3 things we learned from the Chicago Blackhawks including Petr Mrázek getting less aggressive and Frank Nazar is due

Chicago Blackhawks practice was a few skaters light at Fifth Third Arena on Wednesday.

Teuvo Teravainen and Alec Martinez took maintenance days, and Jason Dickinson was listed out with an illness not what youd expect after he grabbed his right arm in pain after getting hit with a shot during Mondays 4-3 overtime loss to the Carolina Hurricanes .

Hes sick, actually, said Hawks interim coach Anders Sorensen, adding that Dickinsons arm is fine.

Hes home sick.

Whats not fine was how the Hurricanes buzzed around while the Hawks struggled to keep up.

The pace was the biggest thing the Hawks worked on in practice, Sorensen said.

Getting up and down the ice and executing at pace.

Here are three other things we learned.

Petr Mrazek of the Chicago Blackhawks tends the net against the Carolina Hurricanes at the United Center on Jan.

20, 2025.

(Luke Hales/Getty Images) It sounds counterintuitive, but Mrazek made the adjustment at the behest of goalie coach Jimmy Waite.

Im not as aggressive as I used to be, Mrazek told the Tribune.

Im more in the blue paint waiting for the game to develop.

I can read the play better from there, and then I can be aggressive later on.

Mrazek said working with Waite has changed his game, and he trusts him.

Over the three years I think we developed a really good relationship on the ice and off the ice, he said.

Im sure (Arvid Soderblom) could tell you as well, that you can see the progress.

Every day, if you do video or were working things on the ice, those things make sense and make you feel really comfortable during the game.

Sorensen added about Waite, When youre working with two guys that naturally happens, but it seems like theyre really on the same page in a lot of conversations that Im overhearing.

So its all positive.

At first blush, it appears that Mrazeks numbers were a bit better around this time last season.

Here are his goals-against averages and save percentages through his first 28 games in his three seasons in Chicago.

2024-25: 3.26 GAA, .896 SV% 2023-24: 3.17 GAA, .903 SV% 2022-23: 3.83 GAA, .890 SV% But this season and in 2022-23, Mrazeks rhythm was affected by groin injuries.

In the latter season, his 28th appearance didnt come until Feb.

27.

This season it came Jan.

20, and last season it was Jan.

11.

Mrazek missed five games in December and it has taken several starts to regain his form.

Ive been feeling really good the last couple of games, he said.

It always takes a little time when you come from your injury, or (if) youre all over the place in net, youre trying to test the groin, if you feel good.

The Hurricanes, Mrazeks former team, had him all over the net Monday: He faced a season-high 48 shots.

Carolina, they like to put pucks on net, they like to crash the net, he said.

They put the pucks deep and thats where they create offense from.

In this case, a less aggressive style helped him deal with the Canes high shot volume.

I feel like when you save energy youre not all over the place, and you just wait until the puck comes to you then you save energy and you can face as many shots as it gets, Mrazek said .

So physically it was really good, and mentally as well.

Philipp Kurashev of the Chicago Blackhawks celebrates a goal with teammates against the Carolina Hurricanes during the first period at the United Center on Jan.

20, 2025.

(Luke Hales/Getty Images) Monday was the 27th time the Hawks scored first, but they fell to an 11-13-3 record in those games with the overtime loss to the Hurricanes.

Their .407 winning percentage when scoring first is the leagues worst.

So is the 18 times theyve allowed an opponent a come-from-behind win, according to More Hockey Stats .

Most of them (13) have been one-goal leads.

The Hawks are trying to figure out how to win close games and it starts in the second period, where the goal differential jumps from minus-1 in the first to minus-14 in the second.

We have to put the pucks deep, Mrazek said.

Especially in the second period, we turn the puck over too much in the neutral zone.

We dont create much offense the last couple games in the second period.

So I think thats the turning point, where the teams start feeling that they have a chance to come back.

And I think we just have to play smart and play for the team and dont make turnovers or mistakes or bad changes.

So those are small details that we need to fix.

Sorensen said the Hawks played better in the second period against the Hurricanes after making some adjustments.

(Were) trying to defend on the front of our foot, meaning trying to defend higher up on the ice, trying to ...

get on the forecheck more and recognizing those situations when there are opportunities to do that, versus trying to make a play, he said.

So thats an emphasis of ours lately here.

The Hawks third-period differential drops to minus-22.

Related Articles Chicago Blackhawks | 4 takeaways from the Chicago Blackhawks OT loss, including Philipp Kurashevs nice night and Connor Bedards lack of line dancing Chicago Blackhawks | Chicago Blackhawks snap a 4-game skid with a 5-3 win over the Vegas Golden Knights Chicago Blackhawks | Photos: Chicago Blackhawks 5, Vegas Golden Knights 3 Chicago Blackhawks | 5 takeaways from the Chicago Blackhawks 10th loss in 12 games, including finding Connor Bedards missing piece Chicago Blackhawks | Bulls and Blackhawks plan to begin remaking the neighborhood surrounding United Center wins commission approval In the third, the Canes were taking a lot of empty-calorie shots, but they were getting faceoffs off those, offensive-zone faceoffs, and theyre good at the dot and we struggle a bit at the dot, so they got possession, Sorensen said.

The Hawks rank third-worst in faceoff percentage (44.8%).

There are different ways to look at it all the time.

But we have to be better on that, for sure, he said.

Through 18 games, Frank Nazars expected goals per 60 minutes is 0.73, the third-highest on the Hawks, according to Natural Stat Trick .

However, he has just one goal under his ledger with a lot of close calls.

I thought last game he was one of our better forwards in terms of creating chances and being around the puck, Sorensen said.

His skating is noticeable when hes working off the puck and thats something weve talked (about to) him a lot ...

so its trending the right way.

His expected goals for himself is high.

He hasnt capitalized on some of them but hes been getting those opportunities, and thats really important..

This article has been shared from the original article on chicagotribune, here is the link to the original article.