Chicago Blackhawks: Rockford Ice Hogs 2021 updateon February 23, 2021 at 1:00 pm 2024 Events Concerts Things To Do

LAVAL, QC - DECEMBER 17: MacKenzie Entwistle #44 of the Rockford IceHogs skates against the Laval Rocket during the second period at Place Bell on December 17, 2019 in Laval, Canada. The Rockford IceHogs defeated the Laval Rocket 3-2 in the shoot-out. (Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images) — LAVAL, QC – DECEMBER 17: MacKenzie Entwistle #44 of the Rockford IceHogs skates against the Laval Rocket during the second period at Place Bell on December 17, 2019 in Laval, Canada. The Rockford IceHogs defeated the Laval Rocket 3-2 in the shoot-out. (Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images)

The Chicago Blackhawks have had a really good start to their season. Since starting 0-3-1, they have turned things around and are now a player in the Central Division. They may or may not make the playoffs but they are surely going to be in the mix. They are overachieving but it is as a group rather than being carried by something that is unsustainable. Patrick Kane, Kevin Lankinen, and scoring/defending by the committee are what allows them to win. There are some really nice forwards up at the NHL level.

Unfortunately, the talent that is up at the NHL level has caused their AHL squad, the Rockford Ice Hogs, to have a really tough season. The AHL got its season underway early in February and things have not been going well for the Ice Hogs. On Monday night, they were defeated by the Cleveland Monsters by a final score of 7-3. That was Cleveland’s first win of the season as they are now 1-2-1-0. Unfortunately, the Hogs don’t even have their first win yet as they are 0-5-1-0.

This is a little bit concerning for the Blackhawks organization. Yes, they are overachieving at the NHL level a little bit but they are not anywhere close to a Stanley Cup contender. This isn’t like it was in 2007 when they had future Hall of Famers coming up the ranks. They have Alex DeBrincat, Kirby Dach, Ian Mitchell, and a bunch of middle-six forwards in the bank.

There is still a long way to go in terms of building organizational depth and the poor play by the Ice Hogs proves it. There are some recognizable names like MacKenzie Entwistle, John Quenneville, and Evan Barratt but nothing more than that. It probably doesn’t help either that none of Lankinen, Collin Delia, or Malcolm Subban are down there. All three of them are with the Blackhawks at this time.

Brad Morrison and Chris Wilkie lead the team in goals with three. They are also the two leading scorers with four points. Cody Franson leads the team with three assists. It is a team that hasn’t scored a whole lot which makes sense as they don’t even have a win.

One thing that might surprise some people is the fact that Scott Darling is on the roster. He played in one game and it didn’t really go his way. He made 22 saves on 27 shots so he had the .815 save percentage and five goals against. Darling was once a terrific piece to a Stanley Cup-winning team but his career has gone south ever since he left the organization (before coming back). He is an easy guy to root for but his chances of being an impact NHL player again are slim.

As for the other goaltenders, Matt Tomkins plays the most. He has five games played but his numbers aren’t great either. He has a .881 save percentage and a 4.06 goals-against average. His record of 0-4-1 mirrors those numbers. Cale Morris played in relief one game and made 13 saves on 14 shots so that wasn’t that bad. Don’t be surprised if he gets a look soon enough.

How can this get better? Well, chances are it won’t get much better this year. They need to continue drafting and developing in order for the Ice Hogs (and the Blackhawks) to get to where they want to be. It is a long process that is not going to happen overnight. Nobody should discount how important it is to make sure that the Ice Hogs are an improved team in the not-so-distant future.

They are going to be back in action again tonight when they take on the Cleveland Monsters again. It is a chance to redeem themselves from last night and finally get that first win of the season. Cleveland is the AHL affiliate for the Columbus Blue Jackets who the Chicago Blackhawks happen to be playing as well.

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