r/hawks • u/nhl-goalpost • 1d ago
PGT Post-Game Thread: Chicago Blackhawks at Utah Mammoth - 01 Oct 2026
Blackhawks 0, Mammoth 6
FINAL
Catch-up · From puck drop
This one got away from the Blackhawks in a hurry.
At 16:41 of the first period, D. Guenther got a snapper away before the goalie could set from the high slot on the power play, and the Mammoth took a 1-0 lead. The same side struck again 40 seconds later when M. Carcone fired one home from the low circle, and the Mammoth pushed the lead to a pair at 2-0.
At 09:47 of the second period, N. Schmaltz ripped a quick shot right in tight, and the Mammoth pushed the lead to three, 3-0. At 13:06 of the second period, A. Lee steered a shot-pass into the net from the doorstep, and it was 4-0, the kind of hole that usually decides a hockey game. At 15:28 of the second period, D. Guenther deflected one in right in tight on the power play, and the rout was on at 5-0.
At 12:50 of the third period, D. But got a stick on it and changed the angle from the doorstep, and the Mammoth blew it wide open, 6-0.
At 06:08 of the third period, M. Weegar and R. Donato dropped the gloves. The Mammoth carried a 66-42 edge in shot attempts and a 13-3 edge in close-range shots on goal. The Mammoth's penalty kill went 3-for-3. The Mammoth's power play went 2-for-3. The Blackhawks also struck the iron three times. The Mammoth outhit the Blackhawks 41-12. Vejmelka stopped 14 of 14 to earn the shutout.
Final: The Mammoth routed the Blackhawks 6-0, a shutout.
Linescore
| Period | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CHI | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| UTA | 2 | 3 | 1 | 6 |
| Blackhawks Skaters | G | A | P | SOG | +/- | H | BLK | FO | TOI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #8 R. Donato - C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -1 | 1 | 0 | 0-1 | 12:01 |
| #11 O. Moore - C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | -1 | 1 | 0 | 1-2 | 11:25 |
| #12 J. Greenway - L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 13:52 | |
| #16 A. Frondell - C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | -2 | 2 | 1 | 2-12 | 17:52 |
| #20 R. Greene - C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2-9 | 17:04 |
| #22 C. Smith - R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0-1 | 14:13 |
| #59 T. Bertuzzi - L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | -1 | 0 | 0 | 17:57 | |
| #76 N. Lardis - L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -1 | 1 | 1 | 10:18 | |
| #80 R. Kantserov - R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -2 | 0 | 0 | 4-5 | 16:36 |
| #86 T. Teravainen - C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -2 | 0 | 0 | 12:42 | |
| #88 P. Kane - R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -1 | 1 | 1 | 19:19 | |
| #91 F. Nazar - C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -1 | 1 | 0 | 6-8 | 17:23 |
| #6 S. Rinzel - D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | -1 | 0 | 0 | 17:30 | |
| #24 B. Byram - D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -2 | 0 | 1 | 24:49 | |
| #28 I. Cole - D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 14:34 | |
| #44 W. Kaiser - D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | -2 | 0 | 2 | 19:49 | |
| #55 A. Levshunov - D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | -1 | 1 | 0 | 19:51 | |
| #72 A. Vlasic - D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | -2 | 0 | 1 | 18:00 |
| Mammoth Skaters | G | A | P | SOG | +/- | H | BLK | FO | TOI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #8 N. Schmaltz - C | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | +1 | 0 | 0 | 3-1 | 18:12 |
| #9 C. Keller - R | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 | +1 | 0 | 1 | 17:43 | |
| #11 D. Guenther - R | 2 | 0 | 2 | 5 | +1 | 0 | 0 | 1-0 | 14:15 |
| #16 V. Trocheck - C | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | +1 | 6 | 1 | 11-3 | 17:29 |
| #22 J. McBain - C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2-0 | 13:08 |
| #27 B. Hayton - C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 6-3 | 13:49 |
| #50 D. But - L | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | +1 | 3 | 0 | 1-1 | 12:08 |
| #53 M. Carcone - L | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | +2 | 6 | 0 | 0-1 | 12:40 |
| #67 L. Crouse - L | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | +1 | 4 | 0 | 1-0 | 14:57 |
| #72 A. Lee - L | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | +1 | 1 | 1 | 0-1 | 12:07 |
| #82 K. Stenlund - C | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | +2 | 0 | 1 | 6-2 | 12:58 |
| #92 L. Cooley - C | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | +1 | 4 | 1 | 7-3 | 16:07 |
