Today’s News Clips Jan. 21, 2019
ChicagoBlackhawks.com RECAP: Blackhawks 8, Capitals 5
By Chris Wescott January 20, 2019
RAPID REACTION: In an eventful matinee meeting, the Blackhawks snapped their five-game skid by racking up a ton of goals, downing the Washington Capitals 8-5. They were spurred on by multi-point, multi-goal outings from Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews, including a hat trick from the captain.
Brandon Saad powered his way to the Capitals net and scored his 15th goal of the season at 6:36 of the first, giving the Blackhawks a 1-0 lead. David Kampf recorded the lone assist.
Patrick Kane continued his run of dominance, putting Chicago up 2-0 with his 28th goal of the season just 1:20 after the Saad score. Jonathan Toews and Brent Seabrook had the helpers.
Brooks Orpik shot the puck from the wall and it trickled through Collin Delia at 14:25 of the first to make it 2-1.
Chicago got a fortunate bounce at 14:53 as Washington's Dmitry Orlov swiped at a floating puck with his glove, accidentally batting it into his own net. Toews was officially credited with the goal, giving the Blackhawks captain 19 on the season.
Alex DeBrincat buried a feed by Dylan Strome for his 25th goal of the season at 2:30 of the second period. The goal made it 4-1 for Chicago. Duncan Keith recorded the second assist.
There was plenty of physical play over the course of the game, with both clubs combining for seven penalties in the middle frame alone. One of the more aggressive moments came when Alex Ovechkin took a swing at Kane's head and took off his helmet. Connor Murphy chased down Ovechkin, resulting in two-minute roughing calls for both.
Orlov scored at 15:24 of the second to make it a 4-2 game. In the third, the Caps cut the lead to one when John Carlson hammered a one-timer past Delia at 3:09.
At 3:45, the Blackhawks responded to make it 5-3 with Kane's second of the afternoon, this one on the power play. Toews and Strome recorded the helpers.
Toews made it a 6-3 game with a snipe on a 2-on-1 rush at 7:20 of the final frame.
The Capitals wouldn't give up as Carlson roofed a shot at 10:38 of the third to make it a two-goal game once again. Matt Niskanen scored at 13:55 to make it 6-5.
Toews dangled his way to a hat trick at 14:57 of the third to make it a 7-5 game. He was assisted by Kane on the tally. Strome put the icing on the cake with an empty-netter in the game's final two minutes to make it 8-5.
KNEEL BEFORE SAAD: Saad's goal was a pretty display of power and individual effort as he skated through all three zones with the puck, shed a defender and scored to give Chicago an early lead.
THE CAT AND SHOWTIME STAY HOT: Kane's 28th goal of the season was an impressive way to keep his point streak alive. Kane now has points in eight straight (7G, 12A). DeBrincat has now scored seven goals in his last seven games.
EL CAPITAN: Toews had a big game himself, recording his first five-point out of the season with three goals and two assists. He also reached the 20-goal mark for the 12th straight season.
WHAT A SAVE: Delia made a wild save in the second period that drew a standing ovation from the United Center crowd.
TALKING POINTS: "Kind of like a playoff-type atmosphere and a playoff-type game. Back-and-forth and it seemed like no matter how big our lead we couldn't make it big enough. Overall, I think it's a good win for us." - Patrick Kane on the win over Washington
"We can play together for a long time, you might not always get games like that. Obviously, I think today the chances we did get we converted. He was going a good job in his own end, chipping pucks out. Their D-men were really pressuring so we got some odd-man rushes." - Jonathan Toews on skating on the same line as Patrick Kane
NHL.com Toews, Kane help Blackhawks hand Capitals fifth straight loss
By Scott King January 20, 2019
Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane each had five points when the Chicago Blackhawks handed the Washington Capitals their fifth straight loss, 8-5 at United Center on Sunday.
Toews scored three goals and had two assists for his sixth NHL hat trick and third five-point game. He has 16 points (five goals, 11 assists) in his past 12 games.
"It gives our team confidence when you see goals go in," Toews said. "We played the way we played [today] in front of our fans, we hear the horn and the fans responding. It's nice to play an exciting game in front of them and get a little something to cheer for."
Kane had two goals and three assists. He has 20 points (seven goals, 13 assists) in an eight-game point streak.
"Yeah it was a fun game. Kind of like a playoff-type atmosphere, playoff-type game," said Kane, who is two points from 900 in the NHL. "It was back and forth, it seemed like no matter how big our lead, we couldn't make it big enough to feel comfortable. Overall I think it was a good win for us."
Dylan Strome had a goal and two assists for the Blackhawks (17-24-9), who ended a five-game losing streak. Collin Delia made 34 saves.
The Capitals (27-16-5), who have been outscored 23-9 during the losing streak, had not lost five straight games since Oct. 26-Nov. 4, 2014. Each of the five Washington goals was scored by a defenseman, including two by John Carlson.
