Blackhawks Practice Updates Following 4-Nations Face-Off Break

The Chicago Blackhawks had their first practice following the 4-Nations Face-Off. There are some updates to keep up with.

The Chicago Blackhawks returned to practice following their break from action. Teuvo Teravainen, the lone Blackhawks player who participated in the 4-Nations Face-Off, was the only healthy player missing from the practice back outside of TJ Brodie who is dealing with a family matter.

For just under an hour, Anders Sorensen put his team through a harsh practice as he didn’t want to ease them back in lightly. This team will be ready for their first game back from break in terms of conditioning.

Sorensen gave updates on a few players who were hurt before the break. For one, Louis Crevier (concussion) skated in a non-contact sweater during practice, but he may be able to return to action at the Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday.

Jason Dickinson (leg) is expected to be out for another two to three weeks. While that’s a big loss for the Blackhawks, they’d like to have him back to end the season on a positive note.

On a non-hockey note, Connor Bedard and Nick Foligno were asked to comment on what they’ve seen from the 4-Nations Face-Off. Both guys seem to be enjoying it. Everyone is excited about the big rematch between Canada and the US on Thursday.

When they practice on Wednesday, expect more hockey-related drills. They want to be ready for game action when they travel to play the Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday. 

In the second half of the season, there is going to be a focus on creating more chances off the rush and reducing the time spent in the defensive zone. Having tough practice and pushing these tactics into games is going to help a lot of the young guys going forward. 

Connor Bedard is the main focus but getting guys like Frank Nazar, Ethan Del Mastro, Nolan Allan, Louis Crevier, and Alex Vlasic amongst others developed at the NHL level is important. This practice was step one. 

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