Eyes on the Enemy: Blackhawks Are On Shark Watch
With the Blackhawks set to face the San Jose Sharks, a Q&A gives insight into an interesting and revealing matchup
Hey Blackhawks Fans,
We are excited to launch our take on an “Eyes on the Enemy” series that dives into what to look for when the Chicago Blackhawks face an opponent. This series of collaborations will appear periodically, and the unlucky opponent of the day (Jan. 16) is the San Jose Sharks.
Considering both the Blackhawks and the San Jose Sharks are in similar predicaments, being unpredictable, young, rebuilding, and at the bottom of the NHL standings, you don’t know what to expect when two teams like them face each other.
For their first meeting this season, I contacted THW Sharks’ contributor William Espy for a Q&A to get the lowdown on what to watch and how the Blackhawks can emerge victorious.
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Okay, let’s get started!
1. Although the Sharks have struggled this season, goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood, just like Blackhawks’ goalie Petr Mrazek, has been a bright spot. Although his 3.84 goals-against average and .892 SV% look bad, the Sharks have 10 wins, and he has 5 of them. On the contrary, the Blackhawks offense has struggled recently, only scoring only 3 goals in their last 3 games. How do the Hawks beat Blackwood?
William: Blackwood’s numbers have definitely been tarnished by the number of shots he faces regularly, as well as the number of high-quality scoring chances the defense in front of him gives up. If he’s on his game, there’s almost no chance he’ll let a puck past him. There’s a reason that head coach David Quinn has called him “elite” multiple times. However, he can be inconsistent at times, and if he gets caught on a bad night, it won’t be that difficult to score on him. Overall, the best way to beat him is going to be on odd-man rushes and just throwing every possible shot on the net. Especially late in the game, if the Sharks haven’t scored, they’ll likely start cheating for offense, to Quinn’s chagrin, which will open up quite a few offensive opportunities for Chicago.
2. The Sharks have struggled, but like any team, they have pros and cons. What is one thing that you would say stands out with what works well for the Sharks?
William: There are a couple areas they excel in, but they’re definitely not the pretty ones. The defensemen, in particular, aren’t scared of putting their body on the line to block a shot, which is imperative given the amount of shot attempts they give up every night. Mario Ferraro, for example, is second in the league in blocked shots behind only Jacob Trouba. Although they struggled with it early on, they’ve started to play as a unit and that hasn’t wavered even when compete levels are low or things get difficult. In their second losing streak, they did everything right most nights but simply didn’t have the talent the other teams did.
3. Who are the players to watch for the Sharks?
William: Whenever we talk about the Sharks, the main player to watch is always Tomas Hertl, especially with Logan Couture still out of the lineup. Mikael Granlund has had a bounce-back season following his disappointing stint in Pittsburgh at the tail end of last season as well. With that being said, the young Swedes, Fabian Zetterlund and William Eklund are two players to keep your eye on. Zetterlund’s currently second on the team in goals, and although Eklund’s offensive numbers aren’t there, he’s played well defensively and has a rocket of a one-timer. Personally, one of my favorite players to watch this season has been Justin Bailey, as he fights to prove he belongs in the NHL after spending most of the last five years in the American Hockey League.
4. The Sharks have had some upsets this season, defeating teams like the Edmonton Oilers, Winnipeg Jets, and New Jersey Devils. They are also on a 2-game losing streak, while the Hawks are on a 3-game losing streak. What are your predictions for how the matchup against the Hawks will go?
William: There’s two ways to look at this, and I’m not sure which is more likely. Both teams have a strong goaltender and struggle for offense, so logically, this would be a low-scoring affair. With that being said, both teams are also struggling to keep the puck out of their own net despite the goaltending performances, which means this could quickly turn into a barn burner. I’d say the first option is more likely, and I’d expect a 2-1 Blackhawks win.
5. Finally, for something fun, the Sharks and the Hawks are both enduring tough rebuilds and are two teams that could be in the running for Macklin Celebrini, projected first overall pick in the 2024 NHL Draft. Who do you think is more likely to win that race? The Sharks or the Hawks?
William: I think it’ll end up being the Sharks who at least end up with the best odds for a couple of reasons. First, the Blackhawks will be getting Bedard back, and that will help them tremendously. Second, the Sharks have quite a few players to sell off at the trade deadline this year. That includes Anthony Duclair, Mike Hoffman, Kaapo Kahkonen, and possibly Mikael Granlund or even Mario Ferraro, among others. The Blackhawks are locking up a few of their veterans and have less valuable assets to move, as a result they’ll stay at roughly the same level later in the season while the Sharks will get even worse.
There you have it, Blackhawks fans. The Sharks and the Blackhawks carry a lot of similarities, being that they compete hard but don’t have the talent to overcome adversity most nights and struggle on both ends of the ice. However, there is still skill there, and both sides will be looking to snap losing streaks and make a statement. The moral of the story is that the Blackhawks have to put the puck in the net!
Who will come out victorious? Only by swimming in the open waters will we know!
