The Blackhawks went to sleep Thursday night feeling good about themselves.
That hasn't been the case often this season, or the past few before it. The fact they went nearly two years without a single three-game winning streak is objectively absurd, even though wins this week over the Islanders, Capitals and Kraken finally ended the drought.
In a sense, though, the dire lack of success and validation felt around the United Center and Fifth Third Arena since this scorched-earth rebuild began makes the Hawks appreciate this victorious week more. For a contender, a three-game winning streak is business as usual. For these Hawks, it's practically a Christmas miracle.
"There's just good energy," Ryan Donato said Friday. "We have a lot of guys that care so much, so it's hard not to carry that weight [of losing] on your shoulder. Now that...guys are putting the puck in the net and we're getting away with some wins, it's nice to see. Hopefully it's something we can build on."
New-coach bumps are well-known phenomenons around the NHL, so perhaps it's not surprising the Hawks have surged in Anders Sorensen's first two weeks as interim coach. But the ways they have improved really do feel sustainable. Their bump seems like it could be a mesa instead.
The forward lines have become more consistent and cohesive. The defensemen are thrilled about their newfound freedom to jump in offensively. Youth has been infused throughout the lineup, and the young players who matter most to the franchise's long-term future are developing noticeably.
Goalie Arvid Soderblom's redemption season has reached another level. Rookie defenseman Nolan Allan is beaming after scoring his first NHL goal. Frank Nazar and Kevin Korchinski are holding their own. Notable free-agent signings Teuvo Teravainen and Tyler Bertuzzi have found their niches. Connor Bedard looks more like himself.
"Anders says it's not sexy, but it is," captain Nick Foligno said. "It's good hockey, and that’s what guys are seeing.
"It's tape-to-tape, it’s clean [and] it's in the back of the net. Or it's a breakout play that just looks so good and now you’re flying. You have three guys or four guys flying in the rush, and plays develop from that because we have the guys who have skill to make those plays. It's exciting to see our group understand that and get rewarded for that."
Nolan Allan finishes off a beautiful little give-and-go and scores his first in the NHL! ???? pic.twitter.com/RtTHqNIX7L
— NHL (@NHL) December 20, 2024
Granted, there's a lot of recency bias in this positivity. The Hawks are no longer last in the NHL, but they're just one point out of it and could be back there very soon. They entered Friday tied with the collapsing Sabres for second-to-last place instead.
At the beginning of this week, the upcoming Winter Classic against the Blues looked like a matchup between two mediocre teams, and realistically it still does. The Hawks have four games left before then, and these high vibes could easily be forgotten if those four games — including three straight on the road — go poorly.
But why not cherish happiness while it lasts? The Hawks have learned firsthand how much better it feels than misery.
"It's always easier when you win to wake up and go to work the next day," Sorensen said after practice Friday. "It's amazing how much that changes your mood at times. It was a good feeling today. Guys seemed excited to be at the rink."
Adding extra caffeine to the optimism is the return of veterans Seth Jones and Petr Mrazek, who will both likely play Saturday against the Flames after missing 16 and six games, respectively.
Jones should fit smoothly into Sorensen's aggressive system, although he admitted it's "weird" for him to return from injury into an entirely different scheme than before. The Hawks opted to send Wyatt Kaiser to Rockford to open the roster spot, keeping Korchinski (and Louis Crevier) in the NHL for now.
