{"id":479817,"date":"2026-02-20T11:51:10","date_gmt":"2026-02-20T11:51:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/479817\/"},"modified":"2026-02-20T11:51:10","modified_gmt":"2026-02-20T11:51:10","slug":"why-blackhawks-goalie-spencer-knight-believes-an-illness-gave-him-valuable-experience","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/479817\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Blackhawks goalie Spencer Knight believes an illness gave him valuable experience"},"content":{"rendered":"

During the final week before the Olympic break, Blackhawks<\/a> goalie Spencer Knight was battling through a tough-to-shake illness.<\/p>\n

He was getting chills on the ice and couldn\u2019t really speak, which hampered him as a vocal goalie<\/a> who frequently yells instructions to his defensemen.<\/p>\n

Hawks coach Jeff Blashill\u2019s usual policy with illnesses, however, is to ask the individual player if he feels capable of giving 100% effort despite not internally feeling 100%. In Knight\u2019s case, he believed he could, so he started both of the Hawks\u2019 last two games against the Sharks and Blue Jackets.<\/p>\n

He believed he could for perhaps the most Knightian reasons imaginable, too, considering all the Hawks have come to know about his thorough, philosophical and sometimes superhuman approach to life and hockey.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t like speaking things into existence, and I saw it as a test,\u201d Knight said Thursday. \u201cThe way I look at it is putting yourself in different situations is how you\u2019re going to learn.<\/p>\n

\u201cLearning how to navigate not feeling well at all physically \u2014 and learning how to play with that \u2014 is really valuable going into the future. If there\u2019s times where you have to play \u2014 or maybe you\u2019re in the playoffs \u2014 you\u2019ve got to figure something out. For me, it gives me more experience, which is good. I want to grab as much experience as I can.\u201d<\/p>\n

He believes his immune system was weakened by a delayed Hawks flight the week before that didn\u2019t arrive in Pittsburgh until nearly 3 a.m., and he would like to see the NHL shift more toward flying the morning after games rather than overnight. But that\u2019s a topic for another day.<\/p>\n

The Olympic break did turn out to be perfectly timed, giving him time to get back to true 100%. He relaxed with friends and family in Connecticut and Massachusetts and then escaped to the beaches of Florida, where he also got lunch with Panthers goalie and longtime mentor Sergei Bobrovsky.<\/p>\n

The value of this February rest has been much-discussed in regards to the Hawks\u2019 plethora of rookie forwards and defensemen, but it makes sense it would be even more valuable for their goalies. Knight\u2019s unique off-ice habits designed to maximize his health and recovery can only do so much.<\/p>\n

Although Knight isn\u2019t a rookie, this is his first season as a full-time starter in the NHL, and that experience has been eye-opening. He has already made 39 starts, compared to 36, 0, 19 and 27 starts in each of the last four seasons.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve been able to be really intentional observing and anticipating things [to figure out] what to expect,\u201d he said. \u201cBut there\u2019s still situations you don\u2019t expect, right? And you just learn how to go [with it]. Whatever I have in that moment before the game, that\u2019s what I\u2019ve got. I\u2019ll just do what I can.\u201d<\/p>\n

Knight raced out of the gates this season with a splendid .924 save percentage and plus-12.8 GSAA in his first 15 starts. He led the league in GSAA and led full-time starters in save percentage at that point (Nov. 24).<\/p>\n

But since then, he has been only a league-average goalie, posting an .895 save -percentage and minus-0.1 GSAA over his last 24 starts. (The league average save -percentage of .896 this season is the lowest since 1993-94.)<\/p>\n

He still sits in the top 10 in total GSAA, but it would be great to see him finish this breakout season with a hot stretch run. That would likely have a snowball effect on the Hawks\u2019 overall team success and morale.<\/p>\n

He said he\u2019s not working on anything specific technique-wise, but he plans to evaluate that in April. He likes to keep skating -immediately after the season and then take a break later in the summer instead of taking it right away.<\/p>\n

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\"United<\/p>\n

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Earlier Wednesday, Nick Suzuki tied it for Canada late in regulation against Czechia, and Mitch Marner won it 4-3 in overtime to avoid what would have been a stunning early exit.<\/p>\n

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\"Blackhawks<\/p>\n

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The Hawks plan to dial up the pressure of their five-on-five defense, mimicking what has worked so well for them on the penalty kill, once games resume next Thursday.<\/p>\n

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Once the Hawks resume play on Feb. 26, the NHL\u2019s March 6 trade deadline will be fast approaching, and that won\u2019t be the only interesting thing going on.<\/p>\n

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