The Chicago Blackhawks headed into the Olympic break with 57 games under their belt, and a modest record of 22-26-9 (53 points), putting them well outside of a wildcard spot. It’s been an up and down season so far for this young team, as they’ve attempted to navigate their way through “the process” of becoming better. Things were especially dire in their last contest before the break, when they were shut out 4-0 by the Columbus Blue Jackets (Feb. 4).
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It hasn’t been easy, and the condensed schedule due to the Olympics has been tough for every team in the league. But it’s been especially difficult for many young players on the Blackhawks who are experiencing their first NHL season; much less a condensed one.
With that in mind, this break comes as a bit of a relief for the Blackhawks. It’s a chance to reset both physically and mentally, and regroup for the final 25 games of the season. Let’s look at how they can make the most of their time off, and finish the final stretch of March and April on a high note.
Are the Blackhawks Burnt Out?
So, are the Blackhawks burnt out? Well, it depends on who you ask. Head coach Jeff Blashill definitely feels this could be the case. After their recent fifth consecutive loss, a 4-2 contest against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Jan. 30, Blashill said as much.
Definitely, it’s more than most these guys have played in their lives. Specifically, with the intensity level with which it starts to heat up. Teams right now, there’s so many teams that are either on the bubble, one way the other, it feels like not playoff intensity, but like that. So the games just continue to ramp up, and you have to have that level every night.
We’ve got a bunch of young guys that are just, at times they’re thriving. At times they’re surviving, and it’s just the reality of it. It’s all part of the trial by fire. And I think, as I’ve said to all those guys, it’s okay to make mistakes. We just got to keep learning from them along the way. Sometimes that makes for tough nights.
But hockey players are a proud bunch, and they’re not ones to fall back on excuses. Connor Bedard is in his third NHL season, so he personally feels he’s had plenty of time to acclimate. He also bristled a little bit about the notion of the team being tired. “I think guys look good, they have energy.”
But he did admit this season is a little different. “Maybe a little like, it’s a little tighter. But you get in a rhythm and stuff. But no matter what the schedule is, you’re not gonna play your best every game. So try to figure out how to play well when you’re not (feeling your best).”
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This is definitely something the coaching staff has been preaching. The idea is to find a way to maintain consistency and play a smart, mature game every night, no matter how you feel. After all, that’s part of what it means to be a pro. Veteran Ryan Donato gave some good insight on whether the Blackhawks are burnt out.
We have a lot of young guys in here and it’s definitely a learning curve. I think a lot of (older) guys have been through these type of experiences, so they know how to perform and know how to maintain. And the younger guys have the benefit of being younger, but at the same time not having gone through experiences like this. So I think it’s on the veterans to kind of carry them through, and then on the young guys to keep it light and the energy good. We kind of work off of each other to keep us feeling good.
It appears from Donato’s comments that the Blackhawks are tapping into their individual strengths and “working off of each other” to help everyone deal with this tough schedule. But even so, the break should be a chance for everyone to reset, both physically and mentally. They only have one player going to the Olympics; Teuvo Teravainen will be representing Team Finland in Milan. Everyone else will benefit from some time away from the rigors and pressures of hockey.
How Players Stay Motivated Through Losses
Even without a condensed schedule, it’s never fun to lose. And the Blackhawks have done their fair share of losing this season. I’m sure nobody on the team is happy they currently rank 27th in the league. Only five other teams have worse records. The expectation was higher this season for the Blackhawks, at least for the players.
But injuries to both Bedard and Frank Nazar, their two most dynamic forwards, have taken their toll. Plus, integrating so many young players has led to a plethora of mistakes and miscues on the ice. This has ultimately been the difference between winning and losing on many nights. The team endured a five-game losing skid in late November, six straight losses in mid-December and their most recent losing stretch of five games at the end of January.
So just now do the players stay motivated through it all? Defenseman Alex Vlasic weighed in on this after practice on Feb. 1, during their latest skid,
I mean, I think it’s easy to kind of sit back and feel sorry for yourself, especially when you’re losing, you know, as a team. But I think everybody in here, we know what we want in the future. We know we have a lot of the core pieces that are going to be here moving forward. We see the light at the end of tunnel, even if it’s a couple losses here and there.
