The Blackhawks have been partying like it’s 2023-24 lately and it’s destroying them

Let’s give the Blackhawks some credit: At least they’re somewhat living up to preseason expectations, even if the most optimistic, die-hard fans expected more than most. Still, it’s another building block or two in a lengthy rebuilding project that’s still hard to watch at times. 

But if there was one place they needed to improve but haven’t yet, it’s in the goal-scoring realm, something I outlined in the piece linked above. Lately, however, the Hawks don’t even look like they know where the opposing net is on the ice, having scored just five goals in their previous four games.

Yeah, there’s bad, but then, and excuse my lazy writing but an adverb is the only way to describe their scoring right now; there’s impressively bad. Impressively bad, as in flashing back to the meager 2023-24 season that saw them find twine just 179 times, good for a 32nd ranking in as many teams. 

Yes, harsh, but in last night’s loss to the Seattle Kraken, they hit a season-low, getting just 19 shots off and seeing just one go in. Over the past four games, the Hawks have found the back of the net more than once against only the Minnesota Wild, a game in which they upset one of the NHL’s better squads in a 2-1 thriller.

Blackhawks have gone from bad to worse in the goal-scoring realm

Want to know the Hawks overall shooting percentage since their 4-1 loss to the Detroit Red Wings on November 6th? It’s a meager 5.2 percent. So, now the question is: What must this team do if they plan on breaking out of this slump?

For one, their playmakers need to have the puck on their sticks and find a way to create enough space to get their better scorers into a lane. Ryan Donato continues to thrive in the latter, with eight goals and a 20.5 shooting percentage, and it's long past time to get him onto the ice more often than the 13:44 he’s averaged so far this year. 

Tyler Bertuzzi and Nick Foligno are tied for second with five goals apiece, boasting a respective 15.6 and 17.2 shooting percentage. The good news is that Foligno is already playing top-six minutes, and Bertuzzi isn’t far behind, but they need the puck on their stick more often when there’s a chance to score. 

Connor Bedard can’t find the back of the net right now, but he’s been the premier playmaker so far. When a play is developing, he needs the puck, as do blueliners Seth Jones, Alex Vlasic, and Connor Murphy, who rank between second and fourth on the team in assists. 

Overall, the Hawks just aren’t doing what I’ve prescribed for them above consistently enough, and until it happens, you can forget about them improving in the scoring realm. That said, they better hope their goaltenders, one of whom is playing surprisingly well at the moment, keep these games within reach.