Welcome to the recurring Blackhawks’ 3 Up, 3 Down column. Rather than solely fixating on all that will continue to go wrong for this club in 2022-23, you can expect just as much good news from these reads along the way. Not to worry if you can’t seem to find any such stories yourself, as we’ll do the digging for you!
The Chicago Blackhawks have been playing some of their best hockey recently. Because they are the second-worst team in the NHL, it may seem like there are a lot more negatives than positives, but with winning four of their last seven games and coming out of January with a 7-6 record, that isn’t the case. Here are some of the many highlights from this stretch as the team prepares to return from the All-Star Break on Feb. 7.
Plus One: Everyone is Contributing
When the Blackhawks had success early in October with a 5-4-2 record, the wins could be pinpointed to one specific aspect: shorthanded goals, hot goaltender play, or depth scoring. However, something that stands out from their recent success is that everyone on the team has contributed. Jason Dickinson, who went through a 30-game goal drought, now has three goals in his last five games. He’s not the only one:
- Seth Jones: 12 PTS in last 13 GP
- Max Domi: 5 PTS in last 5 GP
- Patrick Kane: 8 PTS in last 10 GP
- Sam Lafferty: 4 PTS in last 5 GP
- Colin Blackwell: 3 PTS in Last 6 GP
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To add to the contributions, when the Blackhawks faced the Calgary Flames on Jan. 26, all four lines scored a goal, and almost every forward, except for Reese Johnson, had a point. Speaking of Johnson, he had one goal in 37 games last season, and he had two straight games with a goal on Jan. 19 and 21, to give him four goals this season. Lastly, it also helps that goaltender Petr Mrazek got his first set of back-to-back wins since October. Hockey is a team game, and when everyone steps up, you’re going to win games, and for the Blackhawks, they finally started getting a complete team effort in the last few weeks. Whether all these players can sustain their hot streaks after the All-Star Break is to be determined, but it has been nice to see.
Minus One: Boris Katchouk’s Play
Forward Boris Katchouk is having a season to forget with the Blackhawks. When the season started, he had a lot riding on his shoulders to prove he was part of the organization’s plans. His ceiling has always been questionable, as all that was known is…
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