Players to Watch: CHI vs DET Preseason (10/4/21)
Photo by Jonathan Daniel via Getty Images
The Chicago Blackhawks finally won a preseason game! And it wasn’t televised!!! We’re kicking off this season right, folks!
The Blackhawks are back in action tonight as they take on the Detroit Red Wings at Little Caesars Arena. The Wings defeated the Hawks last week, so Chicago is looking to right the ship. Puck drops at 6:30 pm CST. Oh, and Marc-Andre Fleury is getting the full game.
One of the only good things about the 2020-21 season was the amount of games the Blackhawks played against Detroit. Unfortunately, they are now back to being in different divisions. These preseason games are fun because it’s always good to see the old rivals back in action.
Sure, it’s only preseason. But, here are your players to watch!
Marc-Andre Fleury
Marc-Andre Fleury played half of the game on Friday night. He allowed 2 goals on 17 shots - one coming off of his own turnover. Don’t let those numbers fool you. He also had to come up with some huge stops. It was his first game of the preseason and his first as a Blackhawk. Don’t think too much about 2 goals. It will be nice to see him get a full game in his second outing with the team. Let’s hope it goes a bit better for him - including getting more help from the guys in front of him.
Henrik Borgström
In the limited game-action I’ve seen Henrik Borgström in, I haven’t been too impressed. Of course, when I didn’t watch on Saturday he scored a goal. I’m not ready to write him off after such a small sample size, but I need to see more from him. So, I’ll definitely focus on him tonight. It seems like the Blackhawks want to give him every opportunity to make the opening night lineup, but he has to earn that spot. There are three preseason games remaining. Time is ticking.
Seth Jones
Seth Jones . . . oh Seth Jones. It’s no secret that I don’t like the contract and I wasn’t a fan of the trade. I tried very hard to watch Friday’s game without that bias, but he didn’t do himself any favors. There were many times where he made the wrong decision, was out of position, or just got out-worked on the boards. I understand it was only one preseason game and he’s with a brand new team. But we absolutely NEED to see more from him.
He did clear the puck out of the crease when it got by Fleury once. Credit where due. He likely saved a goal there.
Calvin de Haan
Calvin de Haan was paired with Caleb Jones on Friday night. And he looked effective. I repeat, Calvin de Haan looked effective. I was very hard on de Haan last year, and it wasn’t totally unwarranted. We learned that he played the last half of the season on a fractured leg. Maybe that’s what hurt his game, but it’s no excuse for the first half. He simply was not good enough last year. Through a total of ONE preseason game, he already looks better. Look, all we have right now is a small sample size. But after tonight, we’ll have two games to look at. Hoping for the best.
Tyler Johnson
Tyler Johnson is, once again, centering Patrick Kane and Alex DeBrincat. I’ve written about how small that line is and expressed intrigue about how that would work out. If Friday night was any indicator, it will work out just fine. Johnson made his presence known early by winning faceoffs and getting involved physically. He played with great pace and was one of very few players that stuck out in a positive way in that game. I’m looking to see if that continues for another game or if it was a one-off. This could be a special line.