> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://eatthehatchet-hockey.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # First Win, Lingering Questions: Tactical Breakdown of the Blackhawks' 4-2 Victory - URL: https://eatthehatchet-hockey.com/blackhawks-blues-recap-levshunov-powerplay-tactic/ - Published: 2026-10-07T15:58:26.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-07T16:01:46.000Z - Description: Chicago earned its first win against St. Louis, but the process still needs work. Levshunov, the power play, and more. - Author: Steve Kwiatkowski - Tags: Game Recaps The Chicago Blackhawks won 4-2 over the St. Louis Blues for their first victory of the season. Chicago seems to look better with every game, but there are still some kinks in their tactical execution. Let's dive in. ## Artyom Levshunov Artyom Levshunov had an excellent night. While the analytics aren't pretty (the Blackhawks had a 46.15 percent shot attempt share and 45.44 percent expected goals share at 5-on-5 with him on the ice), Levshunov's offense and skating were on display. 0:00 /0:15 1× Levshunov's beautiful play on Anton Frondell's goal. In all situations, Levshunov only had two shot attempts and one shot on goal. Last season, Levshunov spammed a lot of low-quality shots that didn't generate meaningful chances. Last night, he played a smart game. Watch the clip below as he kept the puck in the offensive zone following a face-off loss. 0:00 /0:34 1× Levshunov keep in (top left of the screen) Holding the blue line has been a problem for the Blackhawks back-end. Levshunov's play generated an extended look in the offensive zone. I praised Levshunov's play in the [previous recap](https://eatthehatchet-hockey.com/blackhawks-sabres-three-sustains-frondell-levshunov/), and while there's still a lot to improve (he led Chicago in giveaways with three), his improvement deserves a longer breakdown. ## Improved Offensive Zone Play While the Hawks only had one period in which they were in the positive for possession metrics (a 55.56 percent Corsi in the first period), excellent passing led to longer shifts in the offensive zone. 0:00 /0:36 1× Blackhawks OZ shift In the clip above, Chicago took advantage of a tired St. Louis defense. Players found space and stretched the zone to create lanes, like Roman Kantserov at the 0:22 second mark. But do you see the problem? The shots the Hawks did take were low-quality. It's not a surprise Chicago finished with a 36.5 percent xG share. There were too many passes around the perimeter and not enough chances from within the house. Below is the Hawks unblocked shots heat map. Matches well with the clip. ![Blackhawks vs. Blues unblocked shots heat map (5v5)](https://eatthehatchet-hockey.com/content/images/2026/10/Blackhawks_vs_Blues_heatmap.png) Blackhawks vs. Blues unblocked shots heat map (5v5) ## Improved Powerplay Before Tuesday night, the Blackhawks were zero for seven on the power play. Last night, Sam Rinzel broke that spell with a goal that came at the end of an unspectacular man-advantage. 0:00 /0:14 1× Sam Rinzel goal Chicago finished with seven shot attempts, five unblocked shot attempts, and four shots on goal through two power plays. Their zone entry looked better, too. 0:00 /0:11 1× Bowen Byram (who looks much better on his left side at 5-on-5 play, by the way) initiated a double-drop entry, but it was Patrick Kane who carried the puck and dished it wide to Anton Frondell. The idea with drop entries is to take advantage of a roster's speed. By the time the puck carrier drops at the blue line, a forward should have built up speed and momentum while the penalty kill spreads back. This might not be the ideal entry for the Hawks, considering most players telegraph the pass so blatantly, but it worked against the Blues. --- It wasn't a perfect win. Chicago still sends too many forwards deep on the forecheck and they turtled in the third period. But they took more steps in the right direction.