"There are enough areas where, some nights we clean up one thing and get worse at a couple of others," Carlson said. "Can't seem to find that consistent balance, and, for me, we haven't been great starting a lot of these games. Feels like we're down a man the first shift or give up the goal first shift, stuff like that."
Brooks Orpik, Dmitry Orlov and Matt Niskanen scored for the Capitals. Braden Holtby allowed four goals on 11 shots before being replaced by Pheonix Copley (14 saves) at 2:30 of the second period.
Brandon Saad gave the Blackhawks a 1-0 lead at 6:36 of the first period before Kane scored 1:20 later to make it 2-0 at 7:56.
"Something that I take responsibility for, that first goal, if you make a save there, it changes the game around," Holtby said. "Little plays like that have a big effect, something that's on my shoulders."
Orpik scored to make it 2-1 at 14:25 of the first.
Toews scored 28 seconds later to give Chicago a 3-1 lead at 14:53, getting a stick on the puck in front of the crease before Orlov put it in his own net.
Chris Kunitz appeared to score for the Blackhawks at 16:34 of the first, but video review confirmed the on-ice call that the puck went in under the side of the net.
Alex DeBrincat made it 4-1 at 2:30 of the second period, scoring off a one-timer for his 25th goal of the season.
Orlov made it 4-2 at 15:24 of the second.
Carlson scored at 3:09 of the third period with a one-timer from the left face-off circle to make it 4-3.
Kane gave the Blackhawks a 5-3 lead 36 seconds later when he scored a power-play goal at 3:45. It was his Chicago- leading 29th goal.
Toews made it 6-3 at 7:20, keeping the puck on a 2-on-1 and scoring from the right face-off circle.
Carlson's second of the game made it 6-4 at 10:38, and Niskanen got Washington within 6-5 at 13:55 with a shot from the right face-off circle.
Toews scored his third of the game to make it 7-5 at 14:57.
Strome scored an empty-net goal at 18:11 for the 8-5 final.
They said it "It's nice because sometimes you give up goals like that, teams are feeling it, they have the momentum. Things aren't looking so good, it's tough to protect a one-goal lead when you got that much time on the clock. I think we did a good job of trying to turn it around and keep that momentum in the third period." -- Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews
"It's a tough time right now, we just have to get over it, get a win. Doesn't matter how we play, where we play. Just have to get a win." -- Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin
Need to know Kane has 12 goals in his past 11 games and six multipoint games in his past seven. It was his second five-point game in the NHL (Jan. 9, 2018, against the Ottawa Senators). … DeBrincat has seven goals in his past seven games. … Strome has five points (one goal, four assists) in his past three games. … Capitals forward T.J. Oshie had two assists and has seven points (three goals, four assists) in his past seven games.
NHL.com Kane's offense among bright spots for struggling Blackhawks
By Tracey Myers January 19, 2019
Patrick Kane just rolls with the line changes.
The Chicago Blackhawks forward was on the second line with Dylan Strome and Artem Anisimov for 15 consecutive games. But changes came at practice Saturday, when Kane skated on the top line with Jonathan Toews and Drake Caggiula.
"I really liked playing with Strome, but playing with [Toews] is always great," Kane said. "He makes life easy on you, wins a lot of battles and comes up with the puck a lot, so it's nice to play with a guy like that."
Perhaps Kane doesn't mind the changes because he continues to pile up points no matter who he plays with.
At age 30, Kane is having an outstanding season, with 65 points (27 goals, 38 assists) in 48 games, giving him 893 points (339 goals, 554 assists) in 870 NHL games. That includes 15 points (five goals, 10 assists) during a seven-game point streak. He had a season-high four points (two goals, two assists) in an 8-5 loss at the New Jersey Devils on Monday. With the Blackhawks playing catchup for most of the night, Kane played 28:50, the most ice time logged by a forward in any NHL game this season and well above his average of 22:06.
"I think it's impressive for him to be on the pace that he's on and given the fact that no one else on our team is close to him scoring-wise," said Toews, who is second on the Blackhawks with 42 points (18 goals, 24 assists). "He just always wants to get better. He knows what he's capable of and he pushes to go even further. He's the best at that."
Kane's consistency has been a bright spot for the Blackhawks (16-24-9, 41 points), who have lost five straight (0-3-2) and are last among the NHL's 31 teams entering their game against the defending Stanley Cup champion Washington Capitals at United Center on Sunday (12:30 p.m. ET; NBC, TVAS).
The last time Kane had steady linemates for an extended amount of time was 2015-17, when he played mostly with Artemi Panarin and Anisimov. Kane had 106 points (46 goals, 60 assists) in 2015-16, when he won the Hart Trophy as the NHL's most valuable player and the Art Ross Trophy as the League's top scorer. He had 89 points (34 goals, 55 assists) in 2016-17.
But Kane's linemates have varied since the Blackhawks traded Panarin to the Columbus Blue Jackets for forward Brandon Saad on June 23, 2017. During the past two seasons, Kane has played with now-retired forward Patrick Sharp, Saad, Alex DeBrincat and Nick Schmaltz, who the Blackhawks traded to Arizona for forwards Strome and Brendan Perlini on Nov. 25.
