The Blackhawks are stuck in a miserable loop, and nothing about the last week has done much to suggest it’s going to change anytime soon.
Chicago has dropped six straight and nine of its last 10, and the numbers around that skid are brutal. The Blackhawks are 4-13-1 through 18 games, still without a road win, and still without a game in which they’ve outscored an opponent at 5-on-5.
Their minus-37 goal differential is the worst in the league, even worse than Vancouver’s minus-34, and it has pushed Chicago back to No. 31 in the standings - the same spot it has finished in each of the last three seasons. There was a time when playoff talk surrounded this team.
That feels like a different universe now.
The underlying numbers are just as ugly. Entering Monday’s action, the Blackhawks sat last in goals per game at 2.17, 31st in goals against at 4.22, worst on the power play at 9.80 percent, 28th in shot percentage at 9.4 percent, 31st in save percentage at .862, worst on faceoffs at 41.9 percent, 30th in 5-on-5 shot attempt share at 44.36 percent, 31st in 5-on-5 shot share at 42.88 percent, 30th in 5-on-5 expected goal share at 41.04 percent, last in 5-on-5 scoring chance share, 30th in high-danger chance share at 42.51 percent, and dead last in 5-on-5 goal differential at minus-26.
The one bright spot? They’re 11th on the penalty kill at 78.57 percent.
Plan the parade!
That’s the backdrop for the growing sense that Jeff Blashill’s time behind the bench is running out. An article was already being prepared over the weekend about his firing, and the piece was still waiting on final details because, as the reporting put it, the organization seems to be the only one not fully committed to the inevitable. With the way this season is going, the question isn’t really whether Chicago will make a change - it’s when.
The schedule hasn’t offered much relief, either. The Blackhawks had a summer to map things out, then got five days off in mid-October after a 3-6-0 start.
That pause led to one of their worst efforts yet, a 4-1 loss to Montreal. Now they’re back from another break, and the idea that four days off in November will suddenly fix what’s broken feels pretty thin.
There’s also the matter of what’s happening in the room. Hockey talk is usually packed with the usual clichés about culture and chemistry, but Spencer Knight offered something sharper earlier this week when asked about Arvid Soderblom’s demotion. His comments, as tweeted by Chicago Tribune reporter Kalen Lumpkins, were unusually direct:
I look at myself and the people in this room - (we) should be pissed off at ourselves for letting us allow that to happen. I think we put him in pretty shitty spots, to be honest with you.
I’m sure there’s times where he wants to perform and play better, but I think he’s played really well for us for a long stretch of time, and I think there are times that we fucked him over as a team.
I wish I could be there for him. When suddenly that happens to your teammate, especially as a goalie partner, I don’t feel good about it.
I hope everyone on the team takes a little pride in the sense that we can’t let that stuff happen, and we can’t put our teammates in those spots.
Knight has been one of the few bright spots on this roster, stopping 25 of 26 shots against the Kings and 25 of 27 against the Blues for half of Chicago’s wins this season. But the bigger takeaway from his comments wasn’t the save totals.
It was the accountability. He didn’t hide behind vague talk or pin everything on one teammate.
He put himself in the same bucket as everyone else in the room and made it clear Soderblom wasn’t the only one who failed him.
That’s a lot more meaningful than the standard hockey boilerplate. And it’s the kind of voice this team could use more of if it’s ever going to climb out of the league’s basement.
For now, though, the Blackhawks are where they’ve been far too often: near the bottom, searching for answers, and hoping the next break in the schedule somehow changes everything. Thursday brings Buffalo to town, and the Sabres, despite being 19th in the standings as of Wednesday morning, have won four of six and appear to be finding their footing again.
In Other News...
Blackhawks Search For A Spark As Losing Streak Keeps Dragging On
With the losses piling up, the Blackhawks turned to a familiar organizational move for a little jolt in net. Backup goaltender Arvid Sderblom was placed on waivers and then assigned to the Rockford IceHogs after clearing, while Drew Commesso was brought up from Rockford on Nov. 8 as Chicago looked for a way to steady things and reset the tone around the room.
The timing says plenty about where the team is right now, with captain Connor Bedard and others stressing the need for more competitiveness and momentum as the skid drags on. Commessos potential to give the group a different look has become part of the conversation, and for a team searching for any spark, even a change in the crease can feel like it carries more weight than usual. [Read more 🡒]
Blackhawks Are Suddenly Getting Help Where They Need It Most
The Blackhawks are getting a little healthier at a time when they can use it most. Head coach Jeff Blashill said Patrick Kane and Bowen Byram are expected back within the next few days after both skated with the team in non-contact jerseys, a sign the group is inching closer to having two important pieces available again. For a team trying to steady itself, simply getting those bodies back into the mix can change the feel around the bench.
Chicago is also making a move behind the scenes to help shore up its structure. The club announced the addition of former Stanley Cup champion Mark Eaton to the coaching staff as a defensive coach, a hire that fits the need for more guidance on that side of the puck. With reinforcements coming on the ice and a new voice joining the staff, the Blackhawks suddenly have a few more reasons to believe the next stretch could look different. [Read more 🡒]
Blackhawks Slump Has Put Kyle Davidson Under Real Pressure
Kyle Davidson is set to face the media in the wake of a 4-13-1 start that has left the Blackhawks searching for answers and, more importantly, direction. The early-season slide has intensified the spotlight on the front office, where every move now carries extra weight for a team still trying to balance patience with the urgency to improve.
The bigger question around the organization is what comes next in terms of roster construction, because the Blackhawks are being linked to trade discussions as they look for ways to shake up the group. There has also been chatter around possible veteran movement and future draft assets, which only adds to the sense that Chicago could be entering a more active phase of its rebuild, even if the exact shape of that approach is still unclear. [Read more 🡒]