Knight is fine tuning his own game with Blackhawks goalie coach Jimmy Waite, who said the two have worked on making sure Knight’s glove hand is more open so opponents don’t see as much of the net. Waite also wants Knight to “stay taller when the puck’s up high. Don’t get so low because it opens up the top of the net.”
“He’s a very particular guy,” Waite said. “He knows what he wants and he’s going to tell you what he wants a lot of time, which is fine. I like that. He’s a guy who prepares well for games and he knows he’s got a schedule, he knows what he wants and he’s very disciplined about it. He needs to do his stuff and he’s very disciplined about everything he does.”
Knight immediately built a good rapport with backup goalie Arvid Soderblom when he got to Chicago in the spring. Their competition has been a friendly but strong one that should benefit the Blackhawks.
“I feel we’re having a good connection going into this year,” said Soderblom, who was 10-18-7 with a 3.18 GAA and .898 save percentage in 36 games (33 starts) last season.” We can just keep pushing each other and make each other better every day. Yeah, it’s going to be a lot of fun.”
Soderblom, 26, may be older than Knight, but said he takes a lot from watching his starts.
“He’s a great technical goalie. So, it’s just all the small things he does,” Soderblom said. “He’s very focused and like I said, good technically. There are always things you can learn from each other and yeah, it’s good to have him here. I feel we’re going to have a good year together.”
Knight has had a good preseason as he prepares for his first full season with the Blackhawks. His new chapter is set to begin, and he’s ready for the journey.
“It’s definitely been a fun group, and I really enjoy the presence of my teammates and the staff’s been awesome, the front office has been great,” Knight said. “So again, I’m looking forward to getting better as a player and a person.
“The journey, to me, is the best part. I’ve had a lot of ups and downs and you know what; I wouldn’t trade it for the world. Everything’s made me stronger, and I know I can handle whatever comes my way. So, I’m just excited for that.”
NHL.com independent correspondent George Richards contributed to this report