Strome has played on Kane's line for 20 of the 25 games he's been with the Blackhawks. Strome said he doesn't try to get too fancy when he plays with Kane.
"He just demands the puck, so wherever he is, as a center you have the puck a lot more and you're trying to get it off to him, which is not a bad thing. I like doing that," said Strome, who has 16 points (seven goals, nine assists) in 25 games. "He wants and demands the best out of his linemates, so when you're on his line, you've got to make stuff happen and you've got to make plays and contribute."
Brad Richards was one of Kane's linemates for part of the 2014-15 season. They were also together during the 2015 Stanley Cup Playoffs, and Richards had the primary assist on Kane's goal in Chicago's 2-0 victory against the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 6 of the Final, which gave the Blackhawks their third championship in six seasons.
Richards, who retired from the NHL after the 2015-16 season, said Kane's style allows him to thrive regardless of who he plays with.
"He kind of controls the game on his own, and he doesn't need help doing that," said Richards, now an adviser for the New York Rangers. "I always felt he was a top center playing the wing. He can do it all and wants to have the puck on his stick most of the time. He can shoot it, pass it and can slow [the game] down, which isn't done much in this day and age.
"He has everything, except not being 6-[foot]-4," Richards said. "But he's so smart, he doesn't need that. You can put him with anybody; he can make it go."
A big question for the Blackhawks is how long Kane can continue to play at such a high level? He said he feels great this season thanks to tweaking a few habits. He loves to constantly work on his game, so still lingers on the ice after practice is over. His physical focus is taking care of his hips after practice, doing some type of mobility throughout the day to stay loose. Kane also said he's eating better, thanks in part to his girlfriend Amanda's healthy cooking.
"I probably feel the best I ever have, to be honest," he said. "I feel like every year you find different ways to feel a little bit better, whether it's nutrition or learning what supplements your body likes or how to take care of your body after practices."
Richards said Kane has a few strong seasons left in him. Considering the numbers Kane keeps putting up, there's no reason to doubt that.
"Father Time is undefeated, so it'll hit him eventually," Richards said. "But the way he plays the game, he's so smart and doesn't take a lot of contact. I would imagine he's going to put up numbers for at least another four or five years at a really good rate. Everybody burns out at different times. Some people, their legs don't do it anymore. But I don't see that with him any time soon."
NBCSportsChicago.com Four takeaways: Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews put on show as Blackhawks snap losing streak
By Charlie Roumeliotis January 20, 2019
Here are four takeaways from the Blackhawks' 8-5 win over the Washington Capitals at the United Center on Sunday:
1. Dueling five-point games by 19 and 88
When you play the defending Stanley Cup champions, your top guys need to play like it. And the Blackhawks' did just that.
Reunited on the top line as the nuclear option, Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews each registsered five-point outings, with Kane having two goals and three assists and Toews netting a hat trick and two assists.
Toews also became the third active player to score at least 20 goals in his first 12 NHL seasons, joining Kane and Alex Ovechkin.
"We can play together for a long time and might not always get games like that, obviously," Toews said. "I think today the chances that we did get we converted and he was doing a good job in his own end chipping pucks out and their D men really pressuring, so we got some odd-man rushes. Drake [Caggiula] did a great job of going to the net and creating space. The two of us, Drake and I, know that it's kind of our game to go play puck possession and try to give it to Kaner when he has time and space. It was nice to see a bunch go in for us."
2. A whacky first period
We hope you didn't oversleep because there was a whole lot of action from the moment the puck dropped during NBC's Game of the Week.
The Blackhawks and Capitals combined for four goals in the first period, three of which were credited to Chicago but one that received a major assist from Washington after Dmitri Orlov swatted the puck into his own net. There was even a disallowed goal in there with Chris Kunitz scoring from underneath the net when the moorings were off, but it was reviewed and waved off.
The Blackhawks had three goals on five shots at one point for a shooting percentage of 60, and took a 3-1 lead into first intermission. The Capitals finished with one goal on 15 shots in the opening frame.
"It was a fun game," Kane said. "Kind of like a playoff-type atmosphere, playoff-type game. It was back and forth, it seemed like no matter how big our lead, we couldn't make it big enough to feel comfortable. Overall I think it was a good win for us."
3. A crazier second period
The first period was highly entertaining. But that was just a warm-up to what the second period offered. Because things got chippy.
Kane and Ovechkin were seen jawing at each other near center ice, which led to an exchange shortly after. Kane whacked Ovechkin, who responded by shoving Kane's helmet off. It eventually led to a larger scrum at the end of the shift, with Connor Murphy and Ovechkin getting penalized for roughing.
Less than one minute later, Tom Wilson laid a hit on Duncan Keith, which prompted longtime partner Brent Seabrook to come to his defense. That's when things went off the rails. Four penalties were assessed on the play, and each of them fell under a different category: roughing, unsportsmanlike conduct, hooking and slashing. At one point the Blackhawks had four skaters in the box before it was determined that Seabrook was not part of it.
