The Blackhawks made the playoffs – albeit on a tech-savvy side this season, but there is still a lot of work to be done before they can become perennial candidates again.
The priority no. 1 for the past few years has been refurbished on defense. No team has provided more high-risk chances at risk since the start of the 2017-18 season than the Blackhawks.
Which begs the question: Are the answers on the roster? And how can the Blackhawks come up with a solution?
GM Stan Bowman touched on a few ways in his availability before the end of the season, but he mostly went into the team’s thoughts.
“The ways to do that are multiple,” Bowman said. “And sure enough, some of them can be staff. I think a lot, for us, is a mentality. What I mean by that is, we have a lot of players who have a lot of offensive skills and they want to make things happen around the team. and their intentions are good to try to generate an offense, and in the process of doing so it’s a bit of a double-edged sword, because you can create some real chances and you can be an offensive team , but the other side of it, you put yourself in tough places, often times; too often.
“It’s like learning as a group when those opportunities should be taken and when not. So of course you can improve in a number of ways. It can be staff, it can be changes in the way you play, but I think the mentality of our group, maybe a little more awareness of what you are doing at the moment can affect something 20-30 seconds later and you can put yourself and the team in a bad place, and that probably happens too often with our group. “
Bowman said the younger players here will do better if they matter as pros. But he also acknowledged that the veteran players are also “guilty” of it.
Head coach Jeremy Colliton agreed when asked if the mentality and purchasing of the entire group is the biggest obstacle if the Blackhawks want to take the next step next season.
“That’s it,” Colliton said. “I think we’ve made steps there, but just find a way to do it every shift, every game. And part of that is to build more depth, to develop our young players so they can do it every shift. If young player, sometimes you only get 10 shifts. Can you do it eight or nine out of 10? If they can, it really has an effect. “
Colliton cited Matthew Highmore as a “perfect example,” and gave a lengthy answer as to why.
“He doesn’t play 25 yards in a game, but the shifts he gets, he knows exactly what he needs to do,” Colliton said. “He goes out, he does it 100 miles per hour, he does not ride, he wins 50-50s, he does the puck forward, he gets it in, he goes to the net. That line scored three or four goals, at least, in the series plays against competition at the top line and it’s just because he’s ready to do the right thing.
“I thought the other guys did that too, and then he’s coming off. He’s not extending his shift, he’s not hanging in the offensive zone hoping to get a goal or get a second assist or a plus. get [rating]. When he started in D-zone, he pulls it out of D-zone, gets it in and 35 seconds in, the alarm bells go off in his head that he needs to step off, so Patrick Kane in a good place, maybe play against tired guys in ‘ the offensive zone or on an offensive zone faceoff.
“We need more of that. We need it up and down the lineup, and we will definitely be a much better team, because we will defend when we are fresh. We will control a better forward, because we advance check against tired guys, we will draw more penalties, you build energy in your group because you see people make team decisions and have a team-first mentality. And that’s how you win. “
There are certainly holes in the roster that fall on the management team. There are also challenges with the system, which falls on the coaching staff. And if the players are not yet fully acquired, then the Blackhawks will not be able to take the next step without tackling the loosening, because the organization, from top to bottom, cannot afford to go on several sides this season.
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