There are many ways to gauge how the Chicago Blackhawks are doing this season.
There is their record: 2-3-1 through six games. There is what we see in the games. (Of course, only if you can see the games.)
There are analytics. Based on NHL data, you can analyze a lot of different numbers and also package those numbers to get a more complete picture.
And there is tracking data. There are private companies that track games for teams and provide them information. Publicly, Corey Sznajder is the primary microstat tracker. His information can further tell you how a team is doing.
Beginning with this, we’ll be telling the story of the Blackhawks’ season throughout the year with Sznajder’s data. So far, this is what his tracking data tells us about the Blackhawks through six games:
Connor Bedard and company
Bedard remains the main play driver for the Blackhawks. He leads or is tied for the lead in shots (20), passes (24), primary shot assists (18), scoring chances (11), zone entries (35), carry-ins (30), carries with scoring chances (9) and carry-in percentage (85.7). He’s getting the puck in the offensive zone and then creating a ton for himself and others.
One of the things I noticed especially in the Blackhawks’ game against the San Jose Sharks was how Bedard was trying to get to the middle of the ice even when he was entering the offensive zone from a different region. I asked him about it earlier in the week.
“I mean, the middle of the ice is probably the most dangerous part,” Bedard said. “If I can get there, that’s great. If not, you can create from anywhere. But I feel like if I can get to the middle, it’s probably where I want to go.”
What’s so great about the middle?
“Well, you can just go anywhere, pass to either side,” Bedard said. “If you’re shooting, I just feel like there’s more net to shoot on maybe than from the outside. Like I said, if you’re in either spot, you can make a play.”
Bedard does do a lot by himself, but he’s able to do even more with the help of his teammates. Where Bedard and others are seeing the benefit of Teuvo Teräväinen’s arrival is how Teräväinen can set up teammates for quality chances. The tracking data is showing that, too. Teräväinen is tied for the team lead in scoring chance assists with nine. He’s also third in primary shot assists with 13.
Taylor Hall’s return
The Blackhawks played some of their best hockey last season with Taylor Hall in the lineup. His season was then cut quite short due to injuries. So far this season, Hall is showing some of those same positive signs again.
While Hall hasn’t produced much yet with a goal and an assist in six games, there are indications he could be on the verge of more. He is creating chances for himself and his linemates: Hall is second among forwards in shots (15), passes (23), primary shot assists (17) and scoring chances (10) and tied for first in scoring chance assists with nine. He’s also second with 22 carry-ins and third with a 62.9 carry-in percentage. Those are all encouraging signs for Hall and the Blackhawks.
The flip side of that is the Blackhawks need much more from Tyler Bertuzzi, Hall’s linemate. He was given a sizeable contract in the offseason to be a difference-maker now and in the future. He’s tied for 11th with three scoring chances and 14th with five primary shot assists.
Philipp Kurashev is likely going to be a healthy scratch on Tuesday, but his tracking data has been respectable. Sznajder uses a microstat game score to look at a player’s full game, which includes shots, passes, zone entries and zone defense, and Kurashev ranks fourth on the team behind Bedard, Hall and Seth Jones.
It’ll be interesting to see what Andreas Athanasiou brings to that line instead of Kurasehv. Athanasiou’s line with Craig Smith and Lukas Reichel fared well in Saturday’s game against the Buffalo Sabres, but a lot of the tracking data reflected more positively on Reichel and Smith. Athanasiou’s 53.8 carry-in percentage is among the highest on the team.
Jones’ entry defense
One of the areas Jones has struggled with most throughout his career has been defending zone entries. It’s an area he’s looked better in so far this season.
According to the tracking data, opponents have targeted Jones 46 times, successfully carried the puck in on him 30 times and created five scoring chances against on those entries.
Blackhawks coach Luke Richardson has noticed Jones improve, too.
“I think the way we’re playing a little bit more of a wedge in the neutral zone, I think that helps,” Richardson said. “It makes it more predictable and he’s such a good skater and he does have a strong stick defending — I think it’s helping. There’s not a defenseman jumping into the neutral zone as much as this year, getting caught. Not a lot of two-on-ones given up this year. I think it’s helped Seth but also of our team structure, like to kind of trust where everyone is going to be. I think that’s what leads to Seth.
“And you know, he’s noticeable. He’s noticeable when he’s a good defender, not a lot of chances get through him. Even on the first goal last game, I didn’t think we tracked hard enough, so it ended up being a three-on-two, which has been very rare this year, and Seth and (Alex) Vlasic happened to be on the ice but there’s not really much they could have done on it.”
Offensively, the Blackhawks could probably use Jones creating more off the pass. He has certainly been shooting more aggressively. In the tracking data, he’s tied with Bedard for 20 shots, but he has just six primary shot assists. Vlasic has 12.
Vlasic’s progression
Where you can see Vlasic’s continued growth in his second full NHL season is helping the Blackhawks out of the defensive zone. He leads the team with 51 retrievals, 31 zone exits and 23 exits with possession. That last stat is especially notable because of how far ahead he is of the next defenseman, which is Seth Jones at 14.
The one category where Jones is better than Vlasic is retrievals leading to exits. Jones is first on the team with 29 and Vlasic is second with 24.
Vlasic is also among the leaders in failed exits with eight, but that’s somewhat expected with how much he touches the puck. Wyatt Kaiser has the most failed exits with nine. As for botched retrievals, Connor Murphy has the most with nine and is followed by Kaiser (8) and T.J. Brodie (8).
Vlasic is also showing some positives in the offensive zone. He leads the team’s defensemen with 12 primary shot assists. He also leads the team as a whole with 13 assists off the rush.
Other takeaways
• There is a major dropoff after Bedard and Hall for players who carry the puck into the zone. Nick Foligno is third with 15 and is followed by Kurashev (12), Ilya Mikheyev (12) and Jason Dickinson (11).
• Craig Smith should probably be consistently playing. Despite being sat two games, Smith is fifth on the team with 11 primary shot passes. He’s also tied for sixth with four scoring chances.
• Brodie has been a disappointment for the Blackhawks so far. His microstat game score is the fourth-lowest on the team and the players below him have not played in all six games.
(Top photo of Connor Bedard: Sergei Belski / USA Today)