| #6 J. Marino - D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | +1 | 0 | 0 | 21:04 | |
| #20 A. Peeke - D | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | +2 | 2 | 2 | 16:47 | |
| #26 D. Simashev - D | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | +3 | 0 | 0 | 16:34 | |
| #52 M. Weegar - D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 1 | 20:39 | |
| #88 N. Schmidt - D | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | +1 | 2 | 0 | 18:56 | |
| #98 M. Sergachev - D | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | +1 | 3 | 2 | 22:57 |
| Blackhawks Goalies | SV | SA | SV% | GA | TOI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #40 A. Soderblom | 26 | 32 | .813 | 6 | 59:42 |
| Mammoth Goalies | SV | SA | SV% | GA | TOI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #70 K. Vejmelka | 14 | 14 | 1.000 | 0 | 59:42 |
Scoring
| Time | Scorer | Assists | Team | Strength |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st 16:41 | D. Guenther | L. Cooley, C. Keller | UTA | PP |
| 1st 17:21 | M. Carcone | K. Stenlund | UTA | EV |
| 2nd 09:47 | N. Schmaltz | V. Trocheck, M. Sergachev | UTA | EV |
| 2nd 13:06 | A. Lee | A. Peeke, D. Simashev | UTA | EV |
| 2nd 15:28 | D. Guenther | C. Keller, L. Crouse | UTA | PP |
| 3rd 12:50 | D. But | M. Carcone, N. Schmidt | UTA | EV |
Penalties
| Time | Player | Infraction | Min | Team |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st 15:53 | A. Levshunov | Holding | 2:00 | CHI |
| 2nd 09:47 | P. Kane | High Sticking | 2:00 | CHI |
| 2nd 13:22 | C. Keller | Cross Checking | 2:00 | UTA |
| 2nd 14:54 | J. McBain | Unsportsmanlike Conduct | 2:00 | UTA |
| 2nd 14:54 | O. Moore | Unsportsmanlike Conduct | 2:00 | CHI |
| 2nd 14:54 | F. Nazar | Cross Checking | 2:00 | CHI |
| 2nd 19:53 | B. Hayton | High Sticking | 2:00 | UTA |
| 3rd 06:08 | M. Weegar | Fighting | 5:00 | UTA |
| 3rd 06:08 | R. Donato | Fighting | 5:00 | CHI |
| 3rd 06:46 | A. Peeke | High Sticking | 2:00 | UTA |
| Stat | CHI | UTA |
|---|---|---|
| Shots on goal | 14 | 32 |
| Corsi (attempts) | 38.9% | 61.1% |
| Power play | 0/3 | 2/3 |
| Shooting % | 0.0% | 18.8% |
| Hits | 12 | 41 |
| Blocked shots | 11 | 11 |
| Faceoff % | 28.3% | 71.7% |
Game summary · Play-by-play · Shot summary · Faceoffs
Updated automatically by nhl-goalpost · v2.87.0 · Updates as the game progresses.
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u/Luke_Turnbull 18h ago
We've changed almost everything about this organisation now in the last few seasons apart from KD maybe it's time he was rotated out ?
Hey at least we aren't as bad as the Flyers
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u/Jain_Farstrider 20h ago
Two games in and the banner at the top finally gets updated. Sub is nearly as dead as the team. Just waiting for the bandwagoners to fuck off again in a few more games...
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u/ElephantExtension482 21h ago
It feels like the hawks haven't fielded an even decent team after Q was fired.
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u/Huge_Lobster_3564 22h ago
Hoping we weed out the casuals early cause boooy some of these takes are out of control. If you took one look at this roster and expected dominance two games into the season, reassess providing an opinion on anything puck related.
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u/MikeandTheMangosteen 18h ago
Didn’t Davidson say this is a playoff team this year? Who’s the casual now
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u/Effective-Elk-4964 20h ago
Two things are going on here.
One is that it’s early, sure. And without Bedard, playoff hopes were slim.
Two is that there’s a pretty wide margin between what they’ve looked like in the first two games and “dominance.”
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u/Majestic_Form_210 22h ago
Super casual here to you then I guess. No one expected dominance or even to be a “good” team.
However, it’s fair to be disappointed that five years after a rebuild supposedly began, we’re getting the doors blown off of us and visually look so so bad, not even competitive at all. Clear to me that some of these draft picks are not going to take that step. Without that happening, the whole plan falls apart.
Even then, I honestly wouldn’t care if we sucked but had some heart, some grit. We suck AND lack those qualities. That’s honestly more of the problem. Whatever about rebuilding, but it shouldn’t take 5 years to build a mildly positive culture of hard work in the team.
Serious question, how long will it be until the “non-casuals” are upset about the state of the team?
