It wasn't all bad news for Jeff Blashill in his first game behind the bench for the Chicago Blackhawks in their season opener against the Florida Panthers. Some parts of the game looked good, notably the emergence of Frank Nazar as a play-driver and a visibly faster Connor Bedard, along with some stellar play from goaltender Spencer Knight. However, when speaking to reporters after the game, Blashill emphasized that some parts of the Blackhawks' play didn't impress him as much as others.
“It is such an unforgiving league that you have to be on top of your game every night,” Blashill said. “You're not going to be perfect — I get that — but you can't let the lows be so low. Certainly, there's some guys that need to take that lesson. That's their takeaway.”
Blashill didn't single anyone out specifically, but the blueline was an inconsistent bunch for the new head coach. Rookie Sam Rinzel played over 25 minutes, but it took him nearly a period-and-a-half to finally settle in. The same goes for young defensemen Ethan Del Mastro and Artyom Levshunov, who had some bad moments that cost the Blackhawks a couple of goals.
Levshunov was the biggest culprit, as he took two minor penalties in the first period that helped the Panthers gain momentum. While those blue-liners settled in throughout the game, Blashill's point was that it only takes a couple of crucial mistakes for Florida to capitalize. In a league as tight as the NHL, those small mistakes can mean the difference between contending and being in the basement.
Chicago added Matt Grzelcyk as a veteran presence on the team's blue line, and the coaching staff hopes that the young core will eventually settle in under his leadership. With Bedard and Nazar looking like they could take the next step this season, the Blackhawks must have their blueline carry the weight.
