Blackhawks
“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 an emotional victory Friday, the Hawks didn’t bring enough fire Sunday and allowed their pattern of letdowns after wins to continue in a 4-2 home defeat.
The Hawks believe Korchinski is better off learning lessons in the NHL than anywhere else. They’ve been impressed by his ability to immediately implement suggestions into his game.
Hawks general manager Kyle Davidson said Saturday that Perry’s absence is a team decision, not Perry’s decision. Perry’s agent later released a seemingly contradictory statement that Perry has “stepped away...to attend to personal matters.”
Perry missed his second consecutive game Friday against the Maple Leafs, Arvid Soderblom earned a rare win and Joey Anderson seamlessly slid into the NHL lineup.
After several weeks with “a lot of emotions” — none positive — the Hawks suddenly found new life Friday. Dickinson’s first career hat trick and Kevin Korchinski’s first career highlight moment helped them earn a 4-3 overtime victory.
It has been a nightmarish week for the Hawks, who have lost five straight. Hall will undergo ACL surgery, and Perry’s suspicious absence leaves a cloud of controversy and confusion hanging over the team.
Hawks coach Luke Richardson declined to answer questions about Perry’s absence Thursday. Fellow alternate captain Nick Foligno said the Hawks will “miss” him.
Hall tallied four points in only 10 games in his first Hawks season, and his absence leaves a gaping hole in the team’s already struggling offense.
The Hawks’ losing streak reached five games with a 7-3 defeat in Columbus on Wednesday. They dressed only 11 forwards after an “organizational decision” to make Corey Perry a healthy scratch.
Entwistle has quietly become one of the longest-tenured Hawks and is focusing on making his voice heard more often in meetings, but the team’s lack of success throughout his tenure is getting old.
As he gains a better understanding of what he can and can’t get away with, Bedard has focused on winning puck battles. And moving forward, coach Luke Richardson wants him spending even less time watching and reading plays and more time getting involved.
The Hawks’ 29th-ranked power play is just 6-for-53 this season; it has struggled in every regard. Replacing Seth Jones with Korchinski at the point position while also focusing more on down-low plays could help.
The Hawks’ 1-5-0 record at the United Center is tied for the worst home start, points-wise, in franchise history. In the stands, however, their average attendance is over 19,000.
Put on the top line together for the first time this season, Bedard and Reichel — along with red-hot Philipp Kurashev — showed chemistry and played well enough to justify an extended look. But the Hawks’ strong performance went to waste in a 3-2 loss.
The second-year coach already has become a Hawks staple, and he insists he hasn’t “changed much about myself or how I approach the team” since last season.
The Hawks were pleased to keep up with the Predators in terms of shots on goal Saturday, even in a losing effort. “It was a first step in the right direction, but we’ve got to make sure we’re hungry for more,” coach Luke Richardson said.
The veteran forward missed six of the Hawks’ first 14 games due to shoulder and leg/knee injuries. But after playing nearly 17 minutes Saturday, he’s optimistic he can finally settle into a rhythm.
The 22-year-old defenseman, who grew up in suburban Wilmette, appears destined to become just the fifth Illinois native ever to get drafted by the Hawks and go on to play at least 100 games with the organization. “[I’m] really never homesick,” he said.
Reichel’s promotion to the top power-play unit helped him to finally break the goose egg in his goal column Thursday — in the 14th game of the season. The Hawks need this to jump-start him moving forward.
Commesso’s work with Bruins goalie Jeremy Swayman and new Rockford goalie coach Matt Smith has helped him start his pro career 3-2-0 with a .919 save percentage through five games.
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.”
On an episode of ‘New Heights’ hosted by the Kelce brothers, the Chiefs tight end gave a shoutout to the Chicago team.
“I will take whatever steps necessary to ensure this never happens again,” Perry said in a statement Thursday. “I hope to regain the trust and respect of everyone who has believed in me throughout my career.”
After an hourlong skate Thursday in Detroit, Kane discussed how he has come to terms with this post-Blackhawks era of his career.
Kane said that game Tuesday or home games against San Jose on Dec. 7 and Ottawa on Dec. 9 are possible options for his first game with Detroit.
The adeptness with which Foligno has grown comfortable in Chicago, earned every player’s trust and ascended into a leadership role has been remarkable. The Hawks will need his vocal abilities even more moving forward.
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