Steve's Notebook: The Chicago Blackhawks and Early Doubts
The Blackhawks can't connect passes or break out cleanly. We look at video clips, underlying metrics, and big questions facing the coaching staff after two games.
The Chicago Blackhawks are off to a less-than-ideal start. They're 0-2 with a combined score of 11-2. It's only two games, but I can't help but feel frustrated with the process and the results. And that's the thing. It isn't so much the results that have bothered me, it's the process. At a fundamental level, this team seems broken. They can't connect passes and lose countless board battles. Players make risky plays without support yet look hesitant to make smart, aggressive plays at the same time. It's a paradox of being aggressively dumb and timidly careful.
Here's a brutal shift that pretty much sums up their inability to break out:
Here's a nice clip of the Blackhawks' inability to break out. pic.twitter.com/CKH8m8zdGd
— Eat The Hatchet (@EatTheHatchet) October 2, 2026
These are the same problems this team dealt with at the end of last season. What's concerning is that the young, inexperienced players who should have taken steps forward seem to have regressed. Focus on Sam Rinzel in the above clip. Do we remember when certain pundits claimed that he didn't need time in Rockford?
Part of last night's problem was Chicago using a three-high breakout against a fairly aggressive 1-2-2 forecheck.
Wyatt Kaiser Three-High Breakout Attempt
Here's another poor breakout attempt:
Blackhawks at Utah breakout attempt
It's only two games, but Bowen Byram doesn't look like a No. 1 defenseman. According to Hockey Stats, Byram and Alex Vlasic had a 6.5% expected goals share. Even when Byram was moved to his natural side, he looked bad (but better). He created turnovers at the offensive bluelines on a couple of occasions.
But it's not just on the players. Sure, they're learning new teammates with inexperienced players, plus they're without their best player, Connor Bedard. But questions need to be asked of the coaching staff. Below are the line combinations from last night's game.
A shortened preseason doesn't help. But when systemic issues that were evident last season aren't addressed by the start of the new season, isn't that an issue? The Blackhawks have continued to struggle in the DZ and on breakouts. Has anyone asked Anders Sorensen—who's in charge of the defensive zone—why this isn't working? There are fair excuses early on, but how long can they be allowed to persist?
