BLACKHAWKS PREGAME: Chicago Looks to Beat Anaheim on Tired Legs | CHGO Blackhawks Podcast

BLACKHAWKS PREGAME: Chicago Looks to Beat Anaheim on Tired Legs | CHGO Blackhawks Podcast

It’s up to the Blackhawks to save the city. We’ll talk about it next on the CHL Blackhawks pregame show. [Music] [Applause] [Music] Welcome in to the CHTO Blackhawks pregame show presented by Bet365. Download the Bet365 app. Use our code chto365 when you sign up. Whatever the moment, it’s never ordinary at Bet 365. Hope you’re having a good Sunday. I’m Jay Zawski. That’s Greg Boyison. Mario Turbosi. We are here for the pregame show. Hawks and Ducks dropping the puck in about a half hour from now. And uh biggest game of the day. It really is the biggest game of the day. I feel like the entire CHO staff was pretty much here watching the Bears game and we were talking about it like if this game goes overtime, are we just going to we just going to punt the pregame show cuz no one will be watching anyway. A delayed start. Yeah, we’re glad you’re here. Uh thanks for being with us. Uh if you were watching the Bears watch along, welcome here. We appreciate that very much. Uh do us a favor, hit that like button. Be sure to subscribe to our YouTube page as well. Feels like we just left because we did. Hawks are in Anaheim to wrap up this West Coast trip. And boy, fellas, two points tonight feel like a massive massive win. Um as opposed to leaving without them. I mean, it it kind of the the road trip kind of teeters on this result. Yeah, if you can come away from this road trip 2-1 and one, you’re very happy. And it’s it’s going to be tough. uh second night of backtobacks after a game like last night’s game where um you didn’t really have a lot of guys going in the right direction. You weren’t able to get much of a coherent game uh put together. So, it’s going to be tough. You got uh you don’t have Spencer Knight in net. You have Arvis Solder Bloom. So, that’s that’s going to be a a difference in the game. Um hopefully it doesn’t make or break how the game goes, but I think it’s it’s gonna you’re going to have to rely on your group in front of him uh coming ready to play and and and as we’ve heard Jeff Blashel talk about it a bunch this season uh have more guys are going to have to have their a game tonight because I don’t think even a majority of this team playing you know a good enough B game is going to be the Ducks tonight especially given the way that the last game between these two teams went. Ducks are going to go out there with a little bit of fire, I would assume. Yeah, you would think so. And uh Vle Huso in goal for the Ducks who are banged up in that uh his stats on the year uh five games. He’s got a 328 goals against and an 859 save percentage. So get on him early and hope uh that Sarbone can outplay him. Yeah, he was the losing goalie uh a week ago technically when uh you remember um he came in when Morazzic got hurt and he gave up that goal to Conor Bard. That was the game-winning goal. Also, he got hung with the the loss last week. Um, yeah, if you we would have said before the Hawks left on this trip, they come back with four with five points, you’d be like, “Yeah, we’ll take it. Skip the trip. Just put the five game five points in. We’ll see you next week. All good.” Um, but then, you know, if uh especially after the way they lost last night, if they can come back, win this game, come home with five points, you’d feel really good about this situation. um and where they’re at. And you know, you you feel good. Uh anytime you have a bad loss like last night, coming back the very next uh game is and winning is is a big deal, especially less than 24 hours later, which is actually good. You don’t want to stew over that that long. Just get back on the ice and god forbid show up for all three periods. the last time they got their asses handed to them. Here’s your ass. By Buffalo, enjoy your ass. Um, they bounced back with a nice performance against Colorado. They lost, but it was one- nothing. They were right there with the best team in hockey. So, hopefully the uh response is the same as it was after the Buffalo loss. Let’s hear from Blackhawks head coach Jeff Flashel. He spoke uh about an hour ago before the game. This courtesy of the Chicago Blackhawks. Playing uh game time decision. That’s the reality of it. So, we’ll know uh after warm-ups. We’ve talked so much about Conor Bard and Mlin Celerini, but Leo Carlson’s kind of like the third pillar there. Played against him twice already this year. What do you see that? Great player. You know, it’s uh I think it’s an exciting time for the NHL to have three guys that at those ages that are so so good. Um you know, obviously we think we’ve got a well, we know we’ve got a special one, Connor. Um but but Leo’s a really really good player and uh it’s been fun to watch these uh few games. They got a number of good young players like we do. So, it’s kind of a kind of a fun matchup to see not only where everybody sits today. Uh, both teams want to win now, but also kind of, you know, what looks like it might be a good battle as we head into the future as well. Would you put Connor in the Olympic team? I I Well, first off, I’m American, so or let’s just get him to change his citizenship. I think someone suggested that actually. