Goals are great, but this is better for the Blackhawks

Rewind to last season... And the seasons before that. The Chicago Blackhawks had no identity, no consistent play style, no heart, and the list goes on. This can directly be blamed on the carousel of coaches the team has cycled through since 2018, where Jeremy Colliton, Luke Richardson, Derek King, and Anders Sorensen either never had the chance or never had the desire to set the culture, on the ice, with the team, and with the coaching staff. The team would come out, and maybe only five players were playing as if they wanted to win, or as if they thought they would win.

The leadership begins with the head coach, then the coaching staff, and then the captain. The leader is the one who calls the shots on the team, and it is up to the coaches to create a system and culture that a team can buy into. Consider the Blackhawks of the past: puck-focused, tight system, and tenacity. You would have this feeling like the game is never over until the clock runs out, especially after the 2013 Stanley Cup Final. The clutch was expected, and teams knew what they were getting into when they played the Blackhawks.

The Florida Panthers hired Paul Maurice, traded for Matthew Tkachuk, and a new system was put in place that those players bought into. The Panthers are the inspiration for the Blackhawks this season, where the forecheck is fast and suffocating. The team doesn't hit as much as the Panthers, but they don't back down. The team is finally starting to stand up for each other and themselves; the rookies aren't a punching bag anymore, though the penalties could be a bit more even. Seriously, a Blackhawk gets jumped and he's in the box for roughing. However, I would much rather have these penalties after the team stands up for one another than just letting things go.

The leadership group on the Blackhawks is, on paper, Nick Foligno, Connor Murphy, and Jason Dickinson. However, Connor Bedard and Frank Nazar are being increasingly vocal in the locker room, and Alex Vlasic wore the "A" when Dickinson was out with an injury. The team has leaders and locker room presence throughout the roster, and with a coach like Jeff Blashill, they are not afraid to speak up for the team. Sam Rinzel has shown that he is not afraid to stand up for himself, and the coaching staff is allowing it (Colliton would not allow players like Murphy to fight). These young guys are on the way to fully taking over the team, including captaincy, and fans should be excited for the seasons to come.

The Blackhawks are sending a message to the rest of the league: We are here to win now, and when you play us, you're getting a fast, tenacious group who will not back down to anyone. The team forechecks and backchecks with the same energy. The team is playing a structured game, they have a culture they believe in, and the identity is starting to develop. The goals are great, but this new structure, culture, and mentality of the Blackhawks are coming together, and this is way more important.

As Kyle Davidson said when he started, "Jump on the bandwagon now." These guys are going places fast.