The Chicago Blackhawks sit at 6-5-3 after Wednesday’s strange road win over the Vancouver Canucks. The final score was 5-2, which seems like a shootout at first glance.
And you’d be right — if you were talking about the third period.
The final 20 minutes featured Tyler Bertuzzi’s fourth career hat trick, Oliver Moore’s first point of the season, a primary assist for goaltender Spencer Knight on Connor Bedard’s empty-netter and all seven goals.
A wild game, but a win’s a win.
“(Knight) kept us in it like he always does and gave us a chance in the third to come out, put our foot down and put some (shots) in the net,” Bertuzzi said. “We thought it was a pretty even game, back and forth. Just switched a few things up and got rewarded for it.”
Added Hawks coach Jeff Blashill: “We’re making corrections, we’re teaching, we’re learning and we’re saying it’s 0-0, let’s go find a way to win the hockey game.”
The Hawks aren’t perfect by any means, but they’ve been fun and competitive so far as they build around their franchise star in Bedard. They’ll head to Calgary on Friday to play a Flames team that … isn’t there yet.
The Flames have won back-to-back games after defeating the Columbus Blue Jackets on Wednesday. But at 4-9-2, they’ve been battered and bruised and sit at the bottom of the league standings.
And they’re taking that beating with a smile.
After three straight seasons of mediocrity since a 111-point season in 2021-22, the Flames need a saving grace to stop the free fall. That savior might be skating in Happy Valley right now.
While the Hawks are trying to rid the word “rebuild” from the franchise lexicon, the Flames are hoping to see NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman hand top prospect Gavin McKenna of Penn State a Calgary hat and sweater at next year’s draft.
It’s exactly where both teams want — and need — to be.
Friday night’s game is a matchup of teams trending in opposite directions. The Hawks aren’t the same team they’ve been the past few seasons, and other coaches are noticing.
“They’re doing a real good job and they got some real good talent,” Winnipeg Jets coach Scott Arniel said before an Oct. 30 meeting. “Don’t underestimate this team. This isn’t the team we’ve seen in the past couple of years.
“This is a well-coached group that has bought into defending. … You can’t play into what they’re trying to do. You have to make sure that you make them work for every inch of ice.”
The Hawks can go on an offensive spurt when needed, as the St. Louis Blues, Ottawa Senators and Canucks learned the hard way. They haven’t solidified an identity, but their unpredictability can be dangerous.
We don’t know which team will show up at the Saddledome on Friday night. The Flames might need a little more than ChatGPT to prepare.
“(We’re) starting to do more things that are indicative of a winning team,” coach Ryan Huska said after the win over the Blue Jackets. “I still think we have a ways to go, but (the win is) a huge step in the right direction, for sure.”
As the Hawks search for an answer to “Who are we?” the Flames might get an early look if Knight is in goal. The 24-year-old goaltender has been an agile brick wall in front of the net, earning early name drops in Vezina Trophy conversations.
Knight has a 5-3-2 record this season with a 2.56 GAA and a .919 save percentage. He saved 43 shots Wednesday, the second-most in his career.
“(When I see) lots of action, little action, lots of O-zone time or D-zone time, you find a way to have an impact on the game and stay in it.” Knight said. “I thought (Blashill) brought a good mentality for us to understand how to stick to the game and not get frustrated and keep playing.”