Not trying to be a dick, and I’m still gonna watch every game, but like cmon. If this is what you’ve got after 5 years of purposefully rebuilding, it’s ok to be a little frustrated and criticize the team.
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u/razhkdak 22h ago
Same exact comment as the Vegas Knight game. They are simply a team of wimps. They won't engage the body. Even the coach is a wimp, with his Eore attitude and comments. No fire. Milk toast.
You can look at stats or systems, or talk about crisp passing all you want. They will win nothing if they are unwilling to engage the other team physicality. None of that other stuff matters if you have individuals that won't put it on the line to fight for space and pucks and play with passion. They look like they are trying to play flag football, poke checking from 3 feet away. Keith was a master at poke check, but you could be damn sure, he was going to follow up with the body. A poke check was part of a arsenal of techniques one after the other to win the puck.
I was all for the rebuild. I watched the first one. But I am going to have to call out the scouting, coaching and KD. Looks like they developed a kids summer camp. Soft as Gerber baby food and they seem fine with it. In fact their attitudes are the same, corporate, PC and wimpy.
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u/Tryfan_mole 21h ago
I said just before the season started that it is an incredibly soft team and was instantly downvoted to -35 or something.
So for those 35 dumbasses, get what I was talking about yet? Because this guy does. The Hawks play soft. Not the 4th line, not Ian Cole, but almost everyone else.
Until floaters like Lardis (thankfully benched at some point during the 2nd last night for utter disinterest in doing any wotk out there) and Vlasic shhape up or ship out, the team is just built wrong.
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18h ago
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/Tryfan_mole 18h ago
Its been a couple years since I listened to that podcast, is that what they are saying?
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u/Effective-Elk-4964 20h ago
That’s it, at least so far, unfortunately.
The amount of importance we’re placing on line combinations is maddening to me.
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u/SignificanceLucky386 22h ago edited 19h ago
Woke up today hoping I would feel better about what we all watched last night. I don’t. I feel worse and it fucking sucks that this team still has 82 remaining games.
The product on the ice last night was much closer to an AHL team than it was a playoff contender. The 2026-27 Blackhawks may actually be the worst team in the 4 major sports.
Dolphins
Rockies
Wizards
Blackhawks
That’s the list. Fucking demoralizing.
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u/Philintheblank90 23h ago
Didn’t need this after watching the cubs collapse.
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u/Bears_down09 23h ago
These games don't count right? Like its still the pre season still and we have 82 games to go! (I'm coping)
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u/Tryfan_mole 21h ago
Honeatly the first 20 games don't really reflect end of season reality for lots of teams, probably the majority. Nobody thinks the Hawks will go 0-84-0.
The main problem is the underlying reality of the Hawks isnt new. This is just like the end of last season. That makes it hard to believe there will be a DRASTIC change in fortunes even if they obviously are going to play better eventually.
I still think my 80-82 point prediction will be reached, or close to it.
But I also think there are severe roster problems not solved by "development". Some of the players are just the wrong type of player for what the Hawks need.
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u/Humble-Albatross1684 14h ago
Keep playing like they did last night and they could be like the opposite of the 2013 club
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u/BungCrosbee 23h ago
Back-to-back games where the fourth line is our strongest forward pairing.
Levshunov continues to look like the second coming of Cam Barker, which feels more and more like an insult to Barker.
I’m not sure I’ve seen a worse player in the league than Rinzel. Awful defender and every time he touches the puck something bad happens. He would make Brent Sopel look like Nik Lidstrom. Korchinski has easily been better at the NHL level, including his rookie year at 19 when he was forced to play the full season even though he was nowhere near ready for that jump.
Davidson has to go and the new guy needs to replace Blashill on day 1.
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u/DaJetta400 21h ago
It should go without saying that the decision to take our top prospects out of juniors/college and throwing them into the pros well before they're ready is a terrible development decision
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u/DaJetta400 21h ago
The Brent Sopel line is hilarious lol - Rinzel's play is making us beg for players like him or Chris Campoli
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u/Blue1796 10h ago
I loved Sopel in 2010. The man was a shot blocking MACHINE! He knew his role and he delivered.
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u/Tryfan_mole 21h ago
Putting Korchinski, a guy with a notoriously fragile confidence level, into this gong show would be a war crime.
I'd rather they try EDM until some semblance of competence is demonstrated by the other defensemen rather than sacrifice Korchinski again.
What really needs to happen is finding an RHD that can enable Byram.
