Blackhawks: Three Noticeable Improvements in Comeback Win vs Blues

The Blackhawks grind out a win against the Blues, something that has not happened in a long time.

The Blackhawks did it. They finally defeated the St. Louis Blues in an impressive fashion. Being down 2-0 after a dominating first period by the Blues, the Blackhawks had to force themselves to play a tight game to both keep the deficit down while increasing their scoring chances. They could not give up another goal, and they did not. Kevin Lankinen stood on his head for the team as they found their game, and they found their game just in time.

This team is not known for their “gritty” style yet, but it’s starting to be there on a consistent basis. The Blackhawks average close to 30 hits a game now, something that would be unheard of in the early 2010’s, and their top guys are starting to pick it up a bit. The depth scoring is starting from the fourth line, something I did not expect, and the top line contributed to the tying goal in the third by a Brandon Hagel tip-in. Jonathan Toews would have had his first goal of the season… But his longtime teammate, Patrick Kane, was offside prior to the goal.

Serious ouch.

The top line made their impact later in the game, however, as their grinding down by the net would lead to a dirty tip-in goal. This is a “new-look” Blackhawks system, something I will also cover in this article. Here are three improvements I noticed from the Blackhawks’ comeback vs the Blues.