Since the Blackhawks made the coaching change from Luke Richardson to Anders Sorensen on Dec. 5, the team has a 5-9-0 record entering tonight’s game against the Colorado Avalanche. That’s a .357 point percentage, which is tied with Seattle for the fourth-worst in the league since that specific date. Only San Jose (.269), Buffalo (.333) and the New York Rangers (.333) have been worse. Before the coaching change, the Blackhawks’ point percentage was… .346 — worst in the league.
A big reason for the struggles remains the offense. Since Sorensen was installed as the interim head coach, the Blackhawks are averaging 2.71 goals per game (again tied with Seattle, this time for 23rd in the league). The Hawks averaged 2.49 goals per game in 26 games before Richardson was let go.
So we’ve seen minimal improvement since the change. The big reason is the offense is still what it is: barely existent. But where the production has come from has shifted since the coaching change. Obviously Tyler Bertuzzi is on a heater right now; he has 9 goals and 2 assists in 14 games since the change. But a few other guys have also seen some ups and downs in their performances recently.
In 25 appearances before the coaching change, Taylor Hall had five goals and five assists while averaging 15:26 per night. That included his hat trick against Dallas. Since the coaching change: 3 goals and 8 assists in 14 games while averaging 15:09 per night. Ryan Donato scored two goals in Minnesota on the day after Thanksgiving. He’s scored once in 17 games since. It’s not for lack of trying; he’s put 37 shots on net in those 17 games (and he does have seven assists during that stretch). Since the coaching change was made on Dec. 5, Donato has seven points (1 goal, 6 assists) in 15 games and is averaging 15:22 per game. Before the coaching change: 15 points (10 goals, 5 assists) while averaging 14:34 per night in 24 games. However, Donato averaged 16:16 per game in 12 games in November. Teuvo Teräväinen had his terrific stretch of games in which he had one goal and 10 assists in a four-game stretch in December. Outside of those four games: Teräväinen has two assists in the other 11 games since the coaching change. He’s averaging 16:01 per night under Sorensen. In the 26 games before the coaching change, Teräväinen had six goals and six assists and averaged 16:51 per night. Reminder: tonight’s puck drop is at 6:30 PM CT.wednesday night hockey in the Windy City?️tune in on @NHL_On_TNT, @SportsonMax, & @truTV? pic.twitter.com/4WqKQaBmn6
— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) January 7, 2025 Yesterday I doubled-down on my conviction that the Blackhawks should make absolutely, positively every effort to get University of Denver (and, most recently, USA Hockey at the World Juniors) head coach David Carle to be the next permanent head coach in Chicago. I first wrote about the Blackhawks targeting Carle two days after they fired Luke Richardson because I feel that strongly that he’s the next DUDE. Well, it appears Elliotte Friedman is part of the growing contingent that agrees with me. He led off a late-night written “32 Thoughts” column last night with the following about the Blackhawks:1. If I were the Blackhawks, I would do everything possible to prevent Denver coach David Carle from even reaching the market. If Carle wishes to coach the Pioneers through the rest of the season in search of a second-straight title and third in four years, no problem, but the Blackhawks are in a unique spot where they can strike now — even if it means he isn’t coming until April.
St. Louis danced with him last summer and New Jersey made an introductory call, but someone is going to go all-out and soon. People love winners. Carle has a negotiator’s true power: the ability to say no. He’s got as much security as you can get in a place he loves. He’s seen how some of his peers who left the NCAA for the NHL were handled, and will leave not only for financial security but somewhere he believes he has a legitimate shot to win. When Blackhawks GM Kyle Davidson confronted his players after the Winter Classic, it was a signal the status quo is not acceptable. They were embarrassed. You can’t always rush a rebuild, but you have to compete and certainly can energize your fanbase by landing a coveted coach.
2. I’m reading Coach K: The Rise and Reign of Mike Krzyzewski by Ian O’Connor. The timing is nice because some of the best parts of the book are about Krzyzewski handling Kobe Bryant and LeBron James leading up to the 2008 Olympics. USA Basketball was weakened at the time, falling to bronze at the 2004 Games and in the 2006 World Cup. While the players respected his success — he’d won three titles by then — there are moments when this lifetime college coach must prove he can handle being tested by superstar professionals. He did it, resulting in three consecutive Olympic gold medals.
