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Should there be worry about the Chicago Blackhawks after another bad preseason game against Minnesota?

It did not go well against Minnesota on Tuesday. The Hawks are 0-4 in the preseason. It may be the preseason, but the team has not looked good.

By Ethan Gawronski |
Minnesota Wild v Chicago Blackhawks
Minnesota Wild v Chicago Blackhawks / Michael Reaves/GettyImages
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The Chicago Blackhawks are now over half-way done with the preseason, and fans are beginning to wonder whether it is too early to press the panic button.

Tuesday, October 1st, saw the Blackhawks faceoff against the Minnesota Wild in the team's fourth contest of the preseason. On paper, the lineup against the Wild is projected to be the majority of who will be on the opening-night roster for the Blackhawks.

Despite taking the lead off a Jason Dickinson goal, the Blackhawks fell apart and were not able to keep up with their Central Division rival. A goal from Connor Bedard in the second period would be their last as the game ended with a score of 7-2 in favor of the Wild.

Here are the takeaways from the Blackhawks' 7-2 loss to Minnesota:

It was a rough game for Kevin Korchinski and Lukas Reichel...

When looking at how the Blackhawks' played against Minnesota, it is conclusive that no player had a good night. However, it was apparent when watching Kevin Korchinski and Lukas Reichel.

Korchinski had been a part of every preseason game for the Blackhawks leading into Tuesday's matchup. His first few games yielded decent results, but his decision making in the defensive zone was a glaring weakness against the Wild.

The young defender had his ups-and-downs during his rookie season, but the question was whether he would spend time in Rockford (AHL), now that he is eligible to play there. Fans questions were answered Wednesday morning (October 2nd), as Korchinski was sent down to the AHL where he will begin the regular season.

As for Lukas Reichel, he played similarly to how he played during the middle of last season. His carries with the puck often did not result in any chances offensively and he played timidly away from the puck.

This season is expected to be a make-or-break for Reichel as he is now off his rookie contract. With two preseason games remaining, he will have to really prove himself in order to make the opening night lineup.

The controversial debut of CHSN...

October 1st was the start of a new era for Chicago sports as CHSN debuted as the new television network for Chicago sports.

Many fans were not able to watch the game due to them not having access to the new network. CHSN has not yet signed contracts with all television providers, though some do have the network already.

The alternative to watching the games via cable is though a virtual antenna that allows access to over the air (OTA) channels where the game was being broadcasted.

This made many fans frustrated as they were not able to watch the Blackhawks game on the new network. It is not certain when all will be able to watch games via CHSN, though early reactions have not been overly positive.

On a positive note, the Blackhawks' new broadcasting duo of Rick Ball and Darren Pang sounded great.

Rick Ball was hired by the Blackhawks over the Summer after parting ways with Chris Vosters, bringing over a decade of broadcasting experience to the Blackhawks broadcast.

Ball and Pang together sounded natural as both know the game very well and are talented commentators. Pang joined the organization last season and was welcomed by fans as an enthusiastic and knowledgeable presence on the broadcast, and Ball's addition should also be met with appreciation from fans.

Team chemistry will need some work.

Throughout the entire preseason, there have not been many moments where it feels the Blackhawks' roster is truly gelling with each other.

In the first game of preseason, Connor Bedard seemed to show chemistry with new linemates Teuvo Teravainen and Tyler Bertuzzi. But, there have not been many moments other than that where a specific line seems to click.

It is worth noting that we are still in preseason, and not every game will showcase the same lineup that is expected on opening night.

In specific, the Reichel-Athanasiou-Hall line struggled. They were outshot mightily at 5-on-5 and were not able to create chances to balance out the defensive woes.

In the final two preseason games, it is likely that similar lines will be put together so players can start building more chemistry before the season begins.

With Korchinski and Nazar being sent down to Rockford, it seems that the roster is getting closer to finalization. Only a few more players need to be cut before the roster is set for game one, which will make things interesting going into the final games.

Despite it only being preseason, Tuesday's game in Minnesota showed that the Blackhawks still have some work to do before the 2024-25 season is underway.

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