If there’s one consistent word that has surrounded the Chicago Blackhawks this season, it has been “learning.” As a young team, they have been emphasizing all the lessons from this season. Whether it’s games, practices, wins, or losses, they strive to use every moment as fuel to become the team they envision.
However, with Connor Bedard and Nick Foligno out of the lineup due to injury, and with the team having won only two of nine games in December so far (including a current four-game losing streak), these lessons have been amplified.
Here are some of the prevalent moments of late.
1. Learning How To Play Without Bedard
Let’s address the elephant in the room: Bedard. He is dealing with a shoulder injury, was placed on injured reserve, and will be re-evaluated after the new year. His return timeline remains unclear, and playing without one of the NHL’s top scorers is hard.
The Blackhawks have been Bedard’s team this year. He is the engine that makes the car run, as Chicago Sports Network put up a graphic before the Toronto Maple Leafs game on Dec. 16 that said he had scored or assisted on 48.4% of the Blackhawks’ goals this season.
Chicago Blackhawks center Connor Bedard celebrates with teammates after scoring against the Calgary Flames (Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images)
Head coach Jeff Blashill touched on two things the team would have to do without Bedard. One was that players will be “thrust into more important roles in some way”. Explaining, “As a whole group, we just need guys to step up and play. We need them to play as close to their A-game as possible on a nightly basis.” His second point was their need to heighten their awareness defensively.
It’s also been an adjustment on the power play, as Blashill has had to mix up the two units, and they haven’t scored a power-play goal in their last five games (three without Bedard playing).
Trying to create almost a whole new offense without Bedard is tricky, but one they’ll grasp more as the games continue.
2. Learning How To Face Adversity
This is the Blackhawks’ most significant test of adversity. They have been through losing streaks before, including a five-game losing streak towards the end of November. But where they are at now is different.
Frank Nazar was asked on Dec. 15 whether there is a fine line between knowing everyone has to pull together and not trying to do too much that they veer away from their game to help pick up the slack. “I think so. I think that it’s kind of been something we’ve got to focus on throughout the years. Just simplicity, right? Being simple, making simple plays, and sticking to our systems. And I think it’s gonna be a great test, right? It’s a good adversity to go through, and something we got to fight, and fight against, and prove that we can come out on top.”
3. Learning to Take Advantage of Opportunities
In lieu of injuries, defenseman Ethan Del Mastro and forwards Dominic Toninato and Nick Lardis were recalled from the Rockford IceHogs. Jason Dickinson had some great insight into how the roster can handle things,
“I think, you know, with Frank [Nazar] and Greenie [Ryan Greene], both of them playing really good hockey, they can step into a 1C role right now and kind of take the helm there. And then there’s good youth coming up. Lardy [Nick Lardis] gets to play his first NHL game, and, you know, I thought he played really well. So it opens an opportunity for Lards to get some looks. And, you know, in a situation where otherwise Lards might not get power play one time, he might not get a top-six role. This opens the door that he gets kind of handed a job to, not run free with, but to say, hey, this is an opportunity given to you under the circumstances that may not have been here otherwise. So, take advantage of it. Because I found often that this league is based on opportunity, and when the opportunity comes knocking, being ready to take it.”
Nick Lardis, Chicago Blackhawks (Jamie Sabau-USA TODAY Sports)
Outside of Bedard, the team has talent. With André Burakovsky, Teuvo Teräväinen, Tyler Bertuzzi, Ryan Donato, Moore, Nazar, etc, they have capable scorers. It hasn’t come together this past week, with only three goals scored in the last three games. But like former head coach Luke Richardson said, “by committee.”
Everyone has prime opportunities to take.
4. Learning How to Win
This has been the big lesson all season: learning how to win games. They have been in close games they didn’t win, like their 1-0 loss to the Colorado Avalanche on Nov. 23. But they have also pulled off some comebacks, such as their 5-3 win over the Anaheim Ducks on Nov. 30.
It seems like the last few days have amplified things more. Such as their 3-2 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Dec. 16. They were winning 2-0 in the third period and lost. Blashill discussed the lessons from that game and how they handled the loss.
“As far as I can tell, they handled it well. But we’ll know more when we lace them up tonight. At the end of the day, like I said to the guys after the game, like was it a gut punch? 100 percent because we had played such a good hockey game for so long and then didn’t get rewarded. But that’s life, and there’s nothing we can do to go back and change anything that happened. You can’t. All you can do is learn from it and move on to the next.”
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Blashill continued, “And if we play with that same kind of, you know, it’s probably our best defensive game of the year. I’ve been told that from a number of people, and if we play that same way, you put yourself in position to win a lot of hockey games. And I think had we played that way in the game against St Louis, I think we win the game. So those kinds of things, it’s important to continue to learn and grow from.”
When it came to their 4-1 loss against the Montreal Canadiens on Dec. 18, Blashill noted they were in a position to win a road game. They were tied 1-1 heading into the third period, but he highlighted the team needing to adopt a more shooting mentality (they were outshot 35-15).
Overall, the Blackhawks have always had a good “non-panic” response to challenging moments this season. They’re only going to learn more as they go.
They are currently getting a crash course in teaching moments, but they can be better for it. As Steve Gilliland said, “Lesson Learned. Wisdom Earned.”