Carle could handle this, too. NHLers watch the world juniors and many would know those who’ve played for him.”
Written 32: t.co/D2rIXjgBh9
— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) January 8, 2025 Jason Dickinson had a demonstrative day at the office yesterday. At one point, he shattered a stick over the boards (and had to retrieve a new one from the room). In the video below, he and Nick Foligno exchanged ideas about where to have dinner after the skate. After the practice, Foligno told us the leadership group met after Sunday’s loss to talk about some things — specifically the team’s identity and effort. So it’s not surprising that Dickinson and Foligno, two veterans who signed up for more than 82 games to be part of the solution in Chicago and not trade chips by this time in March, would be heated when things weren’t right.Jason Dickinson has shown a lot of emotion at practice today. Here he appears to be venting his frustrations to Nick Foligno. #Blackhawks pic.twitter.com/SumJNXGfvx
— Charlie Roumeliotis (@CRoumeliotis) January 7, 2025 Really good read here from Ben Pope at the Chicago Sun-Times on the work Kevin Dean is doing with the Blackhawks’ defensemen and how the systems have changed since the coaching change. Included, a good analysis from Dean of Kevin Korchinski‘s maturation this year. Here’s a longer quote from Dean on Korchinski:“He was terrific in New York in his first game [on Dec. 9],” Dean said. “I was like, ‘Wow, his stick is so much stronger. He’s so much more assertive.’ He played well for a few games after that, but he did tail off a little bit, which every young player does. But I still thought he was stronger. You can see he’s physically stronger in battles, his stick was stronger and he was more assertive.
“Hopefully the next time he comes up, [his good play] stays for longer. I do think it’s a mental thing. At some point, he’ll have it, where he gets over that hump and the inconsistencies round out and he just plays the same way every night.”
Kevin Dean on Kevin Korchinski: "You can see he’s physically stronger in battles, his stick was stronger and he was more assertive. Hopefully the next time he comes up, [his good play] stays for longer."More on that at the bottom of this story: t.co/bmO69hYHUL
— Ben Pope (@BenPopeCST) January 7, 2025 Blackhawks prospect Roman Kantserov picked up an assist in the clip below, his third of the game on Tuesday. Kantserov is on a heater; he has nine goals and five assists in his last nine games. He’s now up to 22 points (11 goals, 11 assists) in 22 games in the KHL this season as a 20-year-old. He’s the only player under-21 in the KHL averaging a point per game right now. And he started the season late because he was recovering from shoulder surgery.? ЗА 1.3 СЕКУНДЫ ? ?#Металлург #Магнитогорск #ММК #Братьяпоогню pic.twitter.com/usiPMUgyns
— HCMETALLURG (@MetallurgMgn) January 7, 2025 Hey, we still get to hear Panger tonight on the national broadcast! Because we looove nationally televised games, right?Brendan Burke, Darren Pang & reporter Jackie Redmond will call Avalanche-#Blackhawks on Wednesday for @NHL_On_TNT.
— Jeff Agrest #? (@JeffAgrest) January 7, 2025 File this one away… FWIW I haven’t seen Philly in Chicago much recently but Toronto has been in the neighborhood a few times.#ScoutsInTheHouse for Maple Leafs-Flyers tonight in Philadelphia: Sabres, Sharks, Lightning, Maple Leafs, Ducks, Blackhawks
— Adam Kimelman (@NHLAdamK) January 7, 2025MORE FROM BLEACHER NATION: Check Out BN Fantasy | Subscribe to The BN Newsletter
Mike Vrabel got a strong endorsement before interviewing for the Bears’ head coaching gig. Hoo boy, Toronto! A report shared the terms Vladimir Guerrero, Jr. is asking for… wowza! Zach LaVine has been really good lately. Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( Improvements, Slumps, Frustration, Dean’s Defensive Work, Kantserov’s Hot, and Other Blackhawks Bullets )
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