Blackhawks

Hawks’ Poor Start Serves as a Reminder

Hawks’ Poor Start Serves as a Reminder

 The Chicago Blackhawks sit this morning ahead of their game with long-time rival, Detroit, at 0-3-1. The Blackhawks are the only team in the NHL yet to win a game besides the Dallas Stars, and that’s because they have yet to play a game due to Covid-19. Is this the start we imagined after the mini-playoff run we just saw? Absolutely not. Tuesday’s OT loss showed some signs of hope however, Dominik Kubalik scored the first two goals for Chicago (his first two of the season), Patrick Kane later tied it up, and finally rookie center Philipp Kurashev netted his first career goal to give the Hawks their first ever lead of the season. That lead was short-lived however, as the Panthers tied the game right back up just over a minute later behind a goal from Patric Hornqvist. The Blackhawks would then go on to lose in OT.

I’m not sure if it’s the goaltender situation or if it’s the inability to keep opposing teams away from the net, but Chicago has looked downright bad in their first four games. They have given up five goals in each game, and have the worst point differential in the league (-11). One thing fans have to take comfort in, or not, is that this was addressed in the offseason. Back in October, president of hockey operations, Stan Bowman, stated in a letter to fans in October via Scott King of NBC Sports Chicago, “We’re committed to developing young players and rebuilding our roster. We want more than another window to win; we want to reach the summit again and stay there – an effort that will require a stockpile of emerging talent to complement our top players.” Right there, Bowman told fans who are wondering today why if this is a rebuild, core players such as Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, Brent Seabrook, and Duncan Keith have not been moved for younger players & draft picks.

Mixing young talent with veteran players has traditionally panned out in any sport. Looking at their roster, Chicago has several key pieces under the age of 25, including Kirby Dach, who just turned 20 yesterday! Look, it’s easy to put a bunch of young guys out there on the ice and say “go play,” but where is the leadership coming from there? The discipline? The expectations? Scott King writes for NBC Chicago, “Leadership and experience are paramount not just in getting through this season, but in turning it into a positive and in giving the rebuild a foundation with a small safety net. Whether it’s in the middle of a play, on the bench, or in the room, it has to be a lot more reassuring for a young player to look up and see Patrick Kane or Duncan Keith in the same sweater right now.” Experience can make a world of difference in the development of younger players. Having the culture of the organization instilled in them by four 3x Stanley Cup Champs is not always a bad thing. The slow start is fine. The future is bright. Just sit back and enjoy watching the next Stanley Cup winning Blackhawks core grow up before your eyes.

Say what you will about Chicago’s rough start. Say what you will about whether or not Bowman should have disbanded Chicago’s core to “strengthen” the rebuild, but I’ll tell you this, I’m a lot more inclined to watch the Blackhawks who are trying to keep their core together over the baseball team to the north whose team-wide garage sale has every veteran on the chopping block in order to save a quick buck and allow young talent to hit the field sooner than perhaps necessary.

The Chicago Blackhawks (0-3-1) will host the Detroit Red Wings (2-2-0) for opening night at the United Center in Chicago tonight (1/22) at 8pm EST.

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