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. um different note, but his face offs have improved a lot this year. Yeah. From where they were the last two years. How do you see that helping him just with getting the puck more? Yeah. No, for sure. I think it’s an area that that, you know, all our young centers can continue to improve but have improved. I think that, you know, they go through nights where they’re really good. I think um uh part of it’s just a, you know, learn process. Part of it’s I think as you as you get through the league, you get a little more relationships built with the linesman. Um, you know, I know I talked to Michael Pek about this just the other day and and you know, Michael works with our centers, but it hasn’t been anything like big technique changes or things like that. I think his big thing to start is like find what works you, but it starts really with just the competitiveness in the circle and how much you value that uh getting that puck. And I think when you’re kind of coming up, you end up with the puck all the time anyway. So, it’s maybe not as valued, but as you get into the league, you start to value it even more. Um, I wasn’t around when Pavatu came in the league, but I was told when he first came in, he wasn’t a great faceoff guy. By the end, he was one of the best. You know, I know it’s something that as you as you kind of get going in your career, you realize how important it is to have that uh to have that puck. Quick turnaround, good opponent, tough game last night and end of a road trip. Is this one of those games where you’re going to learn something about your team? Yeah, I think I think well, honestly, to be honest with you, they all are. Um these are those these are moments that you know aren’t necessarily set up to be um advantageous. Um but you know that’s the way the league is now. I would also say you know when it’s a backto-back and you travel 15 minutes it’s a pretty light back to back. So there’s zero excuse here today. Um we got to go play a good hockey game. Um we could play a really good game and maybe not get the outcome we want but let’s make sure we play a really good game. If we do that uh I I like our chances. You’ve been resilient after a loss. You’re getting points. Yeah. So, yeah, that’s that’s something that uh that Do you see something in the locker room that tells you they’re ready to go as they’re professional? Yeah. Well, I would say I would say it’s uh you know, I think there’s advantages to being a young group. You just kind of you’re young and you just go, you know, you lace them back up. And I think they look forward to the next challenge. And, you know, we we didn’t dwell on it for this morning. Like, we just went through some areas that we know we are going to have to be better against against a really good team. Um but then other than that, like it’s a loss. Let’s move on and and uh and take this next challenge. And uh that’s the way this league is. It just keeps turning out games and you got to find a way to get as many points as you can. All right, we’re back. That is Jeff Lashel courtesy of the Blackhawks. So it looks like Tavo Terrainan will be in. He is uh taking warm-ups. He is taking line rushes. He is with Dickinson and McKay on that third line. So you have Bedard, Green, Barakovski, Nazar, more Bertusi, Dickinson, Terrain, and McKav, Donado, and Slagert are your extra fours, which means that Laferdy and Colton Doc would be the healthy scratches if indeed Terrain plays and it looks like he will. Your deep pairs, Vic, Levchov, Kaiser, Krebier, Grizzlig, Murphy, and Renzel, Arvis, Lord Bloom, and Ned. So a little bit interesting that on a night we are expecting a physical, grindy, maybe a little bit spicy matchup that they would opt to take Colton Dock out. Yeah, that’s that is uh an interesting choice, but I mean I think outside of that element of it, I’m I’m not so sure that you’re um really missing a lot with with Doc um outside of the physicality uh and and the way that he’s played in that role uh for the most part this season. So