BLOG: Blackhawks Prepare to Set into ‘Game Shape’ with Upcoming Schedule

Throughout the last few weeks, the Chicago Blackhawks took in some extra practice days in between their spread-out game schedule early in the season. As they look ahead, they will now prepare to take on a schedule where they will play in a game almost every other day along with a back-to-back this upcoming weekend. 

Head coach Luke Richardson viewed the early schedule to help condition his team not only to be in physical shape but to help them get into the grind of a game-heavy schedule. 

“Guys are all in great shape in this league, but I think you'd get into that next step of game shape,” Richardson said. “We're just talking, the conditioning and the mentality. The body gets that muscle memory going and you just go.” 

In the Blackhawks’ last few practices, the team endured some intense drills to help them transition their skillsets in some potential game scenarios and help the younger members of the team transition to the NHL style of play.

Connor Bedard noticed that the team started off the season strong with a two-week road trip and then started to provide some small breaks after they returned to Chicago. Now, he viewed this opportunity as a chance to get into the flow of a gameday routine.

“I think started at the year, we were playing all the time and then you have that [break], but that’s just scheduling,” Bedard said on Thursday. “It should be good to kind of just get in that flow and get into that rhythm of playing all the time.”

While he appreciated the opportunities to work with the players in practice situations, Richardson also stated that it’s not always the same as a game filled with unpredictable moments.

With a few breaks early on, now he wants to see his team show the work they made in practice and translate it into their game.

“You can do it in practice, but it's not the same as a game,” Richardson said. “So, I think we need that. We've had our rest time and our practice time now we have to show it in a game.”