The Blackhawks arrive on Long Island with a little momentum and a lot of youth driving the conversation.
Chicago snapped into the win column Tuesday with a 4-2 upset of the St. Louis Blues, and now the task is turning that result into something sturdier when it meets the New York Islanders on Thursday. It’s a short road trip, but one that asks plenty of a team still trying to settle in.
The Islanders, meanwhile, come home needing to steady themselves after dropping two of their first three games. They’ll be looking to protect home ice and get back to .500.
For the Blackhawks, the spotlight falls on Frank Nazar and Anton Frondell, two young players who have already shown they can bother New York.
Nazar, Chicago’s 22-year-old top-line center, has faced the Islanders only twice, and both times the Blackhawks walked away with wins. The first came in mid-December 2023, when Chicago stunned New York 5-3. The second was back in March, when Nazar put together a multi-point night, scoring the game-winner and adding an assist in a 4-3 victory.
Frondell has only one game against the Islanders on his ledger, but it was a productive one. He picked up an assist on Ilya Mikheyev’s goal in March, a play that gave Chicago a 2-1 lead late in the first period.
Frondell has started this season with four points in four games.
The recent series between the teams has been close enough to keep things interesting. New York has taken six of the last ten meetings, though Chicago has won two of the last three. That gives the Blackhawks at least some reason to feel good heading into Thursday, even with consistency still missing from their game.
Chicago is also continuing to give young players such as Roman Kantserov time to settle in at the NHL level.
With so much still taking shape, the Blackhawks will be leaning on Nazar and Frondell again. If Chicago is going to make Tuesday feel like the start of something, those two figures loom large.
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Patrick Kane's Return Could Shape The Blackhawks' Next Core
Patrick Kanes return to Chicago has been more than a sentimental reunion. Signed to a two-year deal this offseason, the veteran winger has slipped into a role that matters just as much for the Blackhawks future as it does for their present, working around a young group that includes Frank Nazar, Sam Rinzel, Alex Vlasic and Roman Kantserov. For an organization still trying to build its next competitive core, Kanes experience is giving those players a daily reference point on how to handle the details that separate raw talent from dependable NHL production.
The early signs have been encouraging because Kane is not simply leading by example from across the locker room. He has been active with younger forwards and prospects, including hands-on teaching moments with Kantserov on the finer points of positioning and reading the ice. For a team that needs its prospects to keep progressing while navigating the usual growing pains, that kind of presence can matter just as much as points on the scoreboard. [Read more 🡒]
Blackhawks Young Core Faces An Early Test After That First Win
The Blackhawks head to Long Island on the heels of their first win of the season, carrying a little more confidence after their young players helped set the tone in the home opener against the St. Louis Blues. It was the kind of night Chicago has been waiting for, a sign that the rebuilds next wave can already make itself felt in games that matter.
The Islanders provide a different kind of test, with a 1-2-0 start that has been uneven but still includes plenty of established talent. Bo Horvat is expected to be in the lineup, and Ilya Sorokin gives New York a stabilizing presence in goal, while the Blackhawks will again be trying to see how their emerging core handles a tougher road assignment without letting one good result soften the larger challenge ahead. [Read more 🡒]
Jordan Greenway Is Giving The Blackhawks An Early Bright Spot
Jordan Greenway has given the Blackhawks something they were hoping to find early, a sturdy fourth-line presence who looks comfortable in the role they have carved out for him. Acquired from Buffalo, he has fit neatly alongside Cole Smith and Ryan Greene, stayed healthy, and given Chicago a useful mix of size, puck pressure and reliability in the kind of minutes that often get overlooked until they start making a difference.
The early returns have been even better than that, with Greenway quickly becoming one of the more noticeable players on the roster. He has already provided the teams first goal of the season and, just as importantly, has been driving play in a way that shows up in the details, from shots to hits. Jeff Blashill has taken notice of the impact on and off the ice, which only adds to the sense that Greenway may be becoming more than a temporary bright spot for a team still looking for traction. [Read more 🡒]