Chicago Blackhawks: Vancouver game is as big as any early in the season

The Chicago Blackhawks are in a tough spot. People are speculating about the coach which is a result of their 0-3-1 start to the season. They have played very badly in 10 of the 12 periods that they played and need a big performance sooner than later. Their next opportunity is going to be tonight against the Vancouver Canucks at the United Center.

Vancouver is coming into the game with a 1-2-1 record through their first four games so they haven’t been amazing either but at least they have a win. The Hawks should be able to compete with these guys. If they play the way that they did in the first two periods against the New York Islanders on Tuesday, they will have a fighting chance.

Vancouver has some really skilled players. Of course, everything runs through Quinn Hughes on the back end. The Hawks just allowed his younger brother Jack Hughes to own them last Friday night so they are hoping to contain brother Quinn this time around. Jack is a center but Quinn is a defenseman that is Norris Trophy caliber.

Hughes does a really good job of making plays for other people on the ice. That includes forwards like Elias Petterson, Bo Horvat, Brock Boeser, and J.T. Miller amongst others. They are all extremely capable players who will burn the Hawks if they don’t have a good defensive showing. They aren’t as deep as a team like the New York Islanders or Colorado Avalanche but they can hurt you if you’re not careful.

Vancouver is going to use two goalies this season that are very good. Thatcher Demko is a young netminder who they drafted and developed. They signed Jaroslav Halak to be his backup after he had some really good years with the Boston Bruins. We don’t know who the Hawks will see but it will be someone good regardless.

The Chicago Blackhawks need their best to keep up with the Vancouver Canucks.

This is a very big game for a lot of people. The Blackhawks don’t seem to have the coach on the hot seat yet but you could see that change quickly if things continue to go south. If they lose this one, they are then going into a home game with the Detroit Red Wings who are a much-improved team.

If Patrick Kane supports this guy like he seems to based on his recent comments, he will lead his team to a victory on Thursday night. If they lose but play well that will be one thing but it can’t be one of those times where they just have no chance. Hopefully, this is the start of a big turnaround for the organization as a whole.