Since the return of Connor Bedard, the Blackhawks have only played two games with a full forward group (minus Andrew Mangiapane). It would have been three, but Frank Nazar was serving his two game suspension.
The Blackhawks finally have depth
Over the last three games, all four forward lines have had moments where they looked really good. The fourth line has probably been the Hawks’ best trio all season. The combination of Ryan Greene, Jordan Greenway, and Cole Smith have a mix of speed, size, high hockey IQ, and two-way ability. Allowing them to be effective in all three zones.
The third line has been the biggest mess so far this season. No matter what combination of Nick Lardis, Oliver Moore, Ryan Donato or Dominic Toninato Blashill throws together, they can’t seem to find a rhythm. However, injecting Frank Nazar with Moore and Donato seems to have improved that line significantly. The speed of Nazar and Moore combined with the work ethic and dog on a bone mentality of Ryan Donato is hard for other team’s third lines to play against.
That’s another reason Bedard makes this team better, besides the fact that he is their best player, his presence forces everyone else to play down in the lineup against more favorable matchups. The biggest beneficent is probably Nazar who has four points in his last four games (3 goals, assist)
The second line of Anton Frondell, Tyler Bertuzzi, and Teuvo Teravainen has regularly been the Hawks’ best trio since they started playing together. The emergence of Anton Frondell is a big reason for that. Frondell, 19, has been playing clean 200-foot hockey. He is strong on the forecheck, makes smart defensive plays, and has a cannon of a shot. Although, we haven’t seem his shot too much so far this season.
His faceoffs have also improved as the season has gone on. In last week’s game against Pittsburgh, Frondell was matched up against one of the greatest two-way players of all time in Sidney Crosby. Frondell won 11 of 18 draws, had two assists, and came away with the win. That’s impressive for a 19-year-old in his first full season.
Frondell has also been noticeable on the forecheck, his speed is the only thing holding him back. He and Bertuzzi both like to get in deep and battle for pucks. Jeff Blashill’s two-man-in system on the forecheck has worked out well for the second line. Unfortunately, you can’t say the same for Bedard and co.
Glaring issue with the top line
We have seen three games with Connor Bedard, Roman Kantserov, and Patrick Kane as the top line. The offensive ability is clearly there when they have sustained offensive zone pressure. The key is getting control of the puck in the offensive zone. At 5-on-5, the top line has a shot attempt differential of -15 (28-43). Due to the lack of size and two-way ability, they get hemmed in their own end a lot. When they do the puck out, the dump and chase system isn’t ideal.
Roman Kantserov is the puck retriever on that line. While he does play a bigger game than his 5-foot-9 stature may suggest, he can’t do it all himself. The next man in is Connor Bedard, because you’re not gonna see Patrick Kane forechecking very effectively. While Bedard has improved in this area, he also isn’t the guy you want retrieving pucks.
Another issue that this causes has to do with the counter-attack when the Hawk’s can’t get possession.
The Blackhawks have a plethora of offensive-minded defenseman. Sam Rinzel, Bowen Byram, Artyom Levshunov, and even Alex Vlasic has added a more of an offensive focus this season. Naturally, these defenseman like to pinch and get involved in the play. When they do so, that leaves the high forward, in this case Patrick Kane, to cover the point.
So when the puck inevitably goes the other way, Patrick Kane is forced to play the role of a defenseman. That is a recipe for disaster, and we have seen it bite the Hawks.
This trio has shown a lot of promise, they are all very skilled offensive threats who can create a grade A chance from nothing. “I don’t think it’s a talent issue at all, to be honest” according to Patrick Kane (Via Ben Pope / Chicago Sun Times)
The chemistry is building and it is exciting to think about what this trio can do as the season goes on.
But the key is puck possession, and It starts with faceoffs. Bedard is improving on the dot, over three games he has won 48% of faceoffs, including a 60% success rate against the Winnipeg Jets last Thursday. As the season goes on, you’d like to see his average get closer to 50%.
Should Jeff Blashill change the system, change the lines, or continue on as is and let the players adapt?