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Chicago Blackhawks Hottest Forwards Recent Surgery Changes Everything
Photo credit: NWI Times
The Chicago Blackhawks have seen Ilya Mikheyev come from behind, and provide secondary scoring regularly. What has caused it?
With the arrival of Interim Coach Anders Sorensen, we have seen Connor Bedard return to form. And with that, other players have found their game, as Ilya Mikheyev has been a bright spot for the team lately.
He's been an effective forechecker and creates chances for the Blackhawks, and having a skilled forward like Teuvo Teravainen on the same line has been fruitful.
''Our line has speed, and Teuvo has brain,'' Mikheyev said. ''He shows us where we need to be, and we try to help each other.
''Of course, if you play on the same line more time, you start to feel it with your partner more. It's more easy if you play five, 10 games. It's so much difference. We try to figure out, 'Where is this guy?' ''
''Of course, if you play on the same line more time, you start to feel it with your partner more. It's more easy if you play five, 10 games. It's so much difference. We try to figure out, 'Where is this guy?' ''
It's been nearly two years, since he's had the ACL surgery, and was once considered one of the fastest NHLers until he had a knee surgery in 2023. He appears to be fully healed and has been a rocket for the Hawks.
In the last five games for the Hawks, he's put up 6 points(5 G, 1 A).
Mikheyev's speed has been a skill that's been effective with Anders Sorensen's system, which creates regular odd-man rushes for the Blackhawks.
Mikheyev averaged 16.0 speed bursts of 20-plus mph (per 60 minutes) with the Maple Leafs in 2021-22, but his average dropped abruptly to 7.3 and 5.4 bursts the last two seasons with the Canucks. It has ticked up to 8.2 this season, and he has had a burst above 23 mph for the first time since 2021-22.
His defensive play has also seen him create opportunities for the Hawks and has been a resurgent player for the Hawks, scoring a short-handed goal against the Capitals, while giving the team a 2-0 lead over the Kraken.
Sorensen:
''He has been really good, right?'' Sorensen said, stating the obvious. ''A lot of it is his skating. He's strong on the puck, and he's willing to hang on to it in those tough areas and make those little slip plays and 10-foot plays.''
You'd think after undergoing a major knee surgery he'd be down and out. Yet the 30-year-old has been creating five-on-five chances for the team regular with at higher than 55%.
Mikheyev's defensive reliability hasn't slipped, either. In eight games under Sorensen (entering the game Monday), five Hawks forwards had five-on-five scoring-chance ratios higher than 55%: Joey Anderson, Taylor Hall, Mikheyev, Dickinson and Teravainen.
The Blackhawks and Anders Sorensen have created a formula for winning that has involved depth forwards, who we didn't expect much out of, and that includes the former Canuck, Mikheyev.
He also joined an illustrious list of Blackhawks with his latest four-game streak.
Mikheyev is the 12th Hawks player since 2009 to post a four-game goal streak, joining a list that features names such as Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews, Marian Hossa, Patrick Sharp, Artemi Panarin and Alex DeBrincat, along with less predictable names such as Artem Anisimov, Bryan Bickell, Dominik Kubalik, Nick Schmaltz and Andrew Shaw. Connor Bedard hasn't done so yet.
In 33 games this season, he's scored 12 points( 7 G, 5 A) and we're not even halfway through the season yet.
Can Anders Sorensen rejuvenate another NHLers career, after being considered down and out post-surgery?
| POLL | ||
DECEMBRE 24 | 168 ANSWERS Chicago Blackhawks Hottest Forwards Recent Surgery Changes Everything Do you think forward Ilya Mikeheyev can score more than 32 points(his career-high) with the Chicago Blackhawks? | ||
| Yes | 134 | 79.8 % |
| No | 34 | 20.2 % |
| List of polls | ||
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