CauseChaos Archives - The Rink https://www.the-rink.com/tag/causechaos/ Chicago Blackhawks and NHL Salary Cap Information Mon, 15 Apr 2024 01:13:40 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 https://i0.wp.com/www.the-rink.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/cropped-FavIcon_v3.png?fit=32%2C32&ssl=1 CauseChaos Archives - The Rink https://www.the-rink.com/tag/causechaos/ 32 32 136660061 RECAP: Nazar scores in debut, Hawks fall 4–2 to Canes in home finale https://www.the-rink.com/recap-nazar-scores-in-debut-hawks-fall-4-2-to-canes-in-home-finale/ https://www.the-rink.com/recap-nazar-scores-in-debut-hawks-fall-4-2-to-canes-in-home-finale/#respond Mon, 15 Apr 2024 01:13:40 +0000 https://www.the-rink.com/?p=29301 In the Chicago Blackhawks’ final home game of the 2023–24 season, Chicago had another NHL rookie debut. The recently signed Frank Nazar, out of the University of Michigan, took his... Read more »

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]]> In the Chicago Blackhawks’ final home game of the 2023–24 season, Chicago had another NHL rookie debut. The recently signed Frank Nazar, out of the University of Michigan, took his rookie lap at the United Center. Nazar joins Landon Slaggert and Ethan Del Mastro as the most recent rookie additions to the Blackhawks’ roster. The Hawks rolled out one of their youngest lineups to date, including Connor Bedard (18), Kevin Korchinski (19), Nazar (20), Del Mastro (21), Lukas Reichel (21), Alex Vlasic (22) and the elder skatesman, Philipp Kurashev (24).

First period

Nazar started the game on the third line centering Joey Anderson and Jason Dickinson. The young rookie was not phased in his first NHL start as he won the opening face-off against longtime NHLer Jordan Staal.

Later in the period, Nazar found himself wide open entering the offensive end and buried his first NHL shot. It was one of two shots the Hawks had in the first period.

Nazar also got an A-plus on his celebration as the Hawks took a 1–0 into intermission.

Second period

In the second period, the Hurricane struck back with a goal from Staal to the tie game at 1–1. Later in the period, Korchinski failed to clear the zone on an errant pass that led to a high-danger chance from Jake Guentzel. Petr Mrazek was able to flash the glove and the snatch the puck out of the air to keep the score level.

Despite the score being tied at 1–1, the Hurricanes severely out shot the Hawks by a wide margin in the period, with 16 shots to the Hawks’ nine, and for the game, it was 25–11 in favor of Carolina after 40 minutes.

Third period

The Hawks got on the board first. Lukas Reichel made a strong move to the net that was deflected out to Andreas Athanasiou, who buried the rebound to put the Hawks ahead 2–1.

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Reichel has been better since returning from the Rockford. The Hawks maintained the lead until Seth Jarvis scored on the power play. Later in the period, Jarvis fired another shot past Mrazek for his second goal of the game.

With the game hanging in the balance, the Hawks pulled Mrazek for the extra attacker. The Hawks were unable to capitalize. Sebastian Aho scored an empty-netter to finish off the Hawks 4–2.

Analysis

The Hawks are ending another dreadful season, but there could be light appearing off in the distance. The Hawks are starting to see guys matriculate to the NHL from Kyle Davidson’s drafts. This season saw the debut of Bedard and his game translating to the NHL. Vlasic took a huge step forward in his development and looks to be an elite shutdown defenseman. Korchinski has shown flashes of promise, Kurashev set career highs in scoring and the debuts of Nazar, Slaggert and Del Mastro provided further glimpses of the future.

This offseason is going to be critical to the future of the Blackhawks. The Hawks have to augment this roster without mortgaging the future. We are starting to see some young pieces take shape, but fans need to be realistic with their expectations for the young guys.

The Hawks are going to need more of those pieces to take the next step at the AHL and NHL level next season to start trending upward. The Hawks’ next game is Tuesday against the Vegas Golden Knights. The game starts at 9 p.m. CDT.

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]]> https://www.the-rink.com/recap-nazar-scores-in-debut-hawks-fall-4-2-to-canes-in-home-finale/feed/ 0 29301 Burke heats up in victory over Wild https://www.the-rink.com/burke-heats-up-in-victory-over-wild/ https://www.the-rink.com/burke-heats-up-in-victory-over-wild/#respond Sun, 31 Dec 2023 04:23:04 +0000 https://www.the-rink.com/?p=28074 The Colorado Eagles continued to stay hot after their 4–2 victory on Thursday against the Iowa Wild. The Eagles capitalized on two out of five power play opportunities, eliminating the... Read more »

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]]> The Colorado Eagles continued to stay hot after their 4–2 victory on Thursday against the Iowa Wild. The Eagles capitalized on two out of five power play opportunities, eliminating the usual problem of power play struggles. Cal Burke was the hottest of all with his three points to solidify Colorado’s 6–2 victory. All aspects of the Eagles’ game were in sync – passing, special teams, defense, and offense. Justus Annunen even looked like his old self as he showed more comfort in the crease.

Quick Hits

— Cal Burke is heating up and getting back in a groove. By scoring goals in consecutive games, he has affected how the opponent approaches the zone. Burke is a two-way center that loves to forecheck, backcheck and give you 100 percent on every shift. He has averaged four shots on goal in the last six games to help boost the offense since returning on December 16th.

— Sam Malinski showed off the experience he gained from his recall to the Colorado Avalanche. So far this season, Malinski has played 14 games with the Avalanche where he had one goal and four assists. He showed his experience on the first penalty kill of the game tonight with his aggressiveness on the puck carrier. He was smoother in his skating and more confident in his attacks. The NHL had a significant positive impact on Malinski, clear in the first period alone.

— Annunen played his third game in a row and since coming back from injury. He struggled in the first game against Calgary, playing only 32 minutes, but has since performed consistently. He has allowed only four goals in 51 shots, which has given the Eagles a fighting chance. As the game went along tonight, he showed more mobility and confidence in the movement towards the puck.

— The power play unit in tonight’s victory was doing a lot of things right. They were moving the puck and doing it to the right places. Skaters were taking shots on the net at will, taking advantage of the inexperienced Hunter Jones in net. Colorado was following their shots up with secondary rebound shots, getting even more chances. There is a spark there, and we saw it come alive tonight.

Conclusion

The Eagles showed a lot of confidence in their puck movement with the momentum of a victory behind them on Thursday. Having another puck carrying defenseman helped their exits out of their own zone a lot with Malinski. Their lack of discipline at the end of the game resulted in six penalties in the third alone, which could have cost them. But they could weather the storm with two players ejected from the game. This team is showing some chemistry under Aaron Schneekloth and it is exciting. The Eagles’ next game will be on Friday, January 5th in Milwaukee against the Admirals.

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