‘Bounce-back Blackhawks’ becoming Chicago’s early label a month into 2023-24 season

‘Bounce-back Blackhawks’ becoming Chicago’s early label a month into 2023-24 season originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago

The Chicago Blackhawks may not have the most impressive win-loss record this season, but they have shown exceptional resilience after tough defeats.

Following an embarrassing 8-1 loss to the Arizona Coyotes on Monday, which left them with a bitter taste, the Blackhawks managed to bounce back with an impressive 5-2 victory over the defending Eastern Conference champions, the Florida Panthers, on Saturday at the United Center. At one point during the game, the Blackhawks held a commanding 4-0 lead.

“That last game was pretty brutal,” admitted Philipp Kurashev, who contributed a goal and two assists in Saturday’s win. “But we took the positives and learned from the negatives. We were determined to get back out there and give our best. It feels great to gain momentum, especially when playing at home. Hopefully, we can build on this victory.”

This is not the first time the Blackhawks have shown their ability to respond after setbacks. After a lackluster performance against the Montreal Canadiens in their third game of the season, Tyler Johnson expressed his disappointment, stating, “I’m not too happy with what happened.” However, the team bounced back with a convincing 4-1 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs.

A little over a week later, Blackhawks head coach Luke Richardson challenged his team to strive for more and not settle for being labeled as “hard-working” following a 3-0 loss to the Boston Bruins on October 24. His dissatisfaction was evident after the game.

The Blackhawks rose to the challenge with a remarkable comeback victory in overtime against the Vegas Golden Knights, handing the reigning Stanley Cup champions their first loss of the season.

It’s worth noting that these victories came against formidable opponents like the Maple Leafs, Golden Knights, and Panthers. Such wins are certainly commendable.

Although it’s still early in the season, the Blackhawks’ ability to bounce back after tough losses has been a notable theme throughout the first month of the campaign.

“That’s crucial,” emphasized Taylor Hall, who scored in his first game back after a two-week absence due to a shoulder injury. “Especially for a team with young players and an evolving roster. In this league, things can quickly spiral out of control if you don’t address them promptly. So far this year, we’ve done a good job of that.”

Richardson no longer wants his team to be known solely as hard-working but is eager to see progress. Displaying resilience after bad losses against strong teams is undoubtedly a promising start.

As expected, there is a new challenge ahead for the Blackhawks, who have yet to string together back-to-back wins this season.

“Now I want to see us go the other way,” Richardson said. “I’d like us to build momentum from a win, instead of just reacting to a tough loss. We need to extend those highs a bit longer and be consistent. It’s not easy to achieve consistency in this league, but we have to grow and push through.”

Hall agreed, stating, “Now it’s about turning the tide and going on winning streaks. We want to play consecutive games where we feel good about our performance, win or lose.”

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