In total, seven penalties were assessed in the second period and six of them came within a 39-second span. It had an old-time hockey feel to it.
"Yeah, there was a lot happening," coach Jeremy Colliton said. "But I think there was a lot happening the whole game, it just wasn't wasn't the second period. That third period pucks were going in the net like crazy also. Entertaining game. Hopefully the fans got their money's worth, but they still get to get home at a decent time."
4. Save of the Year?
Collin Delia was solid for the Blackhawks. He gave up a few goals from low-danger areas that he certainly would've loved to have back, but he made up for that by making the big stops from high-danger areas and at key times.
Most notably, Delia provided hockey fans with the potential Save of the Year candidate when he made an acrobatic stop on Wilson, which drew a standing ovation from the United Center crowd:
"Just trying to get something in front of the net, keep the puck out of the net at whatever cost," Delia said. "Just trying to fill space, quite honestly. I think it was a shot, guy wrapped it and I thought he was going to try to tuck it, so I just made a desperation [save] and then I had to somehow get to my feet or get to my knees again to seal the bottom of the ice."
NBCSportsChicago.com Blackhawks know development won’t be linear for Henri Jokiharju
By Charlie Roumeliotis January 20, 2019
The Blackhawks couldn't have been more pleased with how Henri Jokiharju performed at the 2019 World Juniors. He was one of Finland's best and most reliable players, and played a crucial leadership role for his country that won gold.
But he hasn't been as effective on the blue line as he was before he left.
In four games since returning to the Blackhawks, Jokiharju has one assist, two shots on goal, a minus-3 rating and is averaging only 14:47 of ice time. He averaged exactly 20:00 minutes of ice time per game in his first 32 contests and was among the top Chicago skaters in 5-on-5 ice time.
On Sunday against the Washington Capitals, he was a healthy scratch.
"I think as a 19-year-old, we're pleased with his progression," coach Jeremy Colliton said. "It's not going to happen overnight where he becomes a dominant player at this level. There's going to be ups and downs, and that's part of the journey as a young player. You got to go through some adversity, and it's not going to be perfect and that's fine. It's up to us to give us to give him the feedback he needs to continue to improve and up to him to work as hard as he can."
To be fair, Jokiharju hasn't exactly been put in the best positions to succeed as of late. In one of the games, he was moved to the left side as an experiment for the Blackhawks, who organizationally have a surplus of right-handed shot defensemen. In another, the team rolled with seven defensemen, which makes it difficult for any defender to get in a groove.
The other part of the equation is that the Blackhawks are currently at seven defensemen, and have another on the way when Gustav Forsling returns from his upper-torso injury. Somebody needs to come out. Two guys, actually.
The Blackhawks aren’t looking at this stretch for Jokiharju as a setback. They know player developments aren’t linear, especially with young defensemen. So they’ll be patient with him and make sure he’s growing into the player they all want him to become at his own pace, even if it means cutting back his ice time.
"I'm not sure the way to go is to play them until they drown," Colliton said. "I think we try to give them what they can handle and sometimes maybe give them less than they can handle while giving them feedback, whether it's off-ice work or video work or extra practice time. That can be part of the picture. We could end up with a rotation on defense with some of the young guys we have. That wouldn't be a bad thing either. We have some young players. It's tough to play 82 games at this level against top competition night in and night out. It could be an option to lighten the load somewhat."
Chicago Tribune 3 takeaways from the Blackhawks' 8-5 win, including why Collin Delia's days may be numbered
By Jimmy Greenfield January 21, 2019
The Blackhawks have only one game left in the month of January, and the way they’ve played most of the month that’s probably a good thing.
They’re 2-4-3 in January after beating the Capitals 8-5 on Sunday at the United Center, a raucous game that was reminiscent of October’s 7-6 overtime loss to the Maple Leafs.
Here are three takeaways from Sunday afternoon’s game.
1. Weird hockey is fun hockey.
Let's be honest, that was a weird game that nobody saw coming.
Sure, the Capitals had lost four in a row but they also came into the game with 18 more points in the standings than the Hawks, who entered the game with the NHL's fewest points.
The Hawks hadn't scored more than six goals in a game this season, and the Capitals had scored a total of four goals in their previous four games.
Maybe the 11:30 a.m. start had something to do with it or perhaps it was the impending Super Blood Wolf Moon. Here are some more weird things that happened:
— Each of the Capitals' five goals were scored by their defensemen.
— None of the Hawks' eight goals was scored by their defensemen.
— The Hawks had a goal wiped out when it somehow snuck in under the side of the net.
— Jonathan Toews scored a goal without taking a shot on net.
— Brent Seabrook went into the penalty box to apparently serve an instigator or roughing penalty, then the refs changed their mind and let him out.
— There were 13 goals scored in the game and Alex Ovechkin didn't have any of them. He didn't even have an assist.
Here's to more weird and fun hockey over the season's final 32 games.