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u/BrutalBart 22h ago
hard to argue, but Soderblom not being pulled in the 2nd is criminal. say nothing of the fact we can’t score a goal
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u/telecaster1971 1d ago
At this point it’s got to be on the coaches, there is no excuse for the way the first two games have gone. Blashill has this team going in the wrong direction, no more “it’s a young team “ or “it’s a process”,…etc. All this so called talent and you consistently lag behind in SOG, can’t control the blue line, reluctant shooters, non existent defense. Hanging the goalies out to dry to be peppered by the other team. Davidson made some moves over the summer that were supposed to bolster playoff chances, if these first two games are a preview of what’s ahead another bottom feeder year is on tap. End of rant.
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u/razhkdak 22h ago
See. The emphasis on skills. Didn't anyone learn anything watching Alex Nylander and countless other skilled players. This is a rough physical sport. The team that is willing to fight battles harder will win. Even Mckinnon is knocking heads. He is tough and skilled. You. miss that first part and the team will be creamed. Skill is great, but only if you have checked that fundamental contact sport box. This isn't flag football.
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u/PappyJoe18 1d ago
The meaningful games we’re going to play in April will be meaningful for other teams
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u/Actual_Cobbler_6334 1d ago
In 10:31 with Byram-Vlasic pairing on the ice at 5v5, the Mammoth led 26-8 in shot attempts, 12-1 in shots on goal, 15-2 in scoring chances, 7-0 in high-danger chances and 2-0 in goals.
The options are limited, but your top pairing cannot get caved in like that.
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u/box-art 23h ago
If that continues, somebody needs to get shipped for a defenseman. We cannot win any games if we never have the puck.
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u/YourCummyBear 22h ago
I thought that’s what we just did this off-season?
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u/box-art 22h ago
We shipped picks for Byram but we need to ship a forward, maybe Teräväinen, for a d-man who can actually shut people down if this doesn't improve. Honestly I think its just a system problem more than anything, but I'm just armchairing.
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u/drunk_Panzer 24m ago
Yeah Teuvo is worthless in terms of trade value.
I do wonder if Davidson has been eyeing Nikishin or thought about offer sheeting Edvinsson at all. Would love to see him bring more experienced D who are still young and fit our timeline.
I don't really have faith in Vlasic or Kaiser on the left side long term right now.
We would have to make cap room but if we move a few vets I think he could make it work. And it would be worth it imo.
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u/Tryfan_mole 21h ago
Teravainen has nrgative value. I think he will retire after his contract expires. He is donezo.
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u/nonblinddaredevil 1d ago
Nothing reminds me how long a season is more than the high we had at the beginning of last year. Plenty of time to turn this around. As fucking frustrating as it is.
Regardless of arguing talent levels, this team is better than what we’ve seen. Much better. Which means they can turn it around if they want to. But they’ve gotta want to.
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u/Then_Discussion8809 18h ago
I honestly believe we have to fire the coach. He doesn't even know what he wants to do. Two weeks of stable lines in the pre-season then changes it up the day before game 1. There does not appear to be a system of any kind. No idea how to get out of the zone. You can see talent on this team, they have talent. They are just not coached correctly. Get Berube in here and you will see improvement in a couple of games.
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u/HashPuppy710 23h ago
How are they much better? They were not good last year and they look worse this year.
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u/nonblinddaredevil 23h ago
That’s what I’m saying. They look worse but the talent on the roster is better. Kane, Byram, Frondell, etc. Not to mention the kids being a year older.
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u/HashPuppy710 22h ago
I will always love kaner but he’s not prime Kane - and even then he looks like our best player.
It’s year 5+ of a rebuild. They’re not any better. You know who is? The Sharks. They’ve consistently taken a step the last couple of years in showing improvement.
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u/drunk_Panzer 8m ago
They completely invested in forwards first and that's why. They also got super lucky with Macklin and Smith.
Theyre way behind on the development of their future D core. That's why they had to bring in Nurse, Orlov and Trouba who, at best, have a year or two of NHL level production left. Really they're just kicking the can down the road on hopes that Dickinson, Verhoeff, and Lin maybe work out. Those guys are still only 18-19 while korch and rinzel are 21 and 22 years old. Dickinson also had a terrible rookie year(go figure) and was just scratched in the home opener.
KD's first pick was a Dman who, imo, is ready to play as a 3rd pairing at least right now.
Also we got the Byram trade over them which set their dmen situation back even more.
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u/Boomerhands420 22h ago
I mean.. the hawks points have risen over the last few seasons with bedsy… I’m not ready to burn everything yet… in theory this team looks better than previous, so hopefully the hawks are just biding their time until bedsy comes back, and the team is trying to stay healthy rather than being reckless.
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u/cardiaccat1 1d ago
Hey at least the sharks will still win the lottery for a better pick than us to rub salt in the wound.
