The Blackhawks are inching forward, and their power play offered a little more to like in Tuesday’s 1-for-3 showing against a tired LA Kings team on October 27. The recent tweaks have brought a few real positives, even if the unit still has some obvious rough edges.
One of the biggest bright spots is Tyler Bertuzzi getting used as a human backboard again. With a little puck luck - and it sure feels like the whole team has been snake bitten - he probably would’ve added a power-play goal in classic “Bert” fashion. Roman Kantserov also looks right at home in the bumper spot, where he can be fed from either wing by Patrick Kane or Connor Bedard.
The problem is that the structure still has plenty of holes. The five-forward look with Teuvo Teravainen at the point remains a tough sell, and Artyom Levshunov seems like the better option there in Bowen Byram’s absence.
His puck-moving ability fits the job much better. Teravainen hasn’t been especially effective in that role, and the whole setup can look lost because there isn’t a true threat up top.
At the same time, the Blackhawks aren’t really leaning into net-front pressure either. Bertuzzi tends to score from the side of the net, banking pucks in off his shin pads and skates rather than finishing tips.
Bedard is another piece that still feels underused. He hasn’t gotten enough looks as the shot option, and it doesn’t seem like the team gave the one-timer idea enough time to really develop. With one of the best shots in the NHL, using him mainly as a pass option is a head-scratcher.
Movement remains a problem, too. There just isn’t enough interchange among the forwards once the puck gets into the zone.
Penalty kills can sit on stationary units all day because there are no real passing lanes opening up. Add motion - pinching in, circling out, finding space - and the PK has to react, which creates room for a pass or a shot.
Without it, the defense can stay in that diamond and keep things contained.
And then there’s the entry, which continues to be a source of frustration. The drop-pass breakout keeps getting broken up almost immediately, and unless you have someone who can consistently skate the puck in like Connor McDavid or Cale Makar, it’s asking for trouble.
Chicago doesn’t look like it has that kind of elite puck-mover right now, so a different approach seems necessary. One option is to let Kane carry it behind the net and build from there with choices up front.
If that still doesn’t work, tipping the puck in and letting Bertuzzi crash the boards to recover it might be the cleaner answer.
Even so, the chances are there for both the first and second units. The issue is finishing them.
The shift toward simply shooting the puck when the perfect play isn’t there is paying off more than waiting for something ideal. This roster isn’t built to squeeze the life out of a game through possession.
It’s built to pepper the goalie and push the pace, and the power play needs to match that identity instead of turning into a slow, predictable march.
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Blackhawks Keep Showing Promise Until One Familiar Problem Takes Over
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Roman Kantserov has at least given Chicago one bright spot to point to, giving the lineup a jolt of energy and hinting at a more promising future if the rest of the roster can catch up. Still, the pressure is only going to grow from here, with a difficult stretch on the schedule looming and the kind of games that can make the conversation around Blashill even louder. [Read more 🡒]
Tyler Bertuzzi's Slow Start Is Becoming A Real Blackhawks Problem
The Blackhawks offense has spent the first stretch of the season searching for any kind of rhythm, and Tyler Bertuzzis quiet start has only added to the problem. Through 13 games, Chicago sits near the bottom of the league in scoring, and Bertuzzi has just five points while trying to find traction with his current linemates and keep up the kind of pace the team expected when it brought him in.
For a player whose value is tied to energy, edge and production around the net, the lack of finish has become hard to ignore. Bertuzzis skating numbers and overall impact are part of the evaluation now, because Chicago needs more from him if it wants its attack to stabilize, and the longer this goes on, the more the front office has to at least think about what comes next. [Read more 🡒]