Never a dull moment for Blackhawks on road trip
What a bizarre road trip the Blackhawks just finished Tuesday, huh?
They were gone for just eight days but certainly kept fans' heads spinning with big news and big decisions seemingly every day.
Here's my take on all of it as they prepare to face the red-hot Vancouver Canucks on Thursday at the United Center.
Seabrook's scratches:
The decision to sit Brent Seabrook against the Los Angeles Kings on Oct. 27 certainly raised some eyebrows. But the decision to do it again two nights later in Nashville turned some heads in "Exorcist"-like fashion.
For better or worse, this was a defining moment for coach Jeremy Colliton.
In one fell swoop, he sent a clear message to the entire roster: Your salary and history guarantees nothing. If you're not performing, your ice time will suffer. If it continues, you'll sit for a game. Or two. Or perhaps longer.
To be sure, it was a bold move. But did Colliton lose Seabrook - and a veteran or two - along the way?
There's no doubt Seabrook was not happy with the decision, so it will be interesting to see how it affects his play. As for perhaps waiving his no-movement clause, Seabrook told Scott Powers of The Athletic: "I think I've got a lot to offer this team. I want to be in Chicago, help this team. I think I've still got a lot in the tank.
"It's obviously frustrating when you're not playing. Like I said, I feel like I've got lots to offer this group, and I want to be here in Chicago."
Case closed? Only time will tell.
Dach's docked:
A day after losing 3-0 at Nashville, the Hawks announced that Kirby Dach would be sticking around all season. In many ways, that seems like a shortsighted decision.
Dach's game figures to improve this season, but there's nothing to suggest that he's going to post numbers like Connor McDavid, Jack Eichel, Auston Matthews, Patrik Laine, Nico Hischier or Brady Tkachuk did during their rookie campaigns. Five of those six notched 20 goals in their first year, and the only reason McDavid (16G in 45 games) didn't is because he was injured.
Sending Dach back to juniors would have been difficult on management - especially considering the mounting pressures to right this ship - but there's a strong possibility it would have been better for his long-term development.
Boqvist on board:
Next came the somewhat shocking news that Adam Boqvist was promoted from Rockford.
Boqvist hasn't looked at all out of place and is doing a fine job quarterbacking the Hawks' suddenly potent second power-play unit.
The guess here is he gets shuttled back and forth to Rockford for a good chunk of the season. His first ticket back to the IceHogs might come as early as mid-November when Connor Murphy is eligible to come off long-term injured reserve.
Leaning on Lehner:
After 14 games, there's little doubt who the Hawks' starting goalie is at this point. It's Robin Lehner, and it's not even close.
Lehner's save percentage (.935) ranks fifth in the league, while his goals-against average (2.33) ranks 12th. Even more remarkable, Lehner has stopped 39 of 41 shots while the Hawks have been short-handed.
Meanwhile, Corey Crawford's save percentage (.892) ranks 39th and his goals-against average (3.74) ranks 48th.
Until he stumbles - if he ever does - Lehner figures to get the majority of the starts going forward.
Coming home:
Before the Hawks departed on their four-game road trip, I commented on Twitter that 4 out of 8 points would have been acceptable. They got 3, going 1-2-1.
So it wasn't a complete disaster, but there are still plenty of disturbing signs. Chief among them is the Hawks' inability to effectively exit the defensive zone and their maddeningly weak attempts at dumping the puck into the offensive zone.
Combine these two issues with weak D-zone coverage and it's no wonder Colliton's team was outshot by a combined 170-105 at Nashville, Los Angeles, Anaheim and San Jose.
The Hawks need to right the ship, and fast because the upcoming schedule is downright nasty.
My gut says they need to play at least .500 hockey over the next eight games, then figure out a way to rattle off 5 straight victories over Dallas (twice), Colorado (twice) and St. Louis.
If they do that, the playoffs are still a possibility.
If not, odds are they'll be hoping the Ping-Pong balls bounce their way come April.
Scouting report
Scouting report
Blackhawks vs. Vancouver Canucks, 7:30 p.m. Thursday at United Center
TV: NBCSCH • Radio: WGN 720-AM
The skinny: The Blackhawks would love to face a struggling squad upon their return from a rough four-game road trip. But their wish will not be granted. Vancouver is 9-3-3 overall and 9-1-3 since opening the season with back-to-back losses. Elias Pettersson is leading the way with 20 points (6 goals), but he's getting plenty of help from Brock Boeser (7 goals), J.T. Miller (6) and Bo Horvat (6). … A key for the Hawks will be staying out of the penalty box because the Canucks' power play is converting at a 26 percent clip on a whopping 50 chances over the last 11 games. Meanwhile, the Hawks have just 42 PP opportunities in their 14 contests.
Next: Pittsburgh Penguins, 6 p.m. Saturday at PPG Paints Arena
- John Dietz