2. The Hawks have been abysmal for 82 games.
On Feb. 1 2018, the Hawks started the day with a 24-19-7 record. They had 32 games left in the season and were three points away from being a wild-card team.
That night they lost to the Canucks to begin an 8-game losing streak that ended any hope they had of making the playoffs and put them on their path to where they are today.
The Hawks have played 50 games this season, and are 17-24-9. Combined with the final 32 games of last season when they went 9-20-3 and the Hawks are 26-44-12 over their last 82 games, which is the length of an NHL season.
That's 64 points in 82 games. That's terrible. Last season, the Sabres were the worst team in the NHL with 62 points.
3. Collin Delia's days may be numbered.
If Corey Crawford returns they'll have two goalies with no-movement clauses on the active roster.
Delia is not one of them.
It's still far from certain that Crawford will play again this season, but he was back on the ice on Saturday and presumably will keep progressing towards a return to game action.
Would the Hawks consider having three goalies on the roster? That's doubtful. Chances are if Crawford wants to play again then he will join Cam Ward as one of the Hawks' goalies and Delia will return to Rockford to keep getting valuable starts.
This wouldn't be the worst thing in the world for Delia, who has a .923 save percentage in 10 games. He's already proven he can play in the NHL, and he has the mental toughness to not care about going back to the AHL.
Delia didn't have his best game against the Capitals; he allowed a season-high five goals and gave up a couple soft ones. But he also probably made his best save of the season.
Hawks coach Jeremy Colliton continues to be impressed with Delia, even after a difficult game against the Capitals.
“It’s a good learning experience at this level,” Colliton said. “Certainly there’s a couple he probably would like back, but he also made some terrific saves. He made one in the first minute that would’ve been a tough pill for us to swallow. We kinda gave them a chance right off the bat, which we didn’t want to do, and he was there.
“There was multiple other situations like that during the game. I think he hung in there and got us a win.”
Here’s a recap of the Hawks’ 8-5 win at the United Center:
For a little bit there it seemed the Blackhawks might have a laugher on their hands. Then the Capitals started to fight back and tried to wipe the smile off the Hawks’ faces.
Jonathan Toews wouldn’t let that happen.
The Hawks captain scored his sixth career hat trick — including two goals during the third period — to secure an 8-5 victory over the defending Stanley Cup champions in a Sunday matinee at the United Center.
Toews also had two assists and newly installed linemate Patrick Kane also had five points (two goals, three assists).
“I know what he likes and how he likes to play,” Toews said. “And vice versa. We can complement each other well. Obviously, Kaner’s been playing with a ton of confidence, so it was just go out there and make his life easier.”
Toews’ third goal of the game — and 21st of the season — came on a brilliant individual effort with five minutes left after the Capitals had pulled to within 6-5. He turned around defenseman Dmitry Orlov, skating past him and beating goalie Pheonix Copley. Dylan Strome added an empty-netter for the final margin.
Toews was credited with his first goal in the first period after Orlov accidentally batted the puck into his own net.
“One of those nights where pucks were going in,” Toews said. “After tonight no one will be asking about how that goal went in.”
The win snapped a five-game losing streak for the Hawks, who have one game left before the start of the the All-Star break and week off. The Capitals lost their fifth straight.
“It’s never fun to give up five,” Kane said. “But we know we have seven days off coming, so let’s try to be good for one more. And get some momentum going into the break.”
The Hawks’ top four goal scorers each added to his total in the first 40 minutes as they took a 4-2 lead. Brandon Saad, Kane and Toews scored in the first period, and Alex DeBrincat added one in the second.
Saad’s goal came when he picked up the puck inside his blue line and blew past the Capitals defense before putting a shot over the right shoulder of goalie Braden Holtby, who was pulled after allowing four goals on 11 shots. Saad has a goal in three straight games.
“Terrific individual effort (by Saad),” Hawks coach Jeremy Colliton said. “Just one of those things you build momentum off. Nice for him. He’s done that a few times this year, just holds a guy off and puts a guy on his back and carries him to the net. Hopefully he can gain some confidence from that.”
Collin Delia might have had his best and worst games of the season at the same time. He made many great saves, including an incredible acrobatic save on a Tom Wilson shot from the slot in the second period. But he also let in a couple of soft ones and gave up a season-high five goals.
“It was a fun game,” Kane said. “Kind of like a playoff-type atmosphere, playoff-type game. It was back and forth, it seemed like no matter how big our lead, we couldn’t make it big enough to feel comfortable. It was a good win for us.”
Chicago Tribune Blackhawks' Henri Jokiharju a healthy scratch as Jeremy Colliton tries to find enough ice time to go around
By Jimmy Greenfield January 20, 2019
Blackhawks rookie defenseman Henri Jokiharju was a healthy scratch for the third time this season Sunday, and it might not be the last time.
Hawks coach Jeremy Colliton wants to get ice time for seven defensemen, and while he hasn't ruled out dressing seven again, it didn't work out when he tried it against the Devils last week.
