Blackhawks
Dickinson was the alternate captain Tuesday against the Oilers and again Thursday against the Kraken. Seth Jones’ injury has led to a bigger workload for Alex Vlasic, too.
The Hawks’ decision to send Boris Katchouk through waivers and eventually to Rockford is proof of Anderson’s ascension up the depth chart. In 11 NHL games since his call-up, he has formed the team’s best forward line alongside Jason Dickinson.
In the first meeting between the two Connors — as well as between German forwards Leon Draisaitl and Lukas Reichel — the Oilers pulled away to beat the Hawks 4-1 on Tuesday.
Jones did not travel with the Hawks on their trip to Edmonton and Seattle after suffering an upper-body injury Sunday. Without him, the Hawks’ defensive corps is severely shorthanded.
“As a teammate, it gives you confidence to jump into holes and lanes, knowing a guy is going to find you or make the right play,” teammate Connor Murphy said.
Granato last appeared on NBCSCH on Dec. 5, joining Charlie Roumeliotis on the debut of “HawkCast.”
After the matchup with Ovechkin, Bedard and the Hawks will face Connor McDavid and the Oilers on Tuesday in Edmonton.
Beauvillier scored twice in 22 games before the Hawks got him Nov. 28 for a conditional fifth-round pick to help fill the void left by Corey Perry.
Mrazek’s fantastic week of goaltending culminated in a 38-save effort Saturday, coming within a few minutes of a second straight shutout, as the Hawks beat the Blues 3-1.
Crevier’s unrestrained happiness about being in the NHL — and underdog journey (as a 2020 seventh-round pick) to get to it — gives the Hawks something to smile about during an otherwise dispiriting stretch of the season.
In the wake of Perry’s messy departure, even more leadership responsibilities have been shifted onto Nick Foligno, Seth Jones and Connor Murphy to steer the Hawks through adversity. They explain how they’ve regrouped and adjusted.
In the first meeting on NHL ice between the No. 1 and No. 2 picks in the 2023 draft, Bedard and goalie Petr Mrazek helped the Hawks earn a 1-0 win Thursday.
For some reason, Donato has dominated the month of December throughout his career, although he was completely unaware of the pattern. Given the Hawks’ scoring woes, they wouldn’t complain if it repeated itself.
After his healthy scratch Sunday, Reichel was reinserted in a fourth-line role Tuesday. He was better, albeit hardly dominant. He’ll have to play with more tenacity and confidence moving forward.
The young goalie finally got some goal support Tuesday, but he allowed three goals off rebounds before struggling in the shootout as the Hawks fell 4-3 to the Predators.
For as mature as the Hawks’ rookie sensation is off the ice, he does occasionally show some emotion on the ice. But it never lingers into his next shift or into the next day.
Dach’s first pro season is off to a great start. He ranks fourth among all AHL rookie forwards in points per game (with 12 points in 13 games) while playing with an edge.
The Hawks’ 4-1 defeat Sunday concluded a three-game road trip in which they didn’t score a single goal when Connor Bedard wasn’t on the ice.
After 22 games of struggles — with only six points and no even-strength goals — Reichel sat out Sunday against the Wild. “He needs to ... come back with a little bit of fire,” coach Luke Richardson said.
The goal is truth, not a response to fiction.
Beauvillier, making his Hawks debut after a trade from the Canucks, played well on the top line Saturday. But Bedard’s tally went down as the Hawks’ only goal in a 3-1 loss.
Isaak Phillips also went down to Rockford with Kaiser, while Louis Crevier was called up to the NHL for the first time. Jarred Tinordi’s activation off injured reserve sparked the shuffle Saturday.
They can’t seem to escape troubling situations, though this one was not of their own making.
“It’s of course [had] an effect on myself and my family, but...it’s out of our control,” Bedard said Friday in Winnipeg.
The Blackhawks terminated Perry’s contract Wednesday, but an NHL Players’ Association spokesperson said they are “reviewing the matter” to determine if they will file a grievance, which they have 60 days to do.
The Hawks conceded a shorthanded goal and two power-play goals in a 5-1 loss Thursday, which Tyler Johnson called “embarrassing.”
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