maybe you’re opting for a faster lineup uh to get Terrain in back and you put Slagert in there uh over Doc. So you try and maybe beat them with speed rather than trying to match up the the the uh if there’s shenanigans. So um yeah, I mean it’s it’s not a choice I would I’d make given the matchup, but um that’s why I’m not head coach. Not yet. Not yet at least. Yeah, it’s a little surprising, but I would think, you know, uh the coaching staff saw something last night they, you know, didn’t care for, you know, maybe we get the the uh in honor of the Ducks playing the Hawks tonight, the coach coup, we need more. Um, sure. So, I don’t know. Better dumps. I mean, he Colton Doc played over 13 minutes last night, which is a little more than average for him. um and was an even was not they didn’t have a plus minus in a game that gave up six goals. So that’s impressive. Uh but obviously the coaching staff saw something or or maybe he’s not feeling well. Who knows? Um interesting move, but as you said, Mario, I don’t think it’s going to like tilt the ice one way or the other. Colton Doc has been the the Blackhawks best hitter, their most physical guy this year, the guy that’s usually first to jump in to protect teammate, but in between the whistles, he’s kind of just there most nights. Well, he’s he’s been on the second unit of the power play uh pretty frequently, too. So, it’ll be interesting what changes they make there, who might get a look in that situation. So, we’ll see. I I’m It’s curious. Um I know that they don’t like to sit guys too long, so getting Lannon Slider in the lineup makes some sense, too. um because it’s been some time since he’s played. So, I know you want to get him in. I’m just I don’t know. I’m just surprised it’s him. But again, you’re not going to scratch Donado. You’re not going to sl scratch any of the other nine forwards. So, if you’re going to scratch somebody to get Slagger back in and Tavo’s playing, it’s probably going to be Colton Dock. So, and as we’ve heard Jeff Blasio say all season, I I mean, I know, you know, we we expect tonight to be a little chippy because of the way the last game ended, but as Blash has told us time and time again, anytime you ask a question about the other team, he says, “I’m not worried about what they’re doing over there. I’m focused on what we’re doing.” So, he obviously is not too concerned about that tonight where he feels I have to have Colton Doc in the lineup to protect our guys. He’s like, “Yeah, you know, I I want to win a hockey game. I’m not out here worrying about what the Ducks are going to try and do.” And that’s good. He shouldn’t. He shouldn’t. So, we’ll see. It’s going to be uh it’ll be an interesting uh I I I really do think there will be some some fireworks early, but sometimes is you you hype these things up and then the game starts and it just doesn’t it just never happens. It never comes to fruition. And especially when the the you know most of the commotion from that last game was between Conor Bard and Mason McAvish who are admittedly really good friends. Like they’re not going to drop the gloves tonight. Oh, I don’t know. I mean it sure if it happens but I don’t think you’re going to see you know a Four Nations face off with three fights in the first four seconds of the game. No, but it’s uh but on a night on when you’re facing a team that has a Radco Gutas and a Jacob Trouba, two guys who have long histories of being turds, call it left elbow and right elbow, you know, the Ducks were out there celebrating Trouba hitting another young player in the head on their social media the other night. So, you know, when you have those two guys on the ice, you you probably want a little more of a a guy out there that can answer the bell. But again, Jeff Blashel is not going to change what he thinks is right for this team because what the other team is doing. He’s trying to put his best lineup out there. And I And it’s not like Colton Doc is uh Ryan Reeves. Thank God. Where it’s like Yeah. where But but it’s just like, oh, you took out your enforcer. Like they have guys on this team that also can stick up for teammates. We’ve seen Conor Murphy do it. We’ve seen Jason Dickinson do it. Um, it’s it’s it’s not a foreign uh or it’s it’s not something that only Colton Doc does. He does it probably the most and I’d say most effectively Yeah. out of the group, but um they have other guys that should there be the shenanigans. They have guys the other part of this too and if you caught us on a late night postgame show last night, thank you. Uh we got a lot into the Sanzel situation and how you know kind of another hoham game for him. The minutes were down until the game got