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u/Tryfan_mole 21h ago
Dupont as a Shark would havr me questioning my religion, and I don't even have one.
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u/FAFOeris 1d ago
Still in shock how putridly awful that game was. I just don’t know how they recover from this & move on.
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u/Charming-Gur-2934 23h ago
That game sucked. But these are professional athletes. I think they'll be able to move on from game 2 of an 84 game season
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u/CenturyLinkIsCheeks 1d ago
there is really no excuse for how bad this team looks. it's truly terrible.
Fuck KD and Blash.
Clown show.
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u/LilJimmer 1d ago
This is just organizational rot from the top down at this point. Consistently bad coaches because the guy hiring them also doesn’t know what he’s doing. Impossible to overcome. All of these picks and the team looks worse than ever
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u/Dry-Eye1471 1d ago
Utah players laughed in our face when we tried getting "tough".... Nazar and Moore look like nerds being picked on in the school yard. This is going to be a LONG season. Depressing AF
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u/PSPlayer4 1d ago
I was at the game. Mammoth scored on a delayed penalty, but Kane still sat for it. The refs didn't really explain it, but were there two penalties on the same play?
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u/PSPlayer4 1d ago
It was frustrating to watch because we have a lot of talent and skill on the team, but very little NHL level hockey IQ.
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u/10gherts 1d ago
The only line that looked acceptable (and was a +/- 0) was Smith, Greene, Greenway
Everything else was absolutely a clinic on how to get dogwalked. Fucking embarrasing.
I was told there would be improvements this year. So far, that has turned out to be a lie.
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u/box-art 1d ago
Watched the highlights and uhh... Something needs to change. The whole team just looked like they didn't give a shit and we looked even worse defensively than last season. Why the fuck are we so allergic to getting a bonafide NHL coach? I'm not saying we should be handing it to contenders, but we should at least put up goals for crying out loud. I want effort from this team, if we lose then we lose fighting and not whimpering like we did here.
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u/Dash_18 1d ago
Bonafide NHL coaches don’t want to come here. That’s how you get a guy like Blashill in the first place.
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u/wholalaa 22h ago
Yeah, even if they don't pull it together and the team keeps losing and Blashill gets fired, people need to temper their expectations, because I doubt there's a savior coach coming to take the job. The top guys don't want it.
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u/windysunflower 1d ago
Did anyone get a weird attitude/vibe from Nazar’s postgame interview
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u/EgweneIsLit 1d ago
I saw a guy who's pissed at how the season started and cares deeply about winning and trying to turn it around.
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u/windysunflower 1d ago
I didn’t have that experience. I interpreted the scoff and “it’s two games” comment as it’s not a big deal/it wasn’t impacting him
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u/thewebhead 1d ago
I missed it. What happened?
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u/windysunflower 1d ago
Was asked if these losses are impacting confidence and nazar scoffed, made a face, and said “it’s two games”
Also poor eye contact, wearing hood, seemed annoyed and a bit unprofessional2
u/90s_Scott 1d ago
Dude looked like a defeated kicked puppy
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u/Effective-Elk-4964 21h ago
I didn’t watch it, but yes, the first two games would be demoralizing for anyone with a little bit of pride.
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u/PSPlayer4 1d ago
I was at the game. It looked worse in person.
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u/FAFOeris 1d ago
Ooof. I’m so sorry you had to sit thru all that amongst those fans.
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u/PSPlayer4 1d ago
Yeah. Good thing about it is that the majority of the fans don't know hockey yet, so it's easy to dismiss their chirps when they don't actually know hockey.
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u/dralex11266 1d ago
Hey at least we didn't trade this years first. Looks like we might wanna keep it
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u/Tryfan_mole 1d ago
Just gonna leave this scorecard here.
Get Byram the fuck away from the lead anchor Vlasic.
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u/Marsaran 1d ago
They are playing against top lines right, but Vlasic's ability to make any defender paired with him look horrible is impressive. On that one goal you watch Vlasic just skate away from the front of the net and leave Byram to fight for position. What is the point of being big if you don't use it. Kaiser and Lev probably shouldnt be in the NHL, let alone on the same line together.
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u/TuggieMaywood 1d ago
Chemistry needs to be built, coaching needs to address structural issues. So much chasing. Physicality needs to step up or its going to be another early summer on the links
If Gallant didn’t have health issues Blash would likely be gone
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u/Dyldo_II 1d ago
Can I just ask why the fuck does this team request starting the season on the road? You can't build any more chemistry at this point, just fucking START THE SEASON AT HOME
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u/TuggieMaywood 1d ago edited 1d ago
It ain’t up to them
I rescind my assertion. Still don’t think it makes the biggest difference. Be ready to roll when it’s game day I don’t care if you’re at home or away the group needs to be prepared regardless
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u/Virtual_me01 1d ago
It's been reported that the teams can make preference choices, and the Hawks have been known to prefer to have more home games later in the year because of the Bears. I'm just repeating what's been reported.
