{"id":496275,"date":"2026-02-28T21:12:14","date_gmt":"2026-02-28T21:12:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/496275\/"},"modified":"2026-02-28T21:12:14","modified_gmt":"2026-02-28T21:12:14","slug":"frank-nazar-rest-of-blackhawks-youngsters-have-things-to-prove-during-stretch-run","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/496275\/","title":{"rendered":"Frank Nazar, rest of Blackhawks youngsters have things to prove during stretch run"},"content":{"rendered":"

DENVER \u2014 Frank Nazar remembers how the Blackhawks<\/a>\u2019 strong finish to last season changed the mood of the offseason.<\/p>\n

Going 4-1-1 in their last six games of 2024-25 \u2014 despite the small sample size \u2014 gave the Hawks and their fans a fleeting glimpse<\/a> of the success they think lies ahead.<\/p>\n

Entering the final stretch of this season, the second-year forward is keeping in mind how just a little bit of winning can make a big difference.<\/p>\n

\u2018\u2018[We were] having fun, [creating] a lot of optimism coming into the year, and look at the start we had, right?\u2019\u2019 Nazar said Thursday. \u2018\u2018That has a lot of things to do with it. Obviously, everyone wants to have a great end of the season. But when the sun comes out and you get to play hockey while it\u2019s nice out in Chicago, that\u2019s the best time.\u2019\u2019<\/p>\n

Nazar, 22, and many of his equally young (or younger) teammates are motivated to prove some things before the Hawks\u2019 regular season finale April 15.<\/p>\n

A 4-2 defeat<\/a> Thursday to the Predators didn\u2019t represent a great start to this 25-game run, and things won\u2019t get any easier Saturday against the Avalanche.<\/p>\n

But as Connor Bedard put it, \u2018\u2018Every team you play is going to be good [because] it\u2019s a good league.\u2019\u2019 The Hawks eventually will have to figure out how to conquer this steep competition.<\/p>\n

\u2018\u2018What I\u2019m focusing on right now is to play the rest of the year the right way and take steps forward, as a group, to become a great hockey team,\u2019\u2019 Nazar said. \u2018\u2018It might not happen this year, but if we make steps right now .\u2009.\u2009. then coming into next year, we\u2019ll be even better.\u2019\u2019<\/p>\n

For rookie forward Ryan Greene, the coming weeks offer a crucial opportunity to prove he\u2019s not only a good-enough temporary option on Bedard\u2019s wing \u2014 where he unexpectedly has spent much of this season \u2014 but a legitimate top-six NHL player for the long haul.<\/p>\n

The arrivals of forwards Anton Frondell and Roman Kantserov will increase competition for those roles. But Greene, also 22, has one advantage: He\u2019s already 59 games into his NHL development curve.<\/p>\n

Greene admitted he was \u2018\u2018running on fumes\u2019\u2019 before the Olympic break, but he has looked rejuvenated since. He stood out in practices and followed that up with a quality performance against the Predators, highlighted by a nifty assist on Bedard\u2019s goal.<\/p>\n

\u2018\u2018The more [Ryan] can prove he\u2019s a guy that can add value to that line, the better off he is, especially as we continue to the future,\u2019\u2019 coach Jeff Blashill said. \u2018\u2018There will be different options that we\u2019ll have, and he wants to .\u2009.\u2009. show he\u2019s the best option.\u2019\u2019<\/p>\n

For rookie defenseman Sam Rinzel, the end of last season also has been on his mind. That\u2019s when he played his best in the NHL so far.<\/p>\n

This season has been more of a roller coaster for Rinzel, which isn\u2019t surprising for a 21-year-old with a less-than-filled-out body<\/a> trying to compete against pros for 82 games rather than nine. Still, he hopes to demonstrate he at least can climb back to that peak.<\/p>\n

\u2018\u2018I knew there were going to be bumps, but [this season] didn\u2019t go the way I thought or wanted it to go,\u2019\u2019 Rinzel said. \u2018\u2018Getting sent down, as a player, it\u2019s really frustrating. I\u2019m happy with .\u2009.\u2009. how I went about it, looking in the mirror and trying to see what I needed to get better at. Nothing has ever been linear for me.<\/p>\n

\u2018\u2018If the first half didn\u2019t go the way I want, I want to make sure to have a strong second half, so that\u2019s fully what I\u2019m focused on. It doesn\u2019t have to be a big leap. [I want to] just keep playing smart, playing how I know how to play.\u2019\u2019<\/p>\n

More on Nazar<\/p>\n

Although Nazar has his mind on a strong season-ending run for the Hawks, the team could really benefit from a strong season-ending run by Nazar himself.<\/p>\n

He has just one goal and two assists in nine games since returning from his broken jaw in January, although he has recorded a healthy 27 shots on goal during that span.<\/p>\n

One factor working in his favor could be his weight. He lost about eight pounds due to eating difficulties right after the injury. He finally regained the last missing pound during the Olympic break.<\/p>\n

Another factor could be the Hawks\u2019 altered defensive-zone and breakout systems<\/a>, which were altered in part to create more transition offense \u2014 an area where Nazar thrives.<\/p>\n

But within those systems, Nazar still must be careful. One prevailing talking point after Thursday and Friday concerned Nazar and Oliver Moore not giving rookie defenseman Artyom Levshunov enough support during a failed breakout Thursday that led to a Predators goal.<\/p>\n

Nazar took off too aggressively up the middle toward the neutral zone right away, which eliminated him from being a passing option for Levshunov after he bobbled the puck behind the net.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs forwards, we have to read off the \u2018D\u2019 and how much pressure is on him,\u201d Ryan Greene explained. \u201cIf there\u2019s a lot of pressure on him, we\u2019ve got to be closer to him. If he\u2019s got time and he\u2019s skating with it, we can get going up the ice a little earlier.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\"Nick<\/p>\n

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Foligno on Friday called it \u201ctoo early\u201d to solidify his trade-or-stay preference, but the deadline is now less than a week away.<\/p>\n

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\"Connor<\/p>\n

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The Hawks let a third-period lead slip away in a 4-2 loss Thursday, even though their best player brought his best game right away out of the break.<\/p>\n

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\"Anaheim<\/p>\n

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Quenneville, who had been suspended by the NHL because of his inaction during the Hawks\u2019 sexual-abuse scandal, joins Scotty Bowman as the only coaches with 1,000 victories. <\/p>\n

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