out of hand. and then they started playing him a little more. Um maybe this would have been an opportunity to go 12 and six for the first time in a while, but um Washel has not seemed at least publicly and at least based on the rosters to lose any faith in Colton and Sanzel. So we’ll see how that’s something to keep an eye on as well. I think you know if I was predicting what might happen tonight that’s I would have thought five times out of six I would have bet that it would have been Renzel sitting not Colton Doc but If this is our biggest issue, if this is our biggest complaint this far into the season is like Colton Doc got scratched. What the hell? Yeah, things are going pretty well despite a six nothing loss last night. Yeah, I and I think that that was that was something that I I was thinking about on the uh drive home last night as I was white knuckling it on the highway through the snow. um just how you know in in perspective where we were 365 days ago having just fired Luke Richardson leading up to the Winter Classic, you’re in dead last and how this season is where I think you brought it up the other day like they didn’t reach 30 points until basically mid January last year. Now you’re already you’re already there now at the beginning of December. like things are going very well this season and it’s frustrating to have the one or not the one but it’s frustrating to have a loss like last night but it’s you again I go back to it’s it’s not a straight line all the way up back up to the top it’s going to come with bumps in the road Anaheim lost seven nothing to uh the Mammoth on Wednesday it’s it’s not a big blowout loss is not a season definer. They went and beat the Capitals in the shootout Friday. They bounced back with a good performance and a win against a pretty good team. So, you know, I know we are we’re extremely focused on the Blackhawks as this is a Blackhawks podcast, but young teams like the Ducks and the Sharks and the Hawks and all these teams that we feel are are going to be running parallel in the coming years have all had in very recent memory Wednesday Anaheim 7 nothing. You had the Hawks last night. The Sharks lost what they’ve been out scored like 11 to four in their last. They’ve kind of revered back to their October form these last couple weeks. They’ve not been great. They’ve been giving up a ton of goals again. So, yeah, it’s in an 82 game season. That’s why you can’t, you know, yeah, we cover all 82, but you can’t ride the roller coaster of of every game. You got to keep things in big picture as well. And big picture, this team is in a much better spot than they were a year ago. They’re in a much better spot than any of us predicted they would be. Um, so hopefully, you know, this doesn’t lead in last night doesn’t lead into tonight. Like that Buffalo game, I think, was a product of the the Seattle game the night before with the controversial ending. I think that carried over and that led to a lousy game. That was back toback. Yeah, that was a second of a back toback. So now you got the lousy game out of the way on the first night of back to back. So you know this this this room has a lot of pride. So let’s see that from the puck drop. Yeah. I mean if there’s anything they’ve proven this year is that they are not it is a team with high character and they have not let the the bad moments define them. They have they have bounced back from bad moments. And look, if they come out tonight and they lose again 6 nothing, okay, then you start to, you know, put some caution flags up, right? Because it it becomes concerning. But, um, I don’t know. There’s just a lot of, uh, maybe it’s a it’s Bears lag. People are upset about the Bears game, but there seems to be a lot of like, I don’t know, this one just it’s going to get out of hand again. I I don’t know. I I I feel like we’ve we’ve seen enough from this team to know they’re not just going to get panced every night they play. And one game should not inform everything. So you would hope not. Yeah. And I I do think like if you read what Mark Lazarus wrote about Tavo the other day for the Athletic, it was really good. And all of his teammates sort of talking about the little things that Tavo brings to the table. Now would Tavo have termin? Absolutely not. But he he makes a pretty a pretty significant difference. One more shot and so many more passes. Yes. Oh, the passes would have been. What was the P? What was the pass? Corsy that would have been. See that? That’s what they got to name that when retires, they’ll call that the Tavo stat. Uh, table four percentage. Yeah, your table four. Exactly. Your TF percentage. Yeah. Um, Slagger back in. Maybe he’s the guy that