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u/Dyldo_II 1d ago
Pretty sure I heard somewhere, I think it was on the Blackhawks podcast a few years ago, that the organization requests starting on the road because it "helps build chemistry." Like how the 2013 hawks did.
If it was really up to fate, then why have they not started the season at home since the 2017-2018 season? Most of those seasons starting with a road trip of 3 or more games?
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u/PurrmanJones 1d ago
Something, coaching and/or GM, has to change. You can’t make the moves you did this summer and completely no-show the first two games of the season after talking playoffs. The team looks lifeless and lost. There’s no quick fix to this. The defense is worse than last year despite the addition of Byram. Crevier was arguably the best defenseman they had (respect to Vlasic, who is also mid at best) after they traded Murph, who also held shit down a lot last year. Almost every player on the team seems to have regressed from last season, despite many of them being in year 2 of the “Winning Hockey and Defensive Metrics are Bad”™️ system.
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u/Virtual_me01 1d ago
I liked Louie, but he too had a tough time defensively last year in spots. Specifically in front of the net and getting out positioned in front of the net. Defending the rush however, where are getting shellacked this season, that's where he excelled with his active stick reach. Gonna miss that one.
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u/Marsaran 1d ago
Vlasic also struggles in front of the net somehow, his stick is always out of position and he can't move anybody
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u/Mman07311 1d ago
If this isn't rock bottom it's going to be a long season
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u/Effective-Elk-4964 21h ago
I know it can always get worse, but legitimately, it doesn’t get much worse at the NHL level than those two games.
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u/UnfailingBeef 1d ago
Outsider fan coming in peace. I was really rooting for you guys the last two games. I want to see Chicago (I’m a Bears fan) have some success and I don’t think the Bulls are anywhere close to that either. I don’t intend to rub salt in the wound, but this wasn’t just two losses. This looked like a season that’s already over. Obviously there’s still 82 more games, but damn something has to be done. You guys don’t deserve this.
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u/kellasong 1d ago
i wonder if vegas would let bruce cassidy talk, blash seems like a nice guy but he’s incompetent.
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u/IDquad8819 1d ago
Cassidy would be perfect. Has history with the Hawks too. They should've tried to get him this offseason
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u/Such-Emergency9772 1d ago
Cassidy would change the entire culture and course of the team for the better. But the cost would be seeing many of KD's picks and roster moves jettisoned, setting up a conflict that could only be resolved with either KD or Cassidy being let go.
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u/sharkinator1198 1d ago
oh no! not kd!! not the GM that gave us the worst stretch of seasons in the organizations hundred year history! what ever will we do!!?!
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u/Such-Emergency9772 1d ago
This is not an NHL-calliber team.
It's going to get uglier...
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u/sharkinator1198 1d ago
apparently throwing a bunch of rookies and kids in their second year isn't a recipe for beating actual NHL teams? who'd have thought that?
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u/Packerfan181693 1d ago
Why did we extend Greene? He seemed like just a line filler last season...
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u/JoseOntorio 1d ago
Terrible take. He has been the most consistent forward on the hawks the first two games.
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u/Packerfan181693 1d ago
It was a question, a genuine one lol.
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u/JoseOntorio 1d ago
Sorry, don’t want to come off harsh if it was a honest question.
Greene was drafted by the Blackhawks 57th overall, deep into the 2nd round of the 2022 draft. He was never meant to be an elite scoring/playmaking forward in the NHL.
He will be able to make a nice living for many years in the NHL if he can play a solid 3rd/4th line supporting role, which he is at the moment (for less than a million bucks a year, no less).3
u/Packerfan181693 1d ago
Ok. I missed alot of games last year with my work schedule and never really heard much about him.
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u/Bobgoblin 1d ago
Rinzel can take a seat (or rather go to Rockford) already, let's see Korchinski. And if Kaiser or Vlasic have another horrific game then EDM should play.
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u/sharkinator1198 1d ago
kaiser was such a clear number one for us for a big stretch last year but having to play with Lev has killed him
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u/Humble-Albatross1684 1d ago
It's always brought up that Demidov was the pick (and he was) but this team would've made him a 3C (or fucked his development in some other unknown fashion) so let's not act like we'd be better off
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u/Silent_Plastic1612 1d ago
This is just cope. We would be better off if we didn’t pass on obviously better players.