“(Henri) doesn’t need to play every game, just like other guys don’t need to play every game,” Colliton said. “We may end up with a rotation where it’s not necessarily performance, specifically, why they’re coming out. But we can get them extra, whether it’s off-ice training or video or maybe a little practice work so we continue to develop them.”
Gustav Forsling is close to returning from an upper-torso injury and would give the Hawks an eighth defenseman unless somebody is sent to Rockford. Newly acquired Slater Koekkoek, who started against the Capitals, is likely to join Jokiharju and Forsling as part of the rotating group of blue liners.
Third wheel: Drake Caggiula was elevated to the top line with Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane in his seventh game with the Hawks since being acquired from the Oilers for Brandon Manning on Dec. 30.
Although Caggiula didn’t make the scoresheet, Hawks coach Jeremy Colliton said he was very pleased with how he played.
“I think Caggiula, he didn’t get any points, but he was all over that performance as far as getting pucks back and going to the net and winning 50-50 (battles) and running people over,” Colliton said. “That line had the puck all night. So that was definitely a nice boost for the team.”
One-timers: Over their last 82 games, the Hawks are 26-44-12. ... The Hawks have scored a power-play goal in eight straight games. ... Sunday’s game marked the 90th time Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane scored in the same game during their careers. The Hawks are 79-6-5 in those games.
Chicago Sun Times Collin Delia’s wild saves, regrettable errors mark Blackhawks’ 8-5 win over Caps
By Jason Lieser January 20, 2019
Blackhawks goalie Collin Delia prides himself on staying calm in all scenarios, but this was a time to embrace the chaos.
He thrashed in the net late in the second period Sunday, lunging and flopping as he tracked one skater curving behind him and another in front, waiting for a one-timer at close range. He dove from right post to left, landed on his hip, then popped up and stopped the shot by Tom Wilson with his shoulder.
“I just kind of black out a little bit,” he joked as he tried to replay the sequence in his mind. “You’re trying to find the puck at any cost. That’s all I really remember. The last thing I thought was, ‘Try to be big.’ ”
The United Center broke into a well-deserved standing ovation for Delia’s biggest play of a wild Blackhawks win over the Capitals. There were blunders, too, but he gave the Hawks enough to survive 8-5 and snap their five-game losing streak.
It was a rough game on paper, with 34 saves on 39 shots, and it’ll be a grimace-worthy film session for Delia. He called it a “polar” performance. About a minute after his acrobatic exploits to thwart that one-timer by Wilson, he let in an easy one from Dmitry Orlov. The Capitals got another soft goal in the first period when Brooks Orpik floated one between Delia’s right arm and torso before he could tighten up.
“It’s a good learning experience at this level,” coach Jeremy Colliton said. “Certainly there’s a couple he probably would like back, but he also made some terrific saves. . . . He hung in there and got us a win.”
Delia’s five goals allowed and .872 save percentage were season worsts, but he has reached a point where he can get over a game like this. When he thought back to the hectic save on Wilson, he knew it wasn’t as impressive as it looked and said, “You want to be cleaner than that.” He was equally dispassionate about the “couple squeakers” that got past him.
“That’s the way it goes sometimes,” he said. “I just focus on making the next big save and keeping the team in it. What difference can I make to keep the team in it? Sometimes you have these 8-5 games. Sometimes it’s 1-0. Your demeanor and approach can’t waver.”
Delia is unusually mature for a rookie and often talks about the job more like a been-there-done-that veteran than a 24- year-old. That’s partly the influence of Cam Ward and Corey Crawford nearby, but it’s also just how Delia is wired.
He’s good at seeing each play for what it is, and has a similarly clear view of where he stands with the team. The Hawks are going to let him work through some choppiness — the Capitals yanked starter Braden Holtby after four goals, by the way — and he doesn’t feel the pressure of playing to keep his job.
“It’s beyond that right now,” Delia said. “Once you’ve been through the ups and downs and a little adversity . . . I don’t really need to focus on that. I just play as hard as I can until they tell me they don’t need me anymore.”
Chicago Sun Times Jonathan Toews scores hat trick as Blackhawks bring back old ways vs. Capitals
By Madeline Kenney January 20, 2019
Jonathan Toews didn’t need any help with this one. He crossed a Capitals defender, went top shelf to score, then delivered an emphatic fist pump as hats rained from the seats. The United Center roared, “Chelsea Dagger” blared and Blackhawks teammates mobbed Toews at the boards to celebrate his first hat trick in months.
In the middle of a miserable season, Toews looked as good Sunday as he did during the Hawks’ Stanley Cup seasons in an 8-5 victory against the defending champion Capitals.
Toews’ three goals and two assists boosted his season total to 21 goals and 47 points. With 32 games left, he already has surpassed last season’s 20 goals.
“He’s been a big producer for us ever since he came in the league,” Patrick Kane said. “We’d be lying if we said it’s surprising. Just kind of used to it from Johnny.”
