The Chicago Blackhawks are off to a terrible start this season, which should not surprise anyone.
As of this writing (Wednesday night, November 27), the Blackhawks are last in the Central Division, last in the Western Conference, and last in the NHL. They do not score a lot of goals, they do not play good defense, they do not win a lot of hockey games (they are currently 7-12-2), and they look like a team that is destined to finish either in the basement of the league or close to it come the end of the regular season.
With that said, there has been one bright spot this season. This particular player was good for the Blackhawks last season as well.
Like last year, goaltender Petr Mrazek is playing well for the Blackhawks. Despite having Connor Bedard on the team, Mrazek, 32, has easily been the team’s best player this season.
Despite playing on a team that gives up the sixth most shots per game, Mrazek’s statistics have been great. He is currently 6-8-0-1 with a 2.68 goals-against average and a .912 save percentage.
He has also been outstanding for his team in his last four starts. Just look at what he did in his last four appearances:
- November 10 vs. the Minnesota Wild: Stopped 32 of 33 shots (.970 save percentage) and got the win.
- November 14 vs. the Seattle Kraken: Stopped 23 of 25 shots (.920 save percentage) in a loss.
- November 21 vs. the Florida Panthers: Stopped 32 of 33 shots (.970 save percentage) and got the win.
- November 23 vs. the Philadelphia Flyers: Stopped 34 of 37 shots (.919 save percentage) in an overtime loss.
In looking at the above, it is easy to see that Mrazek more than does his job as he keeps the Blackhawks in games that they have no business being in. He comes up with big saves, does not allow many soft goals, and does everything he can to help his team win hockey games.
There are several reasons why Mrazek is playing well this season. For starters, he is building off of the way he played last season.
Last year, Mrazek was 18-31-0-4 with a 3.05 goals-against average, a .908 save percentage, and one shutout. Yes, his goals-against average is high, but his save percentage is impressive considering the kind of team he plays behind.
As mentioned above, Mrazek’s numbers to start this season are terrific. He has stopped 412 of the 450 shots he has faced so far (As of Wednesday night, November 27) and those numbers will certainly increase as the season goes on.
Secondly, Mrazek is playing like a veteran. He plays a composed game, he controls his rebounds, he knows when to slow things down, and he knows what to do to make an impact in his team’s crease.
This is Mrazek’s 13th year in the league and he has seen it all at this point. He has played on good teams in Detroit and Carolina, so he knows what it takes to win hockey games. Mrazek is doing his best to apply that with the Blackhawks.
Lastly, he is playing well because his team believes in him. In speaking with Greg Boysen of ALLCHGO Sports, Blackhawks head coach Luke Richardson spoke about how Mrazek has not only provided quality goaltending for the hockey club, but that he has also been a great leader.
“He’s been our First Star all year. Our goaltending, in general, has been great, but Petr’s the leader there. He’s so competitive. He doesn’t just play the game, and focus on himself, and be quiet. He’s talking to the defense all the time, ironing things out, and pushing them along. If we can find a little bit of offense to help support the great goaltending, we can really make some strides.”
There is no doubt that it is going to be a very long season for the Blackhawks. With that said, both the team and their fans should know that Mrazek is doing everything he can to not only make this team better now, but also in the future.
ITR 39: Conference Finals – Inside The Rink
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