Seth Needs to be Better, PP Problems, AM34’s Ridiculous Start, Booing Bedard, and Other Blackhawks Bullets

The Blackhawks lost in Montreal last night. They showed up with four flat tires but rebounded to try their best to come all the way back. Losing 3-2 with how pedestrian their first two periods were is another indication that Luke Richardson has this team skating in the same direction. I keep saying it but here it is again: there are going to be mistakes from the youngsters. We’re going to get frustrated at times. But as long as the kids keep improving and the mistakes aren’t duplicated, we’re seeing the baby steps we want/need to see.

  • WITH THAT BEING SAID, we need to talk about Seth Jones. He didn’t have a good night last night, and it had nothing to do with hitting the post with a shot in the closing seconds of regulation on a shot that would have tied the game. Last year — you know, when Jonathan Toews was in the room… — there were times that Richardson stapled Jones’ backside to the bench for extended periods because there were shifts when he did the wrong thing, didn’t do what was expected and/or the efforts wasn’t there. Well, there have been a few times through three games that I think Richardson would absolutely love to staple his tail to the bench already this year.
  • Here’s the problem: Richardson’s got three rookies on his blue line. He’s already skating Kevin Korchinski over 20 minutes every night and Alex Vlasic is right behind him. The shift below drove me crazy last night. Not only was the effort half @$$$ but, as Richardson said postgame, the discipline was nowhere to be found. Jones wants to be a leader on this young team. Fine. He needs to be better than what we’ve seen thus far on the ice.
  • Also, while I’m on that soapbox: give the keys to the struggling power play to Korchinski. Move Jones to the second unit. Korchinski moves the puck faster, he’s more creative with his passes and he’s a better skater. Jones has been too deliberate on the power play and the Blackhawks are 0-14 to show for it. Am I putting 100 percent of the blame for the power play on Jones? Hell no. But it ain’t working and they have an interesting option for an important — critical — spot on the unit. So make the change. If they’re going to struggle, do it with the horses that are going to be the next wave: give me Korchinski, Lukas Reichel and Connor Bedard on the top power play starting in Toronto.
  • Ben Pope write some more about the power play after last night’s 0-7 (which should only ever be an early first quarter football score, not the end of the night on the power play). Good read from Pope here.
  • Yeah, we’re getting a third tweet from Ben this morning but he was on his game last night. Wanna talk about leadership in the room? Read what Tyler Johnson said after the game last night. This dude has been there and done that and has rings to show for it. When you’re a leader in the league with experience on your resume, you know there are times to say things to the boys’ faces in the room and there are times to say things to the cameras and microphones for the boys to read/hear later. Tyler knew what he was doing last night. And I respect the hell out of it.
  • And what’s waiting for the Hawks in Toronto on Monday night? Gulp.
  • Bedard extended his career-starting point streak to three last night. If he can post a point in every game on the road trip he’ll be half-way to Toews’ franchise record.
  • Bedard was excited to play in Montreal last night. He was also excited to be on “Hockey Night in Canada.” When the Habs fans booed him the entire night, he said he “loved it.” Montreal fans are smart hockey fans and hearing it from them as a rookie is a badge of honor.
  • Happy birthday to Willie O’Ree. There has been a lot of talk lately about whether or not hockey is indeed for everyone. It should be. But there are times when a lot of people feel like it isn’t. O’Ree is a trailblazer who helped open doors for a lot of people to be part of this great game. So a tip of my fedora to Mr. O’Ree and a happiest of birthdays.
  • Finally, Bear down today.
  • written by

    Tab Bamford has been writing about the Chicago Blackhawks for almost two decades. He joined Bleacher Nation as the lead Blackhawks writer in May 2022. Tab is a member of the and is the author of three books about the Blackhawks: (Triumph Books),"100 Things Blackha🎉wks Fans Shoul🧔d Know & Do Before They Die" (Triumph Books) and "Chicago Blackhawks: An Illustrated Timeline" (Reedy Press, 2021). Findꦇ him on Twitter/X/Instagram🧸/Threads at @The1Tab

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