Back-to-back games with seven goals scored. Connor Bedard tying franchise records for points in a game. Philipp Kurashev with a four-point night. Two wins in a row after a season’s worth of a single win and then multiple losses following. Can the Blackhawks finally see that the structure they’ve spoken is taking hold and indeed leading to all of these things.
Well, it’s not that easy. Head coach Luke Richardson is certainly happy with the results but there’s still a ways to go–especially with 17 games left in the season.
“I think we have to realize it’s only two games,” Richardson said. “I think that’s where sometimes we won a game in the past and maybe took the foot off and thought that maybe we were past a certain point. It’s only when you realize you’re working for it every night and I think you know we’re doing a great job in the leadership in the room to stick with it to get to this point and now we’ve gotta push it even more.”
Blackhawks Definitely Finding a Different Gear in Last Two Games
Push it they have as they’ve exploded for 14 goals in their past two games and have seen production from every corner of the roster. MacKenzie Entwistle scored a goal tonight. Andreas Athanasiou was dynamic in his return, flying up and down the ice. Nick Foligno, the self-proclaimed “dad” of the line with Kurashev and Bedard, had four assists.
So it’s definitely understandable that they’re feeling good. But it has to be something where they continue to feed off of this momentum, heading into Friday’s game with the Los Angeles Kings.
“It’s nice to see us get rewarded in certain ways for the hard we’ve put in and we need to continue to do, right?” Foligno said. “It’s two games that we won in a row now and it’s a good feeling but it’s harnessing that feeling and trying to make sure we manifest that into more wins and good habits–winning habits.”
How about Bedard, whose defensive game has been a catalyst to his successes as of late, too. Even after a five-point night, the 18-year-old is still finding places to improve his game even with the Blackhawks victorious again.
“I think it’s something I definitely want to get better at–maybe away from the puck in all areas,” Bedard said. ” I think a lot of it is just system–the more you play in things, and get used to them, the more instinctual it becomes. Obviously I can definitely get a lot better at is away from the puck. Little improvements are good in each game.”
Richardson, Foligno, and Bedard all spoke the same way without saying the same things. Perhaps Richardson summed the latest little streak best.
“We have lots to work for the rest of the year here and pride to work for, and pride in keeping the goals-against down,” Richardson said. “But also working on our offense within the team system. The structure is both ends of the ice and we’ve seen that the last two games. We’ve got to continue that. I like what we’ve started, but we’ve got to finish it.”
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