Chicago Blackhawks’ forward André Burakovsky finally broke through.
He went through a 19-game stretch without recording a goal, and he only had one point in that timeframe.
But he ended the goal drought with a goal against the Utah Mammoth in a 3-2 win on March 9, and it was rewarding for him and the Blackhawks, especially on a personal level.
Burakovsky Feeling Good After Breakthrough
Burakovsky’s drought stood out more because of his earlier impact. For example, he had 17 points in his first 20 games of the season, mainly playing on the top line with Connor Bedard and Ryan Greene.
Then, the drought started in January, but Blashill stayed the course with Burakovsky, hesitant to move him off the top line because he was confident in what he was seeing. He said about Burakovsky after the Mammoth game,
“Again, you know, it’s interesting, like… guys have to produce. I get it, but there’s a lot more that goes into it. And, you know, if he wasn’t working as hard as he’s worked, if he wasn’t caring as much as he’s cared, you know, maybe we don’t keep him up there. But I just felt like he was working so hard. He was competing hard. He cares a ton, and eventually, it felt like it was going to happen for him, and glad that it did. And he’s a good person, and again, he’s a big part of our group.”
Blashill’s words brought up an interesting point about the other elements involved.
I asked Burakovsky on March 11 about how he was feeling after his big game, “I mean, I’m feeling good. I think… even though the points and stuff haven’t come, and I haven’t scored, I think there’s still been a lot of games where I felt really good and played really good, and making sure my teammates are playing good, and helping them to create, so playing good defense. Even though the points haven’t been there, I think there’s been really good games where I walked away from the game and was happy about it. But yeah, last game was nice. We got a win. That was huge for us, and obviously nice to get on the board again.”
There is something about Burakovsky’s conduct that stands out. His talk about helping his teammates to create stood out to me and says a lot about character, even during a slump. Just from observation in the locker room, he seems to be a good presence. Blashill mentioned that the players really like him.
So, I asked Greene about what he has seen from Burakovsky,
“I think that’s just something that happens to everybody. I feel like everybody, at certain points throughout a season, throughout their career, go through little scoring slumps like that. And, I mean, I had one at the start of the year, and, you know, I was gripping the stick too tight and whatnot, but Bedsy (Connor Bedard) and Burky helped me through that. And obviously, Burky is going through a little one right now. But yeah, we obviously thought we were playing good together, you know, just trying to keep it positive and whatnot. But obviously good to see one go in for him, and hopefully, he can build off that now. But yeah, really happy for him, and yeah, we had some fun in the huddle there after he scored.” [Note: Bedard and Greene assisted on the goal]
The top line of Burakovsky, Bedard, and Greene has spent the most time together this season (29 games) and has also created the most goals-for (17) on the Blackhawks.
When it came to Burakovsky’s view on the line, “It’s been great. I mean, we’re aligned- all three of us. We want to create a lot. We’re skate players. We have a lot of speed on our line, and we should create a lot, and I think we have. So, no, I think it’s been really good. We enjoy playing with each other, and hopefully we’re going to continue to do that.”
Burakovsky’s Mindset Can Be a Good Omen for Blackhawks
Blashill was asked if he noticed Burakovsky having more pep in his step since his goal.
“I’ll give Burky a lot of credit as he’s gone through the scoring struggles; he hasn’t brought the team down with him, you know. Like, he never really let that show on a day-to-day basis. Obviously, you know, it’s something that’s hard to handle. But he wasn’t around here moping, and he generally comes with a fun attitude. And I think he continued to do that. And I think, you know, he and I talked prior to the game, like it’s coming. The top line was creating too many chances for it not to come. He’s too good of an offensive player and, good for him to score. I do think that just is a relief, more than maybe more pep. It’s just a relief, you know, and hopefully, that opens the floodgates for him.”
Despite everything, Burakovsky is the Blackhawks’ fourth-best scorer with 31 points in 58 games. He and his linemates have each other’s backs, and there seems to be a positive attitude around him. Maybe it’s from his 12-year NHL experience, maybe it’s from the bond with his teammates and the seemingly constructive relationship with the coach, or maybe it’s him liking where he is.
Related: Meet the New Blackhawks: Andrew Mangiapane
Burakovsky said about him and his family’s adjustment in his first season in Chicago, “It’s been great. We like it a lot here. My daughter loves her school. My wife loves our neighborhood and Chicago, and [the] organization, and so do I. So, we’re very happy to be here.”
A positive mindset is everything in professional sports. There was an article published by King Cobras Hockey titled, “The Power of Positivity: Why a Great Hockey Player Needs a Great Mindset,” which discussed how positivity can fuel resilience, team culture, focus, and effort, etc.
As Blashill said, players do need to produce. But knowing there is a baseline with Burakovsky being a positive presence and feeling good about his game right now with the goal in tow, hopefully, that is a good omen for the rest of the season.