can be your to answer if there’s any physicality. I don’t love him against Woodus or Trouba. One career fight. Yeah. In the NHL, they just with Doc Out, they just don’t have it. So, yeah, I don’t think Landon Slagger’s going to do that. Yeah. I mean, no, this might be a show us something type of game for Slagger because I’d be I the way they’ve played him, or I should say not played him, um I would think when they get back home, he’s, you know, might want to get the old IP pass charge, make sure he’s got enough money to get him to Rockford. Um, so maybe tonight’s that the night where you go, “All right, you know, let’s see what you got here. Make us make a hard decision. I mean, I I don’t I don’t have high expectations that he’s going to be, you know, a difference maker in this game, but you know, see what he does. Um, here’s an idea. Like, don’t worry about getting into fights. Don’t worry about protecting your guys. Go out and get your game. Go out and get a two nothing lead early and and and play your hockey.” And the Blackhawks have no reason to fight the Ducks tonight. The Ducks want to be, “Oh, you embarrassed us by making us blow a three-game lead, threegoal lead last game. We have to fight you.” Skate away. Okay, great. It’s stupid. Take the power play. Exactly. Go. If they want to do something with it. The best way to piss them off even more is to just go out there and beat their ass for 60 minutes. Try that. Beat them 5-3 or better yet, 5-2. Do it again. Beat them by any score. I don’t care what the final score is. Just go out and win a hockey game. Don’t worry about all that other nonsense. Well, you’re I mean, look, the power play last night was bad. It was no shots on goal on any of their power plays. They had a couple decent shot attempts, some okay looks, some netfront setups, but ultimately no pucks on net, that is not a recipe for success. I think if there is one I mean, there’s a lot of downsides to backto-back games, but no morning skate and Blashel uses those morning skates kind of as practices sometimes. Yeah. and have not had the opportunity to work on the power play since since last night. So, but I think this can all be communicated with video, right? Like you don’t have to be on the ice to say you’re in full stride. You’re entering the offensive zone. Don’t drop it behind you. Well, that’s what you would say. Just keep going. Well, I would think that the coaching staff can communicate that as well. I would think they have the similar philosophy that I do. you’d think, but we’re the ones that are so over the slingshot power play and they’re the ones that keep running it. So, I mean, I if I was coach, I would be telling Ardum Lev, hey, if you’re at the offensive blue line, cross it and go into the offensive zone, but it’s clearly not what he’s being uh told. Uh cuz he’s a guy that’s in a position that’s probably going to defer to, oh, this is what I’ve been told. I still got to, you know, figure out my instincts at this level. But um anyways, the power play when we’ve said it a bunch and and it’s very evident when they get set up, they are effective. They’re 10th in the league going into into tonight’s game. Uh the Anaheim Ducks, one, two, three, four, five, sixth worst penalty kill this season. So, when you do have an opportunity on the power play tonight, whether it’s once or three or four times, you got to come away with a couple shots on goal because you’re probably going to get those opportunities. You can’t pass it up. This is a game that I don’t want to see the Tavo 4 through the roof. Like, I want their shots for to be through the roof. I want them peppering Villuso. I think if you’re comparing if you’re comparing these games, Villuso is their Arvid Solder Bloom. like put it on net. Put it on net. Challenge him. Like this is this has got to be a game where I know it’s night two of back toback, but you got to This is the third youngest team in the league. Their legs are I would say pretty good still. Even though we’re 30 some games, like you got to be able to to start out of the gate and uh just like they did against what was it? um against the Kings in in the first game like they had what like 35 shots on goal in that game. Like that’s not common for the Blackhawks this season. Like have that same mentality. Come out firing, come out challenging uso and and take advantage of uh any shot opportunity you have. That I think that’s that’s how you have to play on the road. Night two of backtobacks. You got to be you got to be offensively shooting aggressive. Absolutely. Ando is more like their Drew Kzo. I mean he’s their third goalie. I mean, you’ve got Donl and Morazzic out, so take advantage of it. True. I