We Are Witnessing the Start of Something Special

We Are Witnessing the Start of Something Special

Connor Bedard is on an absolute heater right now. 32 points in his last 19 games. Funny how fast things can flip. After losing five in a row, the darkest stretch feels behind them. And the Blackhawks are starting to play with purpose again. They’ve won two of their last three, snagging a point in that shootout loss to Vegas on Tuesday. And it feels like that comeback win against Anaheim flipped a switch. On Tuesday, they let a late lead slip and fell 4-3 in a shootout to the Golden Knights. But instead of letting that heartbreak linger, Chicago went into Los Angeles and refused to let history repeat itself. Even when things got chaotic, a sixon four penalty kill in the final minute and a half after Bedard was called for hooking with Darcy Keer pulled for the extra attacker, the Hawks held their ground. This time they finished the job. The Hawks actually played a really strong game against Vegas, even if the shootout didn’t go their way. At the very least, they walked out with a point. And with how tight the standings are, those single points matter. Then last night, Chicago followed it up with another complete effort. And this time, they got rewarded for it, putting together a full, honest 60 minutes, earning the win they deserved. Suddenly, this team has five points in its last three games and finds itself sitting in a playoff spot, holding down the first wildcard position with 30 points on the year. For some perspective, the Hawks didn’t hit the 30 point mark last season until January 8th. This time, they reached it before the 30ame mark, showing just how far this team has come. And once you get around that 30ame threshold, you usually start to see what a team really is. If Chicago keeps playing with this structure and confidence into the new year, we might be looking at something this city hasn’t seen in a long time. Meaningful hockey deep into the season. Both goalenders put on a show in the opening period with Darcy Keer and Spencer Knight trading point blank saves like it was nothing. Every time one side looked ready to break through, the goalie at the other end slammed the door. But once the second period rolled around, Chicago finally found its offense. Both Hawks goals came in that middle frame, starting with Connor Bernard cashing in on the power play, channeling a little Tyler Batuzi as he parked himself at the net front and smacked home his 18th of the season. It’s wild to think he’s already creeping up on last year’s goal total and we’re only 27 games into the season. Bernard’s now riding a three-game goal streak and right now everything he touches seems to find the back of the net. Then in the dying seconds of the second period, Chicago struck again. But it all started with a defensive gem. After a Spencer Knight turnover nearly turned into disaster, Connor Murphy laid out and made a huge play to break it up. The Hawks instantly transitioned the other way, Wyatt Kaiser jumped into the play and with 5.4 seconds left, Chicago buried one to make it two- nothing. LA came hard in the third, eventually cutting the lead to one midway through the frame. But unlike Tuesday in Vegas, the Hawks refused to let this one slip away. They absorbed the pressure, settled in defensively, and closed out a big-time regulation win on the road. Ton of credit goes to the special teams, especially the penalty kill. Chicago went a perfect five for five, including that hearttoppping kill in the final 126 when Bedard was in the box and the Kings had a sixon four advantage. In 756 of short-handed time, the Hawks allowed just five shots and only one high danger look. Because of nights like this, they now own the fourth best penalty kill in the NHL at 85.3%. When you’ve got a top five penalty kill and a top 10 power play, it covers up a lot of the five on five imperfections. Frankie Nazar might still be fighting through a 15game gold drought, but the kid is far from quiet. In fact, he’s quietly turned into one of Chicago’s best playmakers. With assists on both Blackhawks goals tonight, he’s now riding a four-ame assist streak, and he stacked up nine assists in his last 10 games. Even without the goals, he’s sitting second on the team in assists with 15 and third in points with 20. The chances are there, the confidence is growing, and the way he’s generating plays lately, it feels like that gold drought is hanging on by a thread. Late in the game, Terrain took a puck to the face and left the ice bloodied in the final minute. Jeff Blashel mentioned afterward that Terrain was in a lot of pain, but the early expectation is that he should be okay. Tough break at the end of an otherwise strong night. The Hawks won’t get much time to breathe. They’ll be right back at it tomorrow against the Kings and then they’ll face the Ducks on Sunday. A perfect chance to turn this momentum into a real streak. Let’s see if they can keep things rolling. Let’s go Hawks.

Connor Bedard is on an absolute heater right now 32 points in his last 19 games and suddenly, after dropping 5 straight, it feels like the worst is behind us. The Blackhawks look like a team playing with purpose again. They’ve won two of their last three, snagging a point in that shootout loss to Vegas on Tuesday. And It feels like that comeback win against Anaheim flipped a switch. Ever since that night, this group has carried itself with a different kind of confidence. #chicagoblackhawks #connorbedard #blackhawks #nhl #hockey #icehockey #hawks #bedard #chicago #hockeyhighlights
Main channel @MSZFilms Audio credit @WhiteBatAudio