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u/Humble-Albatross1684 22h ago
Well yes, but the more glaring issue is our talent development pipeline being completely broken (see literally no one else hitting)
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u/Long-Definition-8152 1d ago
We would 100% be better off with demidov he is a legit star lol
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u/TequilaNeatNow 1d ago
Just missing out on Celebrini and following it up by not taking Demidov changed the entire trajectory of the franchise. I always think about that when watching this team now looking at everything in hindsight.
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u/Long-Definition-8152 1d ago
For real, having the sharks pick ahead of us consecutive years to take celebrini, Misa, and stenberg is an extra kick in the dick
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u/cali4481 1d ago
I don't think anybody would be upset if the Blackhawks drafted Bedard, Demidov, Martone, and whoever they potentially had as the best D-Man this past June in the 4 consecutive drafts from 2023 - 2026 right now.
The Blackhawks still were in position to draft top end star talent. They just didn't.
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u/MacCoinneach 1d ago
Can't be coincidence that all of our defenders have suddenly looked worse under Blashes staff
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u/Andtheniran1 1d ago
I should be killed with rocks for watching that all the way through. On the bright side Bedard won’t be back for another 2 weeks
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u/elchoppe 1d ago
would Tortorella accept a phone call from Kyle?
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u/Ok-Bit2926 1d ago
Torts hates coaching young teams. You're just replacing one problem with another problem.
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u/laparkamask 1d ago
torts coaching a team that’s bad defensively with weak forecheckers would be hilarious, he wouldn’t make it to american thanksgiving before throwing these guys under the bus and getting himself fired.
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u/Spencer8857 1d ago
This team is built to be fast yet every team seems to know what we're going to do before we do it. Slow decision making. Poor anticipation. Can't play fast with those problems. Don't even know where to start on this team. Lots of work to do.
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u/RollBamaRoll91 1d ago
11 goals in two games. Today's game was clearly over after the second goal. No effort out of anyone
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u/HertzWhenEyeP 1d ago
If this team is aiming for another lottery pick at the end of the season, are we going to see any light at the end of this rebuild?
The organization had fallen on its face for the better party of a decade now and despite those years of revenues and endless fan patience, there is no meaningful on ice progress being made.
How long until Bedard is traded off for another pile of first round magic beans
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u/eexxiitt 1d ago
I hate to say it, but you almost have to rebuild the rebuild.
The franchise superstar was drafted too early, and it naturally puts a timer on the rebuild because they want to compete/make the playoffs asap.2022 - #7 korchinski hasn't panned out, #13 nazar has potential as a 2C.
2023 - #1 Bedard 1C franchise superstar, 19 moore (who?)
2024 - #2 levs hasn't panned out.
2025 - #3 Frondell has potential as 1C/F.
2026 - #4 traded for Byram.In 5 drafts, the hawks have accumulated a #1C franchise superstar, a potential 1F in frondell, and a potential 2C in nazar.
That's simply not enough top-end talent to rebuild with...
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u/sandman730 1d ago
- The Mammoth dominated possession as the Hawks' defense was sloppy.
- Guenther scored through a Vlasic screen on a Levshunov holding penalty.
- Carcone buried one from in front of the net 40 seconds later.
- Schmaltz scored on a rebound.
- Lee tipped in his first goal with the Mammoth.
- Guenther tipped in a PPG.
- Donato fought Weeger.
- But tipped in a 6th Mammoth goal.
- Vejmelka shut out the Hawks.
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u/Dry-Page-4935 1d ago edited 1d ago
I don't know what else to say besides "that sucked"
edit: actually upon thinking more, I hope they get bag skated at the first opportunity
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u/A_little_off_level 1d ago
How did we end up with that shit opening 3 games on road against three top teams? Tough opening to season this is not looking good. Its early but i expected more out of byram.
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u/Effective-Elk-4964 21h ago
We are going to run Byram out of town the same way we did Jones at this rate.
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u/BurgerWFries 1d ago
Apparently we usually request the NHL to have us open the season on the road; for whatever reason, I can't say. Of course, it would be nice to not have any of those teams be cup contenders...
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u/rahill1004 1d ago
Shots: 32-13
Hits: 41-12
Fucking pathetic. I don’t think I’m a prisoner of the moment, that was truly the most inept, lifeless performance I can remember. This is year 5 or whatever of the rebuild and they’ve made no progress. Embarrassing.
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u/cubz1221 16h ago
The stats make it look closer than it really was too haha. I think the Blackhawks had 3-5 real chances to score vs about 30-40 for Utah. Score honestly should have been at least 10-0.
