Which Chicago Blackhawks Players Have Over-Performed and Under-Performed to Start the Season?

The Chicago Blackhawks season has not started the way fans, and the team alike had hoped for.

After losing on Halloween night to the San Jose Sharks, the Blackhawks are tied for last place in the NHL standings with a record of 3-7-1.

Following a strong performance that led to a win against the Colorado Avalanche, the Blackhawks were unable to capitalize on their chances and struggled to stop the Sharks' momentum in the second period.

The third period saw the play controlled by the Blackhawks with plenty of shots being thrown at Sharks' goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood, who stopped 28 of 30 shots.

With many new faces in the lineup, it is reasonable to believe that the team is still finding its footing this season.

The team plays tough and produces many more chances than last season, but the luck has not been there yet.

According to the Moneypuck.com, the Blackhawks are 22nd in the NHL in terms of goals for above-expected, coming in at -1.86.

While that number reflects the offensive woes of the team, it also shows that the team should be scoring more. Puck luck is a stat that is difficult to track in the NHL, and it is reasonable to expect that number to increase throughout the season. The chances have been there, but the goals have not.

The scoring is an issue that the Blackhawks will continue to work on, but that does not mean there haven't been positive performances on the roster.

For example, Lukas Reichel is playing far and away better than he did last season. Despite being on the fourth line, he has worked alongside Pat Maroon and Craig Smith as the trio has been effective in most games they've played.

Since making his debut, Reichel has 4 points in 7 games which would be a 46 point pace over 82 games.

Other players on the roster have also had surprising starts to the season, while some have underwhelmed. These are two players who BlackhawkUp believes have surprised positively and negatively for the Blackhawks.

Out of everyone on the Blackhawks roster, the two who have exceeded expectations the most are Ryan Donato and Connor Murphy.

When Ryan Donato was initially signed by the Blackhawks, it was immediately that he was the type of player Luke Richardson wanted on his roster. His tenacity and reliability made him someone who could play up and down the lineup if needed.

So far this season, Donato has been one of the most consistent members of the Blackhawks. A goal scored against his former team in San Jose puts Donato at 6 goals through 9 games. That puts him at twice the amount of goals as anyone else on the team.

On an expiring contract, Donato has been playing some of the best hockey of his career and will look for a payday come the offseason.

Primarily, Donato has been in the bottom six in a forechecking role which is where he succeeds. His recent play has rewarded him with more opportunities as he has been the biggest surprise on the Blackhawks this season.

Connor Murphy is another player who has quietly had a great start for the Blackhawks this season.

The 31-year-old defenseman has tallied six assists in 11 games this year, already nearing last season's total of eight points in 46 games.

As a true shutdown defender, Murphy plays a physical game and will block any shot that comes at him. However, this season, he's been a solid two-way presence with his point production, along with plus 3 in the plus-minus category.

Murphy has yielded good results being paired alongside Alex Vlasic, who looks as though he has taken another step forward. They both were put together to be the shutdown pair for Luke Richardson, but have turned into the most reliable pairing at both ends of the ice.

While it is likely that the point production will go down throughout the season, Murphy will always be one of the more relied on players in the Blackhawks lineup as a true defensive defenseman.