Following an impressive comeback victory against the Los Angeles Kings on Saturday night, the Chicago Blackhawks made their way to Anaheim for one last game before returning to the United Center. Although the start was not ideal, the Hawks secured a win, entering the final period with a 3-0 advantage and ultimately finishing 4-2.
Here are four key takeaways from the Blackhawks’ victory, highlighting some positives and negatives.
1. Special teams can have a significant impact, an area where the Blackhawks have faced challenges. Lukas Reichel earned the team’s first power play opportunity after being tripped by Alex Killorn. The Blackhawks capitalized on the power play, with Teuvo Teravainen scoring while the second unit was on the ice. This may raise eyebrows since Teravainen was on the second unit.
The first unit comprised Bedard, Reichel, Donato, Bertuzzi, and Jones, while the second unit included Smith, Maroon, Hall, Teravainen, and Vlasic. The first unit also scored, thanks to a Seth Jones one-timer in the second period. The Blackhawks won the special teams battle in this game, which has been a struggle throughout their recent road trip and the season overall. The outcome might have been very different without the benefit of their power play.
2. Is it time for Richardson to stabilize his line combinations? This thought builds on the first one. Head Coach Luke Richardson’s frequent line changes have been notable. In warmups, Kurashev was reunited with Bedard, although Kurashev was a healthy scratch not long ago. Teuvo Teravainen, who has been a key player for Bedard in October, found himself on the third line, a spot where Nick Foligno could be more effective. Lukas Reichel has also been shuffled around the lineup since missing the early games of the season. While mixing up the lines to generate more offense can be beneficial, the Hawks may benefit from more stability in the players’ positions.
3. A breakthrough for Arvid Soderblom. Congratulations to Arvid Soderblom on his first win of the season. He saved 37 of 39 shots, achieving a .949 save percentage. Soderblom had not played since a challenging outing against the Buffalo Sabres on October 19. He particularly shone in the first period of tonight’s game, keeping the Hawks competitive. Though the team has heavily relied on Petr Mrazek, Soderblom’s 1-1-1 record in his initial three games is an encouraging development.
4. Isaak Phillips demonstrates he belongs on the team. Isaak Phillips logged 11:40 minutes of ice time, having just played his first game of the season on Saturday. He made a significant impact early on, scoring the Blackhawks’ first goal of the night. Phillips performed well and may be putting pressure on Luke Richardson when considering bringing back TJ Brodie. He primarily teamed up with Alex Vlasic while also playing alongside Seth Jones and Wyatt Kaiser. At just 23 years old, Phillips has frequently alternated between Rockford and Chicago this season—perhaps he can soon establish a more stable position in Chicago.
While emerging talents like Kevin Korchinski and Artyom Levshunov generate excitement for the Blackhawks’ future on defense, players like Phillips and Nolan Allan have also shown they can contribute to the team’s prospects.
The Blackhawks will be back on the ice Wednesday against the Detroit Red Wings.
