5 Observations from Blackhawks' Preseason Loss to the Wild
1. The Blackhawks' power play needs to take a HUGE step forward going into the regular season. They are currently on an 0/16 powerplay streak and don't seem like they will be netting a PP goal anytime soon.
2. On the flipside, the penalty kill has found a groove. The penalty kill is 12/12 since beginning the year 0/3 against the Blues. Luke Richardson's new penalty kill is extremely aggressive and has been proving to be trouble for opposing teams' power plays.
3. The amount of fresh faces is becoming obvious. There is not much chemistry on this team anymore and it was evident a handful of times during the game against the Wild. One of the goals against actually came off of a turnover in the D-Zone when two Blackhawks players collided while trying to clear the puck. Kane and Toews are really the only guys with chemistry on this team these days.
4. The Blackhawks cannot afford to have turnovers in the D-Zone. They are just not good enough to give up the puck in the D-Zone and not allow a quality scoring chance. 3 of the 4 goals given up to the Wild were off of defensive breakdowns. Puck management needs to become a priority for Luke Richardson's squad.
5. The Connor Bedard sweepstakes are a full-go for the Blackhawks. The Blackhawks didn't actually play too bad against the Wild, but they still managed to lose 4-1. This is a combination of the Wild being a legit Stanley Cup contender, but also the Blackhawks being a bottom 3 team in the league. Getting Bedard would be great for the Blackhawks, but if they don't get the first overall pick, then I believe tonight further proved they need to get help at the blue line with pick 2 or worse.
| POLL | ||
What is the biggest surprise heading into the Blackhawks' final preseason game? | ||
| How bad the power play is | 23 | 13.9 % |
| The surprising strength for the penalty kill | 14 | 8.5 % |
| Some new guys have been impressive | 34 | 20.6 % |
| Everything: didn't think they'd be THIS bad | 94 | 57 % |
| List of polls | ||