Kane joined Toews in giving fans a blast from the past. He got a pair of goals, his 28th and 29th of the season, and extended his point streak to eight games. And he took it upon himself to keep the Hawks (17-24-9) above water. When the momentum seemed to slide — with the Capitals (27-16-5) narrowing the deficit to 4-3 early in the third period on a goal by John Carlson — Kane responded 36 seconds later, scoring on the power play.
“We’ve been in that position this year where we’ve been up and kind of sat back in the third, so we wanted to keep playing,” Kane said. “[We got] in their end, held onto the puck, we drew a penalty, got a power play and scored on the power play. That was a big difference right there.”
The Hawks’ defense also looked somewhat revived — at least for the first two periods, when it was breaking up passes.
“The biggest thing is we created a lot of offense from our defense,” Kane said. “Kind of played strong, made some quick plays in our end, and next thing you know, we got an odd-man rush or one-on-one or you’re coming up the ice with speed.”
The Hawks gave up three goals in the final period, but their defensive lapses didn’t lead to their demise for a change. With the offense carrying them through, they snapped a five-game losing streak. Although it’s not realistic for the Hawks to consistently go out there and score eight goals on a good team, coach Jeremy Colliton believes they can just do a better job at controlling the puck.
“When you’re controlling things, you want to get something out of it, whether it’s goals or drawing penalties or generating pressure, and when they have their moments when they’re controlling things, you’ve got to survive,” Colliton said. “You’ve got to find a way to keep the puck out of your net. Get pucks out, win lines.”
Toews also doesn’t expect the Hawks to do this every game, but he believes the victory gives them a much-needed boost as they head into their final game before the All-Star break. Even if it was just for an afternoon, the Hawks were fun again.
“It gives our team confidence when you see goals go in,” Toews said. “We played the way we played tonight in front of our fans — we heard the horn and the fans responding. It’s nice to play an exciting game in front of them and get a little something to cheer for.” Daily Herald Saad shows flashes of his old self in Blackhawks' win
By John Dietz January 20, 2019
It was a goal for the ages. Or, more accurately, a goal of ages past for Brandon Saad.
Saad opened the scoring in Sunday's 8-5 Blackhawks victory over Washington with a bulldozing, you're-not-taking-the- puck-from-me rush that left mouths agape across the United Center.
Saad's sensational individual effort began when he deftly avoided Tom Wilson in the neutral zone. Gathering speed, he split the defense of Madison Bowey and Lars Eller, then kept Bowey at bay with his left hand while controlling the puck with his right.
With Bowey in his wake and nobody but goaltender Braden Holtby in front of him, Saad pulled the puck to his forehand, snapped it off and sent it sailing into the net at 6:36 of the first period.
"WHAT AN EFFORT!" screamed NBC play-by-play man Mike "Doc" Emrick.
Coach Jeremy Colliton concurred, saying: "He has that. He's done that a few times this year. He just kind of holds a guy off, puts a guy on his back and carries him in the net. So hopefully he can gain some confidence from that."
The play was vintage Saad -- as in 2013, '14, '15 Saad. The Saad fans came to love and adore during two Stanley Cup title runs.
That Saad has been missing over long stretches since he returned in a trade with Columbus, but he clearly still has the skill, speed, power and sniping ability to be a difference-maker more often.
"Every shift. That'd be great," Colliton said. "But that's not the game. (We'd like to see him) do it more -- put yourself in that position more. Obviously we don't want him going 1-on-3 because that's not going to pay off over time.
"But he does have the capability to create offense by himself. He's so strong and he's skilled and he's willing to take the puck to the net."
Saad now has 15 goals on the season and 6 in his last 11 games.
Jokiharju sits: Coach Jeremy Colliton elected to make rookie defenseman Henri Jokiharju a healthy scratch for the third time this season. Slater Koekkoek took Jokiharju's place, doling out 6 hits and blocking 2 shots in 16½ minutes.
Colliton wants Jokiharju to develop properly and sitting him can be part of that process.
"It's a tough league," Colliton said. "We want to prepare these guys the best they can to be great players. Not just this year, but next year and the year after and the year after that.
"Part of that is getting the right base, so that's our focus right now."
Slap shots: The Hawks scored a power-play goal for an eighth straight game Sunday when Patrick Kane connected at 3:45 of the third period. … Collin Delia allowed 5 goals on 39 shots but snapped his six-game losing streak. … Saturday's victory was the first time the Hawks won when allowing 5 or more goals since a 7-5 win at Arizona on Dec. 29, 2015. Daily Herald Toews scores hat trick, Kane adds 2 in Hawks' win
By John Dietz January 20, 2019
When they were just a couple of brash, confident kids breaking into the NHL, Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane played together all the time.
Combining Kane's speed and playmaking ability with Toews's defensive prowess and solid offensive skills created a lethal duo that opponents had a tough time dealing with on a nightly basis.
As time went on, Joel Quenneville broke his stars up to balance things out, but when the time called for it, the coach never hesitated to put Kane and Toews back together.
