Blackhawks’ New Era of Defense

The Chicago Blackhawks’ defensemen are on a mission to prove they’re more than just guardians of the net. In their latest game against the Minnesota Wild, they showed off their scoring skills, combining for six shots on goal.

Center Jason Dickinson says it’s all about teamwork: ‘I don’t think you can undermine production from anybody in the lineup. If we can get everybody involved, everybody pulling their weight, it just makes it a little bit easier on everybody instead of always turning to the same few guys to put the puck in the net.’

Under New Coach Jeff Blashill

Since Jeff Blashill took the reins, the Hawks’ defensemen have seen a boost in their offensive game. They’re getting more chances to handle the puck, especially when Blashill runs seven-defensemen lineups.

Wyatt Kaiser has already smashed his career highs in goals, assists, and points. Rookie Artyom Levshunov is killing it with 19 assists, putting him in the top five among NHL newbies.

Shooting from the Point

Alex Vlasic, who’s seeing less ice time this season, has matched his shot percentage and is making the most of his opportunities. ‘A lot of it comes from shooting pucks from the point in the O-zone, low to high. Making sure that we have a big emphasis on putting everything we get to the net and creating chaos that way.’

Louis Crevier’s got a cannon for a shot, with some of his bullets reaching speeds of over 100 mph. He’s not just about shooting hard, though – he’s also working on putting pucks on net and creating opportunities.

The Future of Defensemen

With the rise of players like New York Islanders rookie Matthew Schaefer, who’s putting up forward-like numbers, it’s clear that the role of defensemen is evolving. But do they all need to be scoring machines?

Crevier says no: ‘I think you need some of those guys, but you need also some more defensive guys. You need those in hockey, soccer, in every sport.’ Vlasic agrees: ‘A team needs a combination of everything. If you look at the Florida Panthers, they haven’t necessarily had that No. 1 offensive D-man. They have a lot of two-way guys, a lot of guys that know how to play defense first.’