Blackhawks Look to Get Season Off to Good Start vs. Senators
By James Neveau ••
The Chicago Blackhawks have had to wait nearly six months to get back on the ice after missing the postseason earlier this year, but they’ll finally have their opportunity to play in a game that counts as they take on the Ottawa Senators on Thursday night.
The Blackhawks, who finished in last place in the Central Division a season ago, will hope to get more production out of youngsters, resurgent years out of veterans, and above all else a healthy Corey Crawford later this month, and they’ll hope to be back in playoff contention this season.
Quick Thoughts:
After an up-and-down preseason, the Blackhawks will sport a very different lineup on Opening Night than they did last season. Youngsters like Dominik Kahun, Luke Johnson, and Henri Jokiharju will be trying to make an impact this season, and they’ll be trying to push along the veterans as they do so.
The big key for Blackhawks fans to remember, especially early in the campaign, is that a lot of these players have very little NHL playing time, and they’ll need time to learn, and space to make mistakes.
Especially in the case of Kahun, who is going to see some serious top-six time in the early going, and Jokiharju, who will make his NHL debut on Thursday, Blackhawks fans will need to exercise some patience.
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Former player Stan Mikita of the Chicago Blackhawks is introduced to the crowd during a Heritage Night to honor the 1961 Stanley Cup Championship team before a game against the New York Islanders at the United Center on January 9, 2011 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
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Mikita remains the Blackhawks’ career leader in games played, assists, points, and plus/minus.
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Mikita went from one of the most penalized players in the league to one of its finest gentlemen, winning the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy on two occasions.
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Mikita won the Hart Memorial Trophy as the league’s MVP on two occasions, and is one of only five Blackhawks to win the award.
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Mikita and teammate Bobby Hull pioneered the use of curved blades on their hockey sticks.
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Stan was named as one of the 100 greatest NHL players of all-time in 2017.
The Blackhawks’ lines are the same as they were at the end of the preseason, with Kahun skating with Alex DeBrincat and Jonathan Toews on the top line and Johnson centering the fourth line with Marcus Kruger and Andreas Martinsen.
The line to watch in the game Thursday is the second line, with Nick Schmaltz centering up Brandon Saad and Patrick Kane. Those three have been working well together in practice, and will be expected to generate a lot of offensive push in the first game of the regular season.
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Cam Ward #30 of the Chicago Blackhawks makes a save against the Detroit Red Wings during a preseason game at the United Center on September 25, 2018 in Chicago, Illinois.
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After making the team on a tryout contract, Davidson will hope to solidify a blue line that is facing a myriad of depth and injury concerns. He played for three different teams in 2017-18, scoring four goals and dishing out three assists in 51 games.
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A fifth round pick of the Blackhawks in 2013, Johnson has finally made it to the NHL after three years in college and two seasons in the AHL. He had 13 goals and 17 assists in 73 games last season with the IceHogs, and is hoping to be a consistent contributor at the NHL level this season.
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The 2017 first round pick is jumping right into the NHL, skating alongside Duncan Keith. He is a talented puck mover and a strong two-way player, but it could take time for him to find his sea legs in the NHL.
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The 2017 first round pick is jumping right into the NHL, skating alongside Duncan Keith. He is a talented puck mover and a strong two-way player, but it could take time for him to find his sea legs in the NHL.
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The cagey veteran had a strong season with the Lightning last year, with 13 goals and 16 assists, and he could potentially fill a variety of roles for the Blackhawks this season.
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One of Stan Bowman’s few free agent moves this offseason, Manning will take on a bottom-four defensive role after scoring seven goals and racking up 12 assists for the Philadelphia Flyers last season.
Player to Watch: Patrick Kane
Kane will have a couple of talented linemates in Saad and Schmaltz, but even more noteworthy is how well he played against the Senators last season, scoring two goals and dishing out five assists to lead all Blackhawks scorers in the two games against Ottawa.
After a somewhat down year, Kane is looking to rebound in a big way, and there’s no better team to do that against than one of the league’s worst teams from a season ago.
Where to Watch/Listen:
The game will begin at 6:30 p.m., and will air on WGN. The game will air on the radio on WGN 720AM.
