Blackhawks
Sorensen’s arrival has boosted players like Tyler Bertuzzi, Connor Bedard and Nolan Allan, but the same can’t be said for Philipp Kurashev and T.J. Brodie, for example.
Nearly two years after ACL surgery, Mikheyev’s signature skating abilities have gradually returned. That, combined with Anders Sorensen’s system changes and his chemistry with Teuvo Teravainen, has helped Mikheyev find his niche with the Hawks.
The Hawks’ 4-3 loss to the Wild on Monday — on the eve of the NHL’s three-day break — marked their eighth straight defeat in St. Paul.
Reichel enjoyed two relatively successful months as the fourth-line center, but that success has faded in recent weeks. The Hawks would be wise to give him a bigger opportunity after the holiday break.
Nazar hasn’t notched a point yet, and he struggled Saturday against the Flames. But he believes this NHL experience is helping him with “understanding how guys play and the routine of things” at this level.
Connor Bedard had three points, but the Hawks lost 6-4 in Calgary on Saturday. Petr Mrazek and Seth Jones were rusty in their returns to the lineup.
Happiness and satisfaction have been scarce around the Hawks in recent years, so after finally rattling off three consecutive victories, they know to appreciate it while it lasts. Seth Jones’ return adds extra caffeine, too.
Mikheyev’s two goals Thursday helped the Hawks beat the Kraken 3-1 for their first three-game winning streak in nearly two years.
Bedard’s 30.0% faceoff percentage is the worst in the NHL. Instead of moving him to wing, however, interim coach Anders Sorensen simply has his wingers — Nick Foligno and Ryan Donato at the moment — taking most of the draws for him.
Through their first 14 home games, the Hawks have an announced average attendance of 18,662, which ranks seventh in the NHL. That’s right on pace with last season.
The Hawks stymied three Capitals power plays Tuesday to increase their streak to 28 consecutive kills, and Ilya Mikheyev’s shorthanded goal ignited a third-period rally in a 3-2 victory.
Sorensen, King’s former assistant in Rockford, is now King’s boss. The awkwardness of that power dynamic would bother most people but not hockey’s most ego-less man.
Young Blackhawks star Connor Bedard joined students in pickup games and hockey drills at the grand opening of the rink. The project reflects the ties between the Hawks and the West Side, where the team is based and many employees live.
The quality of hockey on New Year’s Eve at Wrigley Field won’t be impressive, so the presentation and fan atmosphere will need to impress.
“It’s one of those things, the randomness of the game,” interim coach Anders Sorensen said. “I thought [Saturday] we played better and didn’t get the result, and today we kind of did bend a little bit, but we never broke. We didn’t play our best game but found a way to win.”
“He was really good tonight, so hopefully he can build off this,” interim coach Anders Sorensen said. “We all know that he’s better than he’s played, and he knows that, and we’ve had conversations about that. So a really good response from him tonight.”
Commesso pitched a shutout through the first two periods Saturday but finished with 20 saves on 24 shots because of the Hawks’ third-period collapse.
The Hawks have lost many games this season because of a miscue that escalated into disaster. On Saturday, that was Wyatt Kaiser failing to clear the puck during a marathon shift. That led to three quick goals in a 4-1 defeat.
Nazar, the team’s top forward prospect, will make his NHL season debut Saturday against the Devils, joining Kevin Korchinski, Drew Commesso and Anders Sorensen, who also have moved up recently from Rockford.
Nazar, the No. 13 overall pick in 2022, has dominated the AHL this season.
The Hawks have gone up 1-0 in 18 games — the most in the NHL. But they’re only 8-8-2 in those games — and 9-18-2 overall — after falling 5-4 Thursday on Long Island.
Sorensen wants the Hawks to be more compact in the defensive zone, willingly giving up passes to and shots from the point to have extra coverage in the most dangerous areas, like the slot. But it’s not a purely conservative system.