mean, that should be the mindset no matter who the goalie is, but especially on a night where you have a goalie that you know was playing in the AHL 10 days ago. Shoot early. There’s no such thing as a bad shot ever, period. Like, just shoot the puck. Get it on net. You never know what’s going to happen. Hockeyy’s a weird sport. Things bounce around. There’s all kinds of craziness could happen, but you none of that can happen if you don’t shoot the puck, right? No such thing as a bad shot tonight. And I I just want the one guy I want to see get back into his groove because he’s coming off his worst game probably since he got here was Tyler Buzzi last night. You know, he’s been so good all season long. Everybody’s allowed to have a stinker. He had especially stinker last night. I’m sure you guys talked about it. I went to bed after the game. Sorry. Oh man. Um and uh but I want to see him come out early and do what he does. get to win those puck battles, get to the net, create a little chaos, and set the tone. You know, Petusi goes out there and has a a Tyler Patusesque shift early. That gets the Blackhawks in their game. That gets them confident. That sets the tone. That’s what I want to see tonight. And I’m going to keep saying it until it happens. But Frank Nazar is scoring tonight. Eventually, he’s eventually you’re going to be right. You just say it every night. It it will happen. Maybe October 28th was his last goal. And look, he’s been playing well. I like the uh the breakdown of friend of the program Tony Gronado last night where uh he had that twoon-one opportunity and just kind of shot it um without any kind of move or anything. And I thought it was interesting that where Granado said if he just kind of shifted a little bit to his right, made the goalie move, he would have had a way better angle. Good breakdown from him. I wonder if these guys this something maybe if we we’re eventually gonna get a player on this show. Um it’s in the works until Frank Nazar scores. All right. Is that Well, is that if that’s what we’re waiting for. Let’s hope it ends tonight. Um I wonder how much these guys for it. What’s that? You should put down a Nazar anytime goal for tonight. Go ahead, Jay. I’m not doing that. 365. You have big Colorado money. You do it. What? I don’t know about that. I wonder if these guys ever do like say like if Tony would go to a young player like Frank Nazar and issued that advice, would he give him the old Reggie Dunlop like, “Yeah, yeah, I’m I’m working on it.” in the uh Yeah, you guys got to get the power play going. Yeah. Okay, sure. Sure, pal. Or if they actually listen if they actually I feel like Nazar is a guy that would Oh, yeah. Great. Thanks. Thanks so much. You know, I don’t know. It’s interesting. I think we probably overblow that old player giving young player advice thing a little bit. I mean, if I was if I was an NHL player and Tony Granado was giving me advice, I’d listen. He’s been around the block. Yeah, he’s he’s had a decent career. Yeah. Played with some decent players. Wayne had a pretty good roommate. Wayne Jetsky. Wayne Dwayne Jetsky. Exactly. All right, game is starting in moments. Uh, make sure you’re here with us at the end of the game. We will talk to you then after Hawks and Ducks. Let’s hope we are talking about Hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on. Uhoh. From Mark Lazarus, Tavo Terrain officially in Landon Slagger. Healthy scratched. So, Colton Doc is all that for nothing. All that for nothing. So, wipe away the last 20 25 minutes. Oh, yes. And yes, as James says, we hope Oliver Moore does have a game puck nominee worthy performance as well uh in a victory effort. Well, now part of the chat can rest easy because Colton Doc is out there as the ultimate deterrent to Jacob Trouba. There you don’t even publish this. We just wasted Jacob Trouba’s never elbow anybody with an enforcer on the other team. We we we’ve wasted seven minutes of our lives that we’ll never get back. All right, talk after Hawks and Ducks later on the CHDL Blackhawks podcast presented by Bet 365. [Music] [Applause] We all silly like the mayor.

Can the Chicago Blackhawks push through tired legs on the second night of a back-to-back and take down the Anaheim Ducks after being routed 6–0 in Los Angeles last night? Mario Tirabassi and Jay Zawaski preview tonight’s matchup, breaking down where Connor Bedard can attack, how Jeff Blashill is adjusting this young roster, and what role Frank Nazar could play as the Hawks look for a spark. Join the CHGO Blackhawks crew for lineup notes, keys to the game, storylines to watch, and your pregame questions!

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