We’re taking care of the process in order to win. We’re focused on that; how we can show up every single day, compete and just work as hard as we can. I think that’s the number one thing we can control. And we’ve got a lot of positive guys on the team, a lot of energy that’s here. So it hasn’t really been weighing on us too much.
It takes a special kind of person to be a professional athlete, especially an elite one. It involves never-ending workouts, training and keeping your body in the best shape possible. It means sacrifice, eating right, maintaining good sleep habits and adhering to a very strict and regimented routine.
But none of that matters if you don’t have the right mental attitude. I feel like this is embodied perfectly by Vlasic’s comments. He’s not focusing on the negatives, but instead honing in on the positives. These guys are looking towards the future, the potential; the end game. That’s what’s important.
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Bedard put it simply when he stated, “We’re still playing in the NHL doing what we love, so it’s not hard to find motivation, really.” He was also quick to point out that two of the games in their recent skid went to a shootout, meaning they were in it until the end. Again, focusing on the positive instead of the negative.
Blackhawks Can Benefit From Mini Training Camp
After the Blackhawks are rested and refreshed, the coaching staff is looking to take advantage of the remainder of the break to regroup and essentially engage in another training camp. According to NHL rules, teams will be allowed to have full practices again after 2:00 p.m. local time on February 17. Blashill anticipates having five to six practices before they resume play against the Nashville Predators on Feb. 26. He recently shared his gameplan for returning from the break.
We’re, I don’t want to say fortunate. But we’re in a situation where the majority of our team, with the exception of Turbo (Teuvo Teravainen), is going to be here. So some teams are missing lots of guys. It gives us a chance of another, almost mini training camp to prepare for that last stretch. And so, the planning process that goes into that will be like planning for training camp.
I’ll do that over the break, and then probably dive into a little bit of analytics stuff. There’s a trial and error into the analytics that we do in order to kind of get the algorithm to measure what it’s supposed to measure. So we’ve got to watch a ton of video to do that.
Not only has the condensed schedule been a grind, it’s also limited the amount of practices the team can have. This can be especially difficult with a young group when there’s that much more to learn. There’s less time for teaching and implementing new processes, or just simply tweaking bad habits. This additional set of practices could be extremely beneficial for the group, and it sounds like Blashill and company are intending to take full advantage.
The players seem to be looking forward to this extra practice time as well. As Vlasic put it,
I think it’ll be good to kind of get back into playing shape. I think that’s going to be the biggest thing is, you know, your lungs are going to be out of it. You’re not going to be used to playing hockey, so it’s going to be good for getting us back into the groove of things. But then also, we can attack some stuff that we’ve been needing to work on as a team.
Most of the players will be headed somewhere sunny for a vacation the first week of the break. But this Olympic break is much longer than the usual All-Star break, and the players will be getting antsy. Donato thinks a mini camp could be just the right thing for players.
I think it’s beneficial because, it’s so much time (the break). You go on All-Star break and you feel like a new player when you come back, in a good way and in a bad way. Where you feel like you haven’t been on the ice, and everything feels a little bit off. But you’re also mentally refreshed. So I think hopefully we get the mentally and physically refreshed part from the break, but then also come back in and dial in and get the feeling of being around the hockey rink, and touches that you usually are dialed in on throughout the season, getting those back as well.
After going 1-6-0 in their last seven outings, it’s safe to say the Blackhawks will have plenty to work on as they prepare for their final 25 games. But six consecutive practices should give them a chance to really focus on drills and repetition to help make them better. They will have time to work on the details and habits that may have been lost with so many games played (and lack of practices) due to the condensed schedule.
Hopefully the Blackhawks can enjoy their time off, but also make the most of it with recovery, replenishment and then a strong set of practices before they return to play. Things certainly aren’t going to get any easier. Teams will be ramping up as they prepare for the playoffs, and it’s a challenging schedule for the Blackhawks down the stretch. 15 of the last 25 games will be on the road, and there are still three more sets of back-to-back contests coming up.
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It will be a testament to the Blackhawks’ resiliency if they can bounce back and find some success after the Olympic break.