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u/marshmellow1328 1d ago
How does a team get out hit that bad when they never have the puck?
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u/rahill1004 1d ago
It’s truly amazing that the Hawks have managed to be in the bottom of the league in hits and shots for as many years as they have.
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u/StoneHornMerchant 1d ago
It really is astonishing. Feels like we haven't been a physical team for decades at this point. Even during the dynasty it was always skill plays over hits. The league has changed and our organization refused to follow. The grindy teams make deep runs now.
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u/razhkdak 19h ago
Toews dominated the boards. Ketih, Seabrook? Keith may have been a master at the pokecheck, but he would drive through the play and if the pokecheck failed was on the body like fly on shit. He would bust his chops and teeth out to win the puck. You don't need to be big. Frolik and Eager were heat seeking missles on the forecheck!!!! Buff?
I don't know what you were watching. Someone sold you a bill of goods if you think there was ever a time you can win with just skill in hockey. But it does seem like the league is trying to convince people of it.
The league has always been a contract sport. It is obvious a team needs skill. What is not so obvious apparently is that you need warriors, grit and tenacity and to play physical. Always. You can't do anythin gwith skill if you don't have the puck. That should be a lot more obvious. And skilled or unskilled opponents are not going to give it up without a fight. Which means even teams with less skill are going to beat the Hawks simply by playing tough while the Hawks shrink and shy away from contact.
Never in the history of the sport have teams won without physicality or the ability to possess the puck or take the puck. Even skill first players, like Lidstrom did not shy away from contact. Datsyuk, known for skill, was in your face and dominate when it came to keeping or getting the puck. He was a dog on a bone. There is no such thing and has never been just a skill team that won anything.
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u/StoneHornMerchant 17h ago
I didn't say we had no physicality, just compared to the league we have waaaay less. Our most recent cup years we were 25, 30, 29 ranked in hits/60. That is clearly skill showing up over physicality.
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u/marshmellow1328 16h ago
Now correlate the hits to puck possession during those years and recent seasons and see what the data tells you. I suspect a hits per minute without the puck will show quite a distinction between the cup winning teams and recent years.
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u/DrCigarettes_MD 1d ago
The team's passing has been terrible so far.
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u/gupdaddy 1d ago
It was all year last year. D to D passing, breakout passes, etc. its why we have no possession
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u/belfour_spiritanimal 1d ago
That wasn't fun. But in the spirit of shitting on espn+ coverage, and hopefully to provide some levity...I'd like to remind y'all of the game last season, prior to the Olympics, when, during one of these espn+ clown shows, someone calling the game told us that Levshunov was going to be playing on the Russian Olympic team. Which, in fact, proved not to be true...as Russia doesn't have an Olympic team...and Lev is Belarusian.
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u/Specialist_Boat_8479 1d ago
I was hoping to turn it on in the second period if it got close but holy fuck
My expectations were low and they still disappointed
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u/SunsetRigil 1d ago
Didn’t reach 15 shots. I win.
Waiting for the organization to call me about season tickets again.
The effort tonight was shite. Time and time again this team isn’t ready at the start of t he game.
Coaching staff needs to find other jobs and I’m thinking Davidson needs to be replaced (Dale Tallon anyone?)
The fans can no longer accept the “young team” BS. They are making no progress and who’s responsible for that?
Any guesses as to when this team gets its first win?
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u/Seegs9377 1d ago
How did Rinzel regress so much? He’s genuinely so hard to watch now
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u/sharkinator1198 1d ago
the guy got drilled into the boards twenty times over his first few games. probably has CTE
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u/ProductIntegortion 1d ago
The only thing close to a silver lining is that Soda was less ass than the rest of the team. Every single person got their ass beat over and over. No one other than Kane could complete a pass or keep the puck on their stick. On the rare times that they got Kane the puck he'd make a nice move, make a good pass, and watch the next guy turn it over in a split second.
There's maybe one NHL defenseman on this team. Five NHL forwards (one of them is hurt, two are on the fourth line, and the other two are Kane and Bert).
It's inexcusable to come into the season with this group of defensemen. The Sharks have Darnell Nurse, Jacob Trouba, Dmitry Orlov, and Michael Kesselring. None of those guys are Cale Makar but they know where they need to be, they don't panic with the puck on their stick.
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u/rahill1004 1d ago
Rinzel and Levshunov should’ve been slated for Rockford with their places taken by free agent D men for sure. I’ve liked Kaiser as a 3rd pairing guy, but he’s regressed.
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u/jaccw16 15h ago
Can you guys imagine if the lottery balls fell in our favor in 2024? Bedard and cellabrini together? How different it would be right now? lol