chicago_suntimes
During a video session before practice last Friday, Patrick Kane, Connor Bedard, and Roman Kantserov identified a key adjustment: driving the middle of the ice. The trio, reviewing clips of their rushes, agreed that adding a central attack would create more opportunities. "We looked at our rushes and, as a line, we were like, 'Let's get someone to drive the middle of the ice,'" Kane said. Coach Jeff Blashill echoed the sentiment, noting that "it's hard to get some of the seam passes to open up because you don't have that middle drive."
The plan came to life in the third period of Saturday's game. As the Blackhawks crossed the red line, Kantserov accelerated through the center lane, pushing Stars defenseman Nils Lundkvist back. That drive opened space for Bedard, who was carrying the puck down the right wing, to find a wide-open Kane for a perfect pass. For a 3-6-0 Blackhawks team that is both young and still developing chemistry, such moments highlight the value of extensive video review and practice time.
With Monday marking the first of three consecutive practices before Friday's game, the week presents a prime opportunity for further progress. Kane, Bedard, and Kantserov hit the ice early to continue refining their rush strategies. "Now it's like, 'OK, how can we do that and get the puck carrier to the middle of the ice if there's space?'" Kane said. "When you watch guys around the league, sometimes it's just as simple as your first touch on a puck, bringing it to the middle of the ice. That sets you up for space instead of taking it wide, [because] maybe then you get squeezed off."
Key Analysis
Kane is also using this week to focus on finishing chances. Through nine games, the 37-year-old future Hall of Famer has just one goal—scored in the season opener—and four assists. At five-on-five, he has only two points, and the Blackhawks have been outscored 11-2 and outshot 75-47 during his even-strength shifts. Only three of those games have come alongside Bedard, and while the two have shown promise together, the analytics have yet to reflect it. Kane, however, holds himself accountable for his finishing and has been displeased with his output. He was particularly frustrated about missing the net on the third-period chance Saturday. "The production and numbers aren't there, so obviously that's disappointing," Kane said. "It's not a dream start for me. But I still think there's moments throughout the game where there's times you could create. [The] numbers could be a little bit different."
Even after Saturday's game, Kane found reason for optimism upon review. "You're coming out of the rink pissed off, and then you watch it over and it's like, 'There's some moments there where the game could've changed and you could've been on the scoresheet,'" he said, citing a sequence where Kantserov had an open net but his shot struck Lundkvist's leg and the post.
In a leadership role, Kane has spent recent weeks reminding younger teammates that "everyone's in here for a reason," encouraging them to trust their unique skills and playing styles. On Monday, he highlighted several examples of that paying off: Bedard "coming back and playing well," Kantserov scoring twice last Tuesday, Artyom Levshunov scoring in overtime last Thursday, Frank Nazar "flying," and Anton Frondell looking "like he's going to be a big-time player." Kane attributes the Blackhawks' lingering problems to mistakes and poor execution of systems rather than roster flaws. "I don't think it's a talent issue at all, to be honest," he said. "It's just the way we're playing. You see a lot of mistakes either come when we have the puck on our sticks or give up odd-man rushes when there's no need to." Reducing those errors, Kane believes, starts with taking the risk out of their game.
Originally reported by chicago_suntimes.