4 Takeaways From the Blackhawks’ Last Road Trip of 2022-23

Vlasic, playing in his fourth contest with the team, was deployed much of the game on the top pairing with Seth Jones.

Defensive Matchups Vs. Canucks

Against the Canucks, Kaiser and Zaitsev were scratched again, along with Tinordi, who was replaced by Englund. Surprisingly, Mitchell got the nod for a second consecutive game. Said head coach Luke Richardson, “He (Mitchell) played well last game and he hasn’t played a lot lately. We want to try to get everybody in, but if you had a good game, you deserve to stay in. We want to keep that message consistent.”

Mitchell and Englund comprised the third defensive pairing, while Vlasic played with Murphy on the second pairing.

Defensive Matchups Vs. Kraken

Against the Kraken, Zaitsev, Englund and Mitchell were the scratches. Apparently Zaitsev was the odd man out, as he was scratched the entire road trip. Englund and Kaiser both only played one game apiece.  In this contest, Vlasic continued to impress by notching his first point of the season with the primary assist on a goal by Lukas Reichel.

Overall Thoughts on Defensive Rotation

What can we make of all this? Well, maybe not too much at this point. The team is just trying to get a good look at everybody. But I would say Caleb Jones being a consistent player, and not part of this rotation, bodes well for him returning next season. I think Tinordi has proven his style of play and veteran status is a good fit for the Blackhawks as well.

I’ve heard rumblings that Zaitsev would be a good candidate to be bought out by the Blackhawks, and it looks like Englund and Mitchell are also on the bubble. Vlasic appears to be an excellent candidate to take the next step as a regular NHL player next season, while Kaiser could use more seasoning in the American Hockey League.

Reichel’s Last Stand

It was announced on Saturday that both Reichel and Vlasic will be returning to the Rockford IceHogs to help them with their playoff push. So this road trip was essentially their last hoorah with the Blackhawks, at least for this season. We spoke of Vlasic’s potential above. But Reichel has certainly come into his own in this last stretch of games.

In these three games alone, the 20-year-old contributed a goal and three primary assists. His confidence is building and it’s showing in the way of production. Richardson spoke about both Reichel and Vlasic after the matchup against the Kraken on Saturday.

Both [Reichel] and Vlasic had one of their best games, both of them. Vlasic looked a little more aggressive moving pucks and skating pucks, shooting it on the one goal. Reichs…was on the body on the forecheck, and when we had the puck, he was impressive.

Reichel certainly belongs in the NHL, and it will be exciting to see what he can do during a full season next year.

Toews Reminisces

Jonathan Toews surprised everyone by suiting up for the first time since Jan. 28 against the New Jersey Devils on Apr. 1. We all know he’s been dealing with health problems due to Chronic Immune Response Syndrome and long-Covid. But he’s obviously trying to make the most of the end of the season, which he knows might be his last days in a Blackhawks’ jersey (from ‘Jonathan Toews on his NHL playing future: ‘If it’s not a hell yeah, it’s a hell no’, The AthleticCHI – 4/6/23). He joined the team on the road trip and reminisced about what this Canada excursion used to be like in his younger glory years.

Ah, remember those old rivalries with the Canucks?! It certainly isn’t the same anymore. Regardless, it was a nice walk down memory lane with the Blackhawks’ captain.

Toews didn’t exactly light the world on fire this trip; he registered one assist while averaging just over 16 minutes of ice time. He did, however, boast a 58% success rate in the faceoff circle. Regardless, let’s hope he corralled some of those good feelings for the remainder of the season.

To Tank or Not to Tank

Yes, the Blackhawks are in a fight for a last place finish with the Columbus Blue Jackets and the Anaheim Ducks. It’s true that if they end the season with the worst record, they’re guaranteed at least the third overall pick. For the overall future of the franchise, I guess we want them to lose the rest of their games.

But there seems to be something inherently wrong with rooting for your team to tank.  Richardson summed it up best in this statement.

Gosh bless Richardson, and I need to go find me a brick wall to run through! He and the rest of the coaching staff have built the foundation for a strong-willed and hard-working culture. Why the heck would they want to end the season any differently?!  “That’s just as important as anything that comes in the future.”

Amen! You all can root for the Hawks to lose these final games. But I will be rejoicing in any wins they happen to pull off.

Other Blackhawks’ Notes

The final three games of the season commence on Monday, with the Minnesota Wild, Pittsburgh Penguins and Philadelphia Flyers on the docket on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday respectively. The Blackhawks will be without Raddysh (groin injury) and Reichel and Vlasic (return to the IceHogs), among others that might not be available. It could be an ugly finish, but there will be a few things to root for. Will Athanasiou add to his totals to lead the Blackhawks? Can Toews end the season on a high note? Which defensemen will step up? And, will the Blackhawks pull out any more wins?

Tune in to see how it all ends up. Never a dull moment!