Blackhawks Season Back On Track With Full Complement Of Forwards Available

The Chicago Blackhawks have looked much better following their 0-3-0 start. They are 3-2-0 since then, with all three of those wins coming at home. They are 3-1 in total at the United Center, and their entire roster has contributed to that. 

One thing that coincides with this recent stretch of winning is the fact that the forward group is getting healthy again. It makes sense that having better players in the lineup gives a team a better chance to win, but it also clearly puts some extra juice in their skates. 

The biggest factor is the return of Connor Bedard, who came back from shoulder surgery about a month earlier than initially expected. It’s not just him, though; Frank Nazar is back from suspension, Patrick Kane is in the lineup, and Anton Frondell looks like a budding star. 

It goes well beyond the core, however. Every forward on every line that played in their win over the Winnipeg Jets on Thursday is important to the systems that they are playing. They all seem to be feeding off each other now that everyone is in. 

"Guys go out there and stack shifts," Frank Nazar said of the full forward group being available. "It's a big part of the game. When we're able to hound the puck in their zone, get line changes, and keep it going, it's hard to play [against]. We have a deep team where every line can do something like that. It's going to wear teams out." 

During the off-season, the question was how this group would look with some of the additions on top of the development that the younger guys will naturally have. So far, with everyone available, it's looked like the best possible version. 

"We have a lot of talent on this team," Bedard said of the forward group when asked about it all coming together. "I think our line didn't create as much as Tuesday today, but you see Moore's line was unbelievable - all three of the other lines. Our power play was able to get one, just kind of clawing away and getting a win." 

Bedard is the best player on the team, and he was missing for the first six games as he worked his way back from shoulder surgery. His incredible dedication to working on rehab allowed him to come back a month earlier than the original diagnosis. 

Other players on the team follow when the captain and best player have that type of dedication. More than anything else, it slots the other talented players on the team down a spot too, which makes them a more lethal attack. That's been on display over the last couple of games. 

"We're a better team when we're closer to a full group," head coach Jeff Blashill said. "Confidence matters, so you get some extra juice from that. There is a belief within the group that we have up front that we could be really good."

Most of the group at forward is very young, too, which gives them stability for years to come. This is a group that is going to grow up and learn how to win together. 

There are solid defensemen on the team, too. Artyom Levshunov and Sam Rinzel are two second-year players who can move the puck, making life easier on the forwards looking to break out. Bowen Byram, although still young, is a veteran with high-end skill as well. Byram was not available in Tuesday's win, but he is only considered day-to-day for now. The healthy forward group will look even better when he is there with them. 

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