Bleacher Nation’s Tab Bamford argues the Blackhawks can hang with the NHL’s middle tier after wins over St. Louis, Pittsburgh, and Winnipeg, but Saturday’s 4-0 loss showed how far they remain from true Cup contenders like Dallas.
Bamford also flags Anton Frondell’s career-low 12:40 TOI (Blashill said he “probably got shorted” after an off night against tough matchups), Kevin Korchinski’s stuck seat behind Ethan Del Mastro, and prospect notes including Mason West in a late Michigan State scrap and Xavier Villeneuve’s first college points at BU.