Chicago Blackhawks Head Coach Accused of Hypocrisy With Lineup Decisions

Is interim Chicago Blackhawks coach Anders Sorenson being hypocritical with his lineup decisions?

The Chicago Blackhawks are dead last in the Western Conference and second-to-last overall in the NHL standings in what has been another frustrating and challenging year.

Their early-season struggles even forced the hand of team management, firing coach Luke Richardson and replacing him with Rockford Ice Hogs coach Anders Sorenson on an interim basis.

But is Sorensen being hypocritical with his roster decisions?

During their 5-2 defeat at United Center against the Toronto Maple Leafs, forward Lukas Reichel was barely utilized during the 2nd period and was later glued to the bench during the 3rd period.

As Sorensen would later explain, it was a coach's decision to not allow Reichel to see the ice for the latter half of the game.

However, a firm argument can be made that other players were performing just as poorly if not worse than Reichel, who many are beginning to feel has become the new scapegoat for Sorenson.

Not only did T.J. Brodie play longer minutes than Reichel despite having a puck bounce off his skate past goaltender Anders Sorenson, but defenseman Alec Martinez was also present for multiple goals against by the Leafs and skated in nearly 19 full minutes of ice time.

Since taking over for Richardson behind the bench, Sorenson has gone 9-17-5. Whether or not Blackhawks management elects to keep him in his position beyond this year remains to be seen.

The Blackhawks return to Salt Lake City for the 2nd time this season to take on the Utah Hockey Club later tonight.

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