Chicago Blackhawks Struggle During Month of November

Young talent and old stars give fans something to feel good about

If there’s anything fans of the Chicago Blackhawks should be excited about this season, it’s some of the young talent on the team and the resurgence of a couple veterans. Instead of focusing on the negative play as a whole, let’s highlight who has been fun to watch so far.

Drafted 29th overall just a year ago, 19-year-old defenseman Henrik Jokiharju has been impressive and exceeded expectations. While he doesn’t have a goal yet in 23 games, 10 assists for a rookie blue-liner isn’t something to complain about. He’s one of five rookie defensemen with 10 points or more so far this year.

Jokiharju is also great defensively, as he should be. He has the best Corsi-for percentage (56.09) of all Blackhawks skaters at even strength and fourth-best (55.61) at all strengths. The team creates high-danger scoring chances (50) than they face (42) with him on the ice. Without a doubt, Jokiharju has quickly grown into the best defender Chicago has at the moment.

More from Analysis

• Blackhawks: Three Noticeable Improvements in Comeback Win vs Blues
• Blackhawks: Key Takeaways from 3-2 win over the Blues
• Blackhawks: Grading Connor Murphy and a position comparison
• Blackhawks: Shuffling the lines to try and spark offense at 5 on 5
• These Lineup Changes could Solve the Blackhawks’ Scoring Problem

Alex DeBrincat continues to prove everyone who passed on him before the Blackhawks picked him in the second round wrong. He has 10 goals and 10 assists in 26 games, putting him on pace for 63 points this season. His ability to use his size to his advantage and drive play is fantastic. And with his former junior teammate Dylan Strome now on his line, it’ll be interesting to see if they can recreate some magic and give the offense some life.

For the veterans, it’s great to see Brandon Saad and Jonathan Toews find their game again. Despite a rough start to the season, Saad has rejuvenated his old self. Whenever he’s on the ice, he’s hunting for the puck and forechecking to give the Blackhawks offensive opportunities. In October, Saad had just 6 points in 13 games. In November, he recorded 8 points in 11 games. That may not seem like a lot, but he’s noticeable every time he takes a shift now, which is something we didn’t see earlier in the year.

The captain hasn’t been too bad himself, so everyone can stop calling for him to be traded. 21 points in 26 games puts Jonathan Toews on track for 66 points this season, which would tie his point total from 2014-15. Most fans can probably agree he looks way better this year than he has before, with his speed being the most noticeable improvement. Sure, he regressed for a couple of years, but Toews is still one of the top two-way centers in the league. No matter what people say he’s never been bad.

Joel Quenneville wasn’t the problem, and neither is Jeremy Colliton.

When the Chicago Blackhawks announced Joel Quenneville‘s firing on November 6, the hockey world exploded. No one could understand how one of the best coaches in the history of the National Hockey League, a guy who sits second all-time in wins (890), was suddenly without a job. Only the front office of the Blackhawks was sure of the move.

“But as we look to a future history not yet defined, we believe the change we made today, will provide the Chicago Blackhawks a critical element in achieving our goals of Championships in the future, including this season.” – Rocky Wirtz on Joel Quenneville’s firing

What made them so sure Quenneville was the issue with the Blackhawks’ lack of recent success? 2017-2018 was the first season he had a coaching record below .500 in 22 years. There’s no doubt in anyone’s mind he’ll be in the Hockey Hall of Fame someday. The firing is still something I can’t wrap my head around and it’s been almost a month since it happened.

Sure, Joel Quenneville had his faults. He had his system and didn’t give a long leash to players who wouldn’t acclimate to this coaching style. That resulted in the dismissal of players that have succeeded elsewhere, but that happens all the time throughout the league. He’s still Joel Quenneville and there may not be a better head coach in the league.

Despite the fact that I wholeheartedly disagree with Quenneville’s firing, I’m still rooting for Jeremy Colliton to succeed. Erik Gustafsson complimented Colliton’s coaching style when he was the head coach for the Rockford Ice Hogs last season in helping him gain confidence.

“He wanted us up in the rush like Q wants us to join the rush all the time because you have better gap when you come back if you lose the puck and stuff. That helped me a lot. I felt confidence right off the bat when I started in games. It was more like we played like Chicago wanted to. It was not the big difference when I first got the call-up the first year. I think it helped me a lot. I like that play. It’s more like my game plan and how I want to play the game for sure. That helped me for sure.” – Erik Gustafsson via Scott Powers of The Athletic

Former Blackhawk Vinnie Hinostroza also credited Colliton for helping improve his game in the AHL.

It’s good for the Blackhawks’ brass to have all the faith in the world in a young guy like Colliton. Every article and tweet I’ve read since his hiring has been filled with nothing but compliments about his abilities behind the bench. The Blackhawks seem to believe there’s something truly special about him since they have him signed through the 2020-21 season.

But trying to figure out exactly what you have with a young, up-and-coming coach like Colliton is difficult when your roster is mediocre. The head coach can only do so much with the players he’s given. And what the front office has provided him is a group of defenders who can barely defend, one of the best wingers in the league, a top two-way center, and their band of merry men.

And that’s not on Jeremy Colliton or Joel Quenneville. The roster is on management. It’s their job to fix the team and put together a group of 23 players they believe can be a force in the National Hockey League.

Want your voice heard? Join the Blackhawk Up team!

Write for us!

Overall, the Chicago Blackhawks finished 3-8-2 in the month of November. They are 9-12-5 on the season and 27th in the league. With a tough month of matchups coming up, the Blackhawks will be put to the test once again. Let’s hope for some improvement in their play and more wins in December.