The Chicago Blackhawks won a big game on Sunday night over the Pittsburgh Penguins. It was a strong performance by the young Blackhawks, who have had trouble holding a lead late in games.
The Penguins played a night prior, which had them fatiguing a bit but they did beat an elite Dallas Stars team on the road. Stars like Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Kris Letang, and Erik Karlsson bring it every night, but they were outskated hard by the Hawks on the second half of a back-to-back.
The context of the situation is important to keep in mind when evaluating, but it is becoming more clear every day that the young players on the Blackhawks are taking charge now.
Connor Bedard, the most important player in the organization, earned his 60th point, which made some NHL history. He became just the 11th player to ever have two 60+ point years as a teenager.
On the same goal that Bedard earned the assist on, Sam Rinzel earned his first career NHL point. To say he’s been playing well would be an understatement. He finally has his first of many career points, which will go well with his great defensive play.
"He’s mature," Interim head coach Anders Sorensen said of Rinzel after the game. "We really like the fact that he wants to have the puck."
Sorenensen went on to talk about how Rinzel and Artyom Levshunov both "take control in shifts". He compared it to what Karlsson and Letang (two future Hall of Famers) do with the Penguins.
That's just what you want from these young defensemen as they develop. Their ice time is going to increase as the season winds down and their level of play seems to be rising to the occasion.
Rinzel spoke about feeling "snakebitten" when talking about finally getting his first career point despite having a ton of good chances. He's a guy that likes to stick with it knowing that good habits will lead to production on the ice.
The first goal of the game was a short handed goal scored by Frank Nazar. This was the first shorty of his career and his speed/motor allowed it to happen. He seems to be a player who will play a big role on the team going forward.
Spencer Knight, although he is a Stanley Cup champion from his time with the Florida Panthers, is still just 23 years old. He fits in with all of the young guys that are starting to make up Chicago’s core.
"You just have to stick with it and bring your good attitude and good work ethic every time." Knight said of his play. For being 23, he has a winning attitude, which is incredibly important to see from the young guys.
"I really look at every game as an individual set". Knight said when asked about feeling relief getting the win. "For me, each game is different. You're going through stretches of good and bad throughout the season. It doesn't matter if you're in first place or last place. That's just the way it is."
This is a guy who knows what it takes to win despite his young age. He will be one of the players relied on to be a leader.
Against Pittsburgh, Knight made 28 saves on 29 shots to win the game. He would have had a shutout if it weren’t for a bad penalty taken late in the game that led to a Penguins power play goal.
"We just kind of stuck with it. No one pouted. Everyone just kind of stuck to the script and battled. You got the nice empty-netter and a nice win." Knight continued when talking about letting up that late goal and still holding the lead. That mentality will go a long way with this group going ...
