If you went to sleep last night at a reasonable hour, I envy you. And here’s the link to my thoughts after the 4-0 loss in Denver. The Blackhawks came out with some energy but it evaporated right in front of us. The game turn𝔍ed from a compet💯itive tilt to a landslide (see what I did there?) loss that left fans cursing their coffee cups after midnight.
What made that game potentially a great result is the Blackhawks getting their tails whipped by the team they’re trying to become. They got a real good look at the bar that’s been set in the Central Division/Western Conference last night. Speed and size for days. Depth. Great defense. Did I mention speed? And Size?
But here’s small dose of reality when considering the size of the mountain the Blackhawks are figuratively trying to climb: Nathan MacKinnon is 28. Mikko Rantanen is 26. Cale Makar is 24. Devon Toews is 29. And Valeri Nichushkin is 28. To Mark Lazerus’ point below, the Avalanche ages line up with where the Blackhawks were in 2017-18 (at which point they had three rings and the franchise was starting to show some loose ends because of poor drafting and trading).
The current Blackhawks roster has a long way to go to catch up to the Avalanche. But let’s also remember the long-term plan isn’t for this roster to be the roster. This isn’t the New York Islanders with everyone locked-up for the next seven years. Speed is coming. Skill is coming. But it isn’t here yet. And, now, the young guys who played last night know exactly what it looks like to be a legit wagon in the NHL.
I have no doubt Connor Bedard had a tough time getting his eyes to shut on the plane ride home after he didn’t register a single shot attempt for the first time in his career. But you know what? After you play a terrific all-around game against Auston Matthews, Nathan MacKinnon is gonna have something waiting for you. And you know what else? The quote below is why I love that Nick Foligno is in this room. He can look Bedard in the eye with almost two decades of experience and sincerely tell him “It’s a grind. That’s one game. Learn from it and move on.”
The Blackhawks open the United Center and we finally get a chance to see Bedard and Kevin Korchinski in a regular-season game on his home ice. Here are some details for when things are going to happen tomorrow afternoon around the UC, including the first red carpet for Bedard and Korchinski.
Earlier this morning I shared some of the new food and drink options that will be available for both the Bulls and Blackhawks home games this year. If you’re looking for a really good meal and amazing beverage, there are some great new items on the menus.
If you love physical tickets as souvenirs, when a historic moment happens and you’re at a Blackhawks’ home game you’ll have a chance to buy a memento from the game. I still miss the pretty season tickets. Getting that box in the mail was like Christmas every year in September.
The college hockey schedule is absolutely LOADED this weekend with great games. GREAT games. And there are nine games that are not only great on paper and fantastic rivalries, but involve Blackhawks prospects. I’ve got the schedule for your Blackhawks-centric viewing.
Well played, Panthers fans. Well played indeed.
The No. 2 pick in the draft made his NHL debut last night and scored his first goal. Congrats, Leo!
Finally, some updates on the MLB playoffs.
