FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Viewers of TNT's Blackhawks-Panthers TV broadcast Wednesday were serenaded with vicious criticism of the Hawks all night long.
"I don't see a lot of identity," unfiltered analyst Paul Bissonnette said during the first intermission. "I see a soft team. They don't check well. They don't forecheck well. They don't really do anything well."
The Hawks played slightly better during the second and third periods, but they didn't do nearly enough in an eventual 5-3 loss — their fourth in a row and their 12th in 16 games this season — to make Bissonnette eat his words.
Connor Bedard had two assists and was engaged physically throughout the game, working hard to win pucks and even throwing a few sizable hits. He said the Hawks have had conversations about battling harder since the atrocious Red Wings game last week.
But coach Jeff Blashill felt that mantra still wasn't embraced equally by everyone Wednesday.
"[It's] not necessarily about the physicality, just the competition level to win battles," Blashill said. "[Bedard] competed like crazy. For not every guy to follow that suit is not acceptable. A lot of guys did, but you've got to have 20 going."
Frank Nazar snapped a seven-game goalless drought with two third-period tallies to cut what was once a 3-0 deficit to 4-3, but the Hawks weren't particularly dangerous offensively on the whole. They recorded only 20 total shots on goal.
Bissonnette shredded the Hawks repeatedly, calling them "brutal" and unwatchable, while fellow panelist Henrik Lundqvist offered some less flamboyant yet wise commentary.
"When you're in a rebuild and you try and get out of it, to win consistently in this game, it's not about being the best team every night, but you have to be smart and you have to have awareness," Lundqvist said.
"You see sometimes the lack of awareness from young teams. When you watch Florida, they're not always the best team, but they're playing winning hockey. That will save you so many nights."
Blashill later said he disagreed with Bissonnette, but he accurately noted that "when you have the record that we have, you put yourself in position to be criticized."
Biz was very blunt about the Hawks:
— NHLonTNT (@NHL_On_TNT) November 5, 2026
"I see a soft team... they don't really do anything well" ?
Then broke down their troubles with the help of the whiteboard pic.twitter.com/IWasxvqECJ
The Hawks were without Patrick Kane, out with an upper-body injury, and they'll definitely be without him again Thursday against the Lightning. Blashill ruled him "doubtful" for Saturday at the Hurricanes, too.
Dillon Boucher replaced Kane in the lineup, making his NHL debut at 29 years old. Boucher is a nice story, having worked his way up through four years of Canadian college hockey, three years in the ECHL and one in the AHL.
Boucher is an enforcer whom Blashill called a "galvanizing guy," but he was unable to find any Panthers willing to fight during his eight minutes of ice time.
