For the net

On Wednesday night, the Chicago Blackhawks succeeded in turning back the clock to their high flying days. Erupting for eight goals in a stunning 8-3 win over the St. Louis Blues at Enterprise Center, it’s safe to say they put on a show. Their performance was fast, physical, and filled with flashes of the teams bright future. And now, let’s get to the nitty gritty details of this game and dissect things down below.

A Night of Offensive Fireworks

From the opening faceoff, the Blackhawk’s looked determined to deliver a message to the Blues. The scoring came in waves. Veteran support/early momentum arrived in the form of Ilya Mikheyev.

Lukas Reichel was also prominent, leading the charge with two goals and a helper. Aside from his speed and confidence being on full display, these feats marked his first multi-goal game in the NHL. Every shift he played seemed to tilt the ice in Chicago’s favor, which is exactly what the team needed. Although the blues did manage to score two goals between Reichel’s heroics, the hawks never surrendered.

Connor Bedard didn’t score, but he controlled the game in every other way. He managed to set up three goals with his magic vision and puck handling. The 20 year old phenom now leads the team in points, and continues to be the heart of Chicago’s rebuild.

At the start of the third period, the blues were chasing shadows as the Blackhawks poured on the offense.

By nights end, Frank Nazar, Jason Dickinson, Tyler Bertuzzi, Ryan Donato all ended up finding the back of the net. Silence from the St.Louis crowd followed.

Upon further examination, Chicago’s forecheck overwhelmed the Blues, forcing turnovers and long shifts in their own zone. As a result of this, I’d estimate that this was Chicago’s most cohesive game in the last few years. I’m not exaggerating. If they keep playing this fast and relentless, there’s no reason they can’t get back to the promised land. And when I say “promised land”, I’m really talking about the playoffs (which they know really well).

Goaltending Grit

Arvid Soderblom held down Chicago’s fort. He stopped 23 of 26 shots and came up big on several early chances that would have aided the Blues. His composure in net allowed Chicago’s skaters to play with flair and push the pace. Of course, he had help from defenseman Alex Vlasic, who anchored a disciplined back end. He kept the oppositions top line in check, and won key puck battles along the boards. Soderblom was probably thankful for this, and I expect their chemistry to increase after this outing.

What this result means

For a young team still trying to build its identity, this wasn’t just a regular-season win for Chicago. They not only dominated an established divisional rival, but they did so with contributions from every corner of their roster. Reichel’s breakout, Bedard’s work rate, and the teams overall energy suggests that their rebuild is accelerating faster than expected. Head coach Jeff Blashill will be happy to see Chicago working toward a more aggressive and connected style of play.

Looking ahead

The Blackhawks (now 2-2-0) will look to make results like this a common occurrence. For now though, Hawks fans can savor a night where everything went right. And they can look back on it when they need a reason to believe that the future is bright.