Grading the Positional Units for the Chicago Blackhawks Through Four Weeks

As the page turned on the calender from the first month of the season to the second, it's a fair time to take stock of the Chicago Blackhawks.

Nothing has changed about head coach Joel Quenneville's team when it comes to long-term goals and the desire to win another championship. Even though the Blackhawks (7-5-1) are a middle-of-the-pack team in terms of divisional and Western Conference standings, nothing that Quenneville has seen would lead him to believe that the Blackhawks will not be legitimate contenders by the start of the playoffs.

The Blackhawks have not put the puck in the net the way they normally do, but there have been some significant upgrades on the defensive end. In this piece, we look at the Blackhawks' positional units and assign grades through the first month of the season.

Forwards

Bill Boyce/Associated Press

Grade: C

The production simply has not been there for the Chicago Blackhawks.

The Blackhawks are averaging 2.46 goals per game through their first 13 outings, a figure that ranks 21st in the league.

Based on a talented roster of forwards that includes Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, Marian Hossa, Patrick Sharp and Brandon Saad, the Blackhawks should be a top-five team in the league when it comes to scoring. 

Instead of hanging out in the same neighborhood with the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Tampa Bay Lightning, the Blackhawks are stuck between the Columbus Blue Jackets (20th) and the Nashville Predators (22nd). That's not acceptable for a team that may have more offensive skill than any team in the league, and neither is getting shut out twice at home in the first few weeks of the season.

The Blackhawks are dominating the league in shots on goal with an average of 37.9 per game, a whopping 3.0 shots per game better than the second-place Minnesota Wild. Those numbers indicate that the Blackhawks will soon turn things around offensively. 

The offense seemed to hit its stride in Chicago's 5-0 victory at Montreal on Nov. 4. However, one game does not a trend make.

Toews is the team's leading scorer with five goals and five assists, while Kane is right behind with four goals and five assists. The Blackhawks need both of those players to pick it up, especially with Patrick Sharp suffering a lower-body injury against the Canadiens and likely being out for two weeks or more.

Hossa has just two goals and three assists, but he has been his usual self when it comes to three-zone play. He is skating well and playing hard, so it seems like it's just a matter of time before he starts filling up the scoresheet again. Saad has a goal and seven assists, and the Blackhawks need to see more decisive play from him when he has a chance to put the puck in the net.

Defensemen

Francois Lacasse/Getty Images

Grade: A-minus

Defense has been a strength for the Blackhawks, as they have done a good job of limiting opponents' scoring chances and choking off passing and shooting lanes.

The Blackhawks are allowing 27.5 shots per game, a figure that puts them in a tie for eighth with the Winnipeg Jets. Many of those shots are from 30 feet or further, because they are not giving up much room between the faceoff circles or the other prime scoring areas.

Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook are off to excellent defensive starts. Keith's speed and agility allow him to corral the puck or take it away from opponents, while Seabrook has been responsible on the defensive end and has not been making mistakes. Keith has scored seven points, while Seabrook has six.

As usual, Quenneville is depending on Johnny Oduya and Niklas Hjalmarsson for the heavy-duty defensive play. Quenneville tends to use those two against the opponents' top lines, and they continue to do the job with their strong positional play, shot-blocking and checking.

Youngsters Trevor Van Riemsdyk (plus-28.55 Corsi On) and David Rundblad (plus-24.18 Corsi On) have made positive contributions. Quenneville is not afraid to depend on veteran Michal Rozsival (plus-3.25 Corsi On). 

Goaltenders

USA TODAY Sports

Grade: A-plus

The goaltending has been stellar in the early part of the season. Not only do the Blackhawks lead the league with a 1.77 goals-against average, but the play of Corey Crawford, Antti Raanta and Scott Darling has pleased Quenneville.

"Our goaltending, through 13 games, has been great," Quenneville said when he met with the media following the Nov. 4 win over the Canadiens. 

Crawford has been at the top of his game and appears to be playing the best of his career. While he has missed some time with an upper-body injury this season, he has a 4-2-1 record, with a scintillating 1.53 goals-against average and a .938 save percentage. 

Raanta is 1-2-0 as Crawford's backup, with a 2.03 GAA and a .933 save percentage. The Blackhawks brought Darling up from Rockford of the American Hockey League when Crawford was out, and he recorded a 2-1-0 mark with a 1.98 GAA and a .933 save percentage.

While Darling has since been returned to Rockford, he gave the Blackhawks as much as they could have asked for in Crawford's absence.

But Crawford is the real story. He has always been a fine goaltender for the Blackhawks, but he would often give up a stoppable goal on on a regular basis in previous years. That's not an issue any longer. 

“He’s been great,” Kane told Kelsey Patterson of ESPNChicago.com. “He had a great start to the season. He’s played really strong since he’s come back, too."