Canucks Bring High-End Skill To Face Blackhawks

The Chicago Blackhawks are home for another game as they are set to take on the Vancouver Canucks at United Center.

So far on this homestand, they are 1-1-0 with a loss to the Buffalo Sabres and a win over the San Jose Sharks in the home opener.

We’ve seen the Blackhawks dominate play at times and be completely caved in at other times. They are still looking for that high-end consistency that NHL teams need to succeed.

The Canucks are one of the top teams in the Western Conference these days. They are only 2-1-2 with six standings points out of the gate which is not impressive but they have Stanley Cup aspirations.

Vancouver’s top skill is one of the things that makes them a legitimate threat to win the conference and possibly be the last team standing.

One of their best scorers, J.T. Miller, has been battling an injury but he should be good to play in this one against the Hawks. They also have other impressive top players up front like Brock Boeser, Elias Pettersson, and Jake DeBrusk who can all score.

The engine of everything in Vancouver, however, comes in the form of their captain Quinn Hughes. Hot off of his Norris Trophy-winning season as the best defenseman in the NHL, he is poised to lead his team to the next level.

After winning the Pacific Division and a playoff round in 2024, they were defeated in the second round by the eventual Western Conference champion Edmonton Oilers. They are out to get the job done this time around.

To beat a highly-skilled squad like the Canucks, the Hawks need to match up their skill the right way. For Chicago, that starts and ends with Connor Bedard who hails from Vancouver, British Columbia.

Bedard and Hughes are two of the most exciting young players in the NHL right now. With the Norris Trophy winner against the Calder Trophy winner, there are sure to be some special moments on the ice.

They both are incredibly nifty, fast, creative and have wonderful shots. If they are ever on the ice at the same time, something cool is bound to happen. These are the types of players that drive ticket sales.

Philipp Kurashev was Chicago’s second-best forward in 2023-24. He has had a slow start to this season offensively as he has just one goal and no assists in six games. His defensive game has been good though.

It seems as if Luke Richardson is going to make Kurashev a healthy scratch in this game against Vancouver which is a curious decision. Sure, he needs to score more and be better at creating.

However, taking a strong defensive forward that has some offensive edge out of the lineup against this skilled Canucks team doesn’t seem like a good idea. We’ll see how it pays off.

The move to scratch Kurashev will force some moves with the forward lines. Richardson is going to try Lukas Reichel at center again and he will have Craig Smith on his wing along with Patrick Maroon. Reichel and Smith have some good chemistry right now.

Hockey fans can expect some pretty plays being made regularly here in this one. It will be hard to match Vancouver’s talent if you’re Chicago but they have the guys to make it interesting.

This game is going to be a part of NHL Frozen Frenzy. All 32 teams are going to be playing with staggered times. Don’t be surprised if this is one of the more exciting games of the bunch with all of this high-end skill.

Visit The Hockey News Chicago Blackhawks team site to stay updated on the latest news, game-day coverage, player features, and more.

Related: Reichel, Smith’s Big Game Wasn’t Good Enough For Chicago

Related: Blackhawks Forward’s Surprising Start To New Season

Related: Connor Bedard Continues To Impress Early In 2024-25