s like you said, he believes in himself and uh uh that that kind of can can work you through some of those moments where where you’re playing well, but your production’s not there. What about Dickensson? Uh I don’t anticipate him for tomorrow. I with Saturday still not sure. How impressive is it when a young guy like Ryan Green can seemingly move up and down the lineup depending on role and and not really miss a beat? Yeah, you know, he’s he’s a he’s a pretty um he’s got a decent amount of of things in his toolbox in terms of, you know, he’s smart. He’s got a good enough skill to play with good players. Um I think his smarts offensively and defensively, he’s pretty naturally a fairly good defensive player. Um, you know, so that’s allowed him uh with opportunity too and and allowed him to have kind of success in those different spots. I thought, you know, they got thrust into without Dickinson, you know, you lose a a real penalty killer and then Frankie was out. So, so then, you know, Greener got way more opportunity even on the penalty kill. I thought he did a good job. So, uh, you know, I think it’s really important for uh for for players to be able to fill as many of those spots as possible and he can do that. Do you do you expect a point where you evolve out at 11 and seven or do you think that’s something that’s that’s consistent throughout the season? Um I you know I don’t I honestly haven’t really thought that through like we’re I’m like there’s not a grand plan to at some point change and I know it it it helps our it helps our team I think right now the best. I think it’s the best makeup of uh of deploying our players and so like you know for from that aspect uh we’ll have 11 and seven tomorrow. And is there some point where it makes more sense? This isn’t a thing where I think 11 and seven is better than 12 and six. I think it really depends on your exact situation and where your team’s at. And for our team, I think it still makes the most sense to go 11 and seven. And and at some point, if I change my mind on that, then we’ll switch. Coming off a successful road trip now having eight of nine at home, just what opportunity does that present to keep things rolling? Well, it’s it’s uh you know, generally it’s it’s harder to win on the road. Not always, but it generally is is uh is that way. It’s um so you want to take advantage of your home games and certainly a home stand like this, you’d like to take advantage, but you know, I think the good thing about this group is we haven’t got too far ahead of ourselves. Um you know, we we’ll we’ll play tomorrow’s game and and then learn from that game. And that’s kind of the approach we’ve taken. So, we’re not probably thinking of it from a hockey standpoint. point. I think it’s nice for guys to be home after being gone for a long time, but from a hockey standpoint, we’re not really think of it as a as a long home stand as much as really honestly the next game. And that can sound like coach speak, but that’s reality. And and I think our team’s done a really good job with that. Bernard said that before you guys flew on the road trip, he said it’ll be a bonding experience between the team. Is there anything new you learned about your team over those six road games? Um, well, I knew that on day, how many days was it? Who was it? 12. 12. I knew on day 11 I said to our staff, “It’s awesome that I don’t hate you guys yet. You don’t hate me yet.” So, so that part’s we got a good group on the in the staff part of it. Um, you know, I I I would just say I would say I think when when you know, there’s just different opportunities to bond and some of them are on the road and some of them are probably at home and some of them are at team gatherings and some of them are, you know, through struggle like training camp. Some of them are uh when you got to fight for each other like Calgary. So, like those are all different opportunities to bond. Why do you think Tyler Bertusi thrives playing under you so much? Um, I I can’t answer that. I I know that uh I I think I I I think Tyler’s a really really good player and he’s a winner and I want him on my team all day, every day, any team that I’d coach. So, um you know, does that give him more confidence? I don’t I can’t answer that for sure. I just know that I how I feel about him as a player and I’ve always felt that from the day I coached him in Grand Rapids uh when he was coming out of junior hockey. He’s just a winning hockey player that does a lot of little things that sometimes uh is is more noticeable maybe from the bench than it is from 200 feet and or you know 200 whatever 200 level. So um he’s a he’s a winning player that that I’m glad’s on our team. you were miked up early in the season addressing the team after Felina had got in a fight and you said, you know, great, but it can’t be him every night. How encouraged have you been to see some of these young guys who, you know, it’s out out of their comfort zone to stick up for to to bring that physicality to the table to accept the challenge. Yeah, I think it’s great. And I think when when you do that, uh, you know, it gives you a little more swagger. I really believe that. My my my 15-year-old has been in boxing since he’s 10 years old or nine years old maybe because, you know, he he wanted to do it and I felt like it was a great thing for him to learn to take a punch and it’s not that bad, you know, and and you can kind of keep moving and and I think it gives you a confidence and a swagger and a uh you know, an ability to kind of um handle pressure situations. I think all those things are good. So, you know, for our guys that that maybe it’s been out of their comfort zone, I just think it it means two things. One, it it it means that our guys really like each other and they want to play hard for each other. And I think, you know, that’s one of the ways to sacrifice for each other. And two, uh, guys are getting comfortable in those situations. And I think that’s good. I think can can help give them individual swagger a little

Chicago Blackhawks head coach Jeff Blashill gives an important injury update on rookie forward Frank Nazar, who remains day-to-day. Blashill also discusses the team’s growing confidence after a successful road trip, led by Connor Bedard’s hot streak and strong play from Tyler Bertuzzi and Wyatt Kaiser. He praises Ryan Greene’s versatility and the team’s bond developing through adversity. Watch the full media availability as Blashill breaks down how the Hawks plan to keep their momentum going at home on the CHGO Blackhawks Podcast!

#blackhawks #chicagoblackhawks #nhl #hockey