3 Takeaways From the Blackhawks’ 5-2 Loss to the Hurricanes

To say that this has not been an ideal start to the season for the Chicago Blackhawks would be putting it lightly. They got a big win to start this important home stand but followed that up with a quick trip to Long Island, where they not only lost the game but lost Frank Nazar to suspension.

Hosting the defending Stanley Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes, things went about as expected for the home team. The Blackhawks simply looked outclassed by a much better team, and the Hurricanes never really let the Blackhawks have a chance en route to a 5-2 thrashing of the home side.

The Hurricanes Are on Another Level

The simplest takeaway from all of this is just how much better the Hurricanes are. They pass with efficiency, there is always someone open, and they had the Blackhawks running around for much of the evening.

Spencer Knight wasn’t even that bad, but he stood no chance because he was facing unabated shot after unabated shot from the Hurricanes. The Blackhawks ran around on defense, chasing after pucks as the Hurricanes continued to find the open man.

This is what a championship team looks like. They controlled the action, dominated in shots, and didn’t even really look like they were breaking a sweat. It is the thing teams like the Blackhawks aspire to achieve.

The Start Is Weighing on Bowen Byram

Many eyes continue to be on Bowen Byram and understandably so. After the massive cost it took to not only acquire him but extend him, they needed him to step up and immediately be the No. 1 defenseman that they had been missing.

There have been some bright spots, but they have been few and far between. He again had an ugly game, earning a minus-2 while giving the puck away three times. Even more noticeable is the fact that he still hasn’t logged a point in six games so far this season.

If anything, this just underscores how far away the Blackhawks are this season and that the rebuild is likely very far from over. There is a lot of season left to be played, but Byram has a lot to make up for.

Offense Is Woefully Thin

On the bright side, Roman Kantserov finally got his first point of the season, scoring on a breakaway early in the second period to make it 3-1 Hurricanes. The Blackhawks were counting heavily on guys like him and Nazar to step up, and the early returns haven’t been great.

Missing Nazar for this game and Tuesday’s tilt against the Pittsburgh Penguins makes things even tougher. No one is really scoring, and losing one of your best forwards only elevates the difficulty factor for Chicago.

Patrick Kane led the team with five shots, but he’s got just one goal this season to show for it. The Blackhawks didn’t sign him just to bring him home; they need more offensively out of the veteran to hopefully ignite some of the youngsters into producing more.

Six More Tough Home Games

The reality is that there are no breaks in this homestand. The advantage of playing at home is a bit negated with the Penguins, Winnipeg Jets, Dallas Stars, Montreal Canadiens, Florida Panthers, and Los Angeles Kings all coming to town.

The offense needs an injection badly, and any hopes of treading water until Connor Bedard returns seem gone. If the effort and scoring don’t improve, it may not be long before the outlook starts to move to 2027 and beyond.