CHICAGO \u2014 As Chicago Blackhawks center Frank Nazar knows, there\u2019s nothing like that rush to score a goal.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think it\u2019s almost like an energy boost when you score,\u201d Nazar said recently. \u201cNick (Lardis) and I were talking about it (in a recent game). It\u2019s like, you score a goal, and you get that, like, momentum and energy boost. It\u2019s like you took a caffeine shot or something.\u201d<\/p>\n
Lately, Nazar has been getting that rush often. In his past 15 games, he has scored seven goals. He has also had seven assists to give him a team-high 14 points in that span. It\u2019s exactly what he and the Blackhawks were hoping for the end of his season. He finished last season strong and carried that over to the beginning of this season. In his first 10 games this season, it looked like he was going to be the team\u2019s breakout player, and he produced five goals and six assists.<\/p>\n
When you combine what he did at the beginning of the season and what he has done recently, the numbers add up to 12 goals and 13 assists in 25 games. That would put him at a point-per-game rate and over 40 goals if he could keep that up for 82 games.<\/p>\n
The problem: Nazar\u2019s game fell off. Between his start and finish, he had a 34-game stretch in which he produced two goals and 11 assists. He also missed 14 games after being hit in the face by a puck.<\/p>\n
Throughout the season, Blackhawks coach Jeff Blashill and his staff have tried to better understand what the difference is when Nazar is producing and when he\u2019s not.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think when Frank plays his best, he\u2019s skating,\u201d Blashill said before Tuesday\u2019s game. \u201cThat, to me, is his superpower, so to speak. I think he\u2019s done a better job of attacking the game, using his speed as opposed to trying to kind of slow it down and go through people. I think he\u2019s way better when he\u2019s going around people.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s such a dangerous player. That starts probably in our breakouts, kind of getting into pockets low, and once he gets the puck, he can attack. Sometimes when you\u2019re pressing, you get too high because you want to take off, and you take off too early. I just think his timing\u2019s been better. All of that goes with confidence. Again, he\u2019s in his second \u2014 this is his first full year. It\u2019s part of the confidence that you kind of grow and learn from.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nazar doesn\u2019t normally lack confidence. Even when he wasn\u2019t scoring much, he was still often positive about his game and how he was playing. But there is a noticeable difference when he\u2019s rolling. The confidence is unmistakable.<\/p>\n
\u201cI mean, obviously, yeah, you see the puck go in the net, you feel a hundred times better to shoot the puck next time, right?\u201d Nazar said. \u201cYou think you can\u2019t miss, right? So, either way, I always felt confident throughout the whole year that I can score and that every shot was gonna go in.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nazar scored twice in Sunday\u2019s loss, but he could have had even more. He was so confident that he even attempted to shoot through his legs on one chance around the net and just couldn\u2019t convert.<\/p>\n
\u201cHonestly, I probably should have faked it and came back through,\u201d Nazar said. \u201cThe goalie comes out pretty far. But no, why not try it, right? Try to do something cool.\u201d<\/p>\n
1. Connor Bedard\u2019s position at the top of the first power-play unit came after he asked to try it.<\/p>\n
\u201cI played it growing up a bit, a decent amount \u2014 I think a couple games in junior I tried it \u2014 but I like it,\u201d Bedard said recently. \u201cWe got guys that can do it, obviously they\u2019re good, but I think that it\u2019s kind of fun to try something different, and I thought we were getting maybe a little stagnant with some things. But in the end, obviously, that\u2019s the coach\u2019s decision, to \u2026 try something new or not. So, I was excited and will hopefully get more comfortable up there.\u201d<\/p>\n
One of Bedard\u2019s objectives in playing that quarterback is stepping into the offensive zone further from the blue line and bringing the unit deeper into the zone.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t watch too much, but Tampa, you watch their power play, how low it all is, and then everyone\u2019s kind of a threat,\u201d Bedard said. \u201cIf you\u2019re at the top of the circle, your shot\u2019s a threat and one-Ts (one-timers) are a little lower and more of a threat. If we can do that \u2014 obviously, it\u2019s about timing; you can\u2019t really force it right away. But if I can help do that, that would be good.\u201d<\/p>\n
Bedard realizes he\u2019s the last player back to prevent a rush the other way, but it\u2019s not where his head is.<\/p>\n
\u201cAt the end of the day, we\u2019re trying to score,\u201d Bedard said. \u201cI\u2019m not going to be passive or anything. I\u2019m trying to set guys up. So, obviously, if they get the puck, that\u2019s when you got to get back and be responsible in that sense. But I\u2019m not going to play worried of giving up something.\u201d<\/p>\n