The move became known as the Nuclear Option, and new coach Jeremy Colliton found out just how explosive it can be during a wild, action-packed 8-5 victory Sunday over the Washington Capitals at the United Center.
"The top line there," Colliton grinned, "they were pretty good."
Toews registered the fifth hat trick of his career and added 2 assists, and Kane scored twice and also had 3 assists. On 4 of their 5 goals, it was Toews assisting Kane or Kane assisting Toews.
"I know what he likes and how he likes to play," Toews said. "And vice versa. We can complement each other well."
The Hawks' other goals came from Brandon Saad, Alex DeBrincat and Dylan Strome.
Toews, who now has 21 goals, joined Kane and Alex Ovechkin as the only players to compile 12 straight 20-goal seasons. Kane 29 goals and is on pace for 48.
The Hawks are 4-2-2 this season when Kane and Toews have started on a line together.
"Obviously, Kaner's been playing with a ton of confidence, so for me it was just go out there and make his life easier and get him the puck and get to open areas," Toews said. "If we are together for a little bit longer this time around then we'll look to try and continue that."
Toews' first goal, which gave the Hawks a 3-1 lead, came courtesy of the Capitals' Dmitry Orlov at 14:53 of the first period. As the two players battled in front of Braden Holtby, the puck popped up, and Orlov batted it over Holtby and into the net.
"Definitely had a couple (in my career) that are questionable," said a smiling Toews. "Hang around the net and sometimes you chop away at it and that's what happened. … After tonight no one will be asking about how that goal went in."
The most encouraging sign for the Hawks was they that didn't go into a funk after Washington cut the lead to 4-3 on a John Carlson goal at 3:09 of the third period and 6-5 on a Matt Niskanen tally at 13:55 of the third.
Both times, the Hawks had a response.
The first came when Kane jumped on the ice after Carlson's goal and immediately pushed the pace in the offensive zone. Seconds later, Niklas Backstrom was called for a hooking penalty, and Kane proceeded to score a power-play goal at 3:45.
Toews' third goal was an absolute beauty and gave the Hawks a 7-5 lead at 14:57. Toews gathered the puck at center ice and -- as he entered the offensive zone -- actually passed it to himself by advancing it under a retreating Orlov's stick.
After zipping past Orlov, Toews caught up to the puck and snapped a shot past backup goaltender Pheonix Copley.
"It's tough to protect a one-goal lead when you got that much time on the clock," Toews said. "I think we did a good job of trying to turn it around and keep that momentum in the third period."
The Hawks (17-24-9) still had their lapses and 2 of the goals Delia allowed came from bad angles, but overall Colliton was happy with how his team kept their focus.
"We had someone (come) through for us," Colliton said. "Whether it was a big save or a big goal or just a play -- just start in 'D' zone and end in the offensive zone -- and we were able to get things back under control.
"That's what good teams do. You can't play a perfect 60, but when things start going against you, there's a stopper that comes through and makes a play for you."
Carlson scored twice for the defending-champion Capitals, who have lost five straight and fell to 27-16-5 overall.
Daily Herald Toews scores hat trick, Kane adds 2 in Hawks' win
By Jay Cohen – Associated Press January 21, 2019
Jonathan Toews loves playing alongside Patrick Kane, and the feeling is mutual.
With the Chicago Blackhawks struggling once again, coach Jeremy Colliton tried an old favorite.
Toews had three goals and two assists, Kane added two goals and three assists, and the Blackhawks handed the Washington Capitals their season-high fifth consecutive loss with an 8-5 victory on Sunday.
While Chicago's power play has been humming along quite nicely, the last-place Blackhawks have been struggling with their even-strength attack. Colliton mixed up his lines in response, putting Toews together with Kane - a common answer for predecessor Joel Quenneville during his 10-plus seasons in charge.
It worked.
"I know what he likes and how he likes to play and vice versa," Toews said. "I think we can complement each other well. Obviously Kaner's been playing with a ton of confidence, so for me it was just go out there and make his life easier and get him the puck and get to open areas."
Brandon Saad and Alex DeBrincat also scored and Dylan Strome added an empty-netter as last-place Chicago stopped its own five-game slide. Collin Delia made 34 saves, including impressive stops on John Carlson and Tom Wilson in the second.
The Stanley Cup champion Capitals held a short players-only meeting after the loss.
"Our biggest battle is that we're not complacent," said goaltender Braden Holtby, who allowed four goals on 11 shots before he was replaced by Pheonix Copley 2:30 into the second. "It's one of those things that's going to be hard, is getting over the fact last year is last year. You move on."
Washington's defensemen accounted for each of its five goals while star forwards Alex Ovechkin and Evgeny Kuznetsov were kept off the scoresheet. Carlson scored twice, Dmitry Orlov and Matt Niskanen each had a goal and an assist, and Brooks Orpik got his second of the season.
It was Washington's first game in Chicago since Devante Smith-Pelly heard chants of "basketball, basketball, basketball" while the black forward was sitting in the penalty box in the third period of a 7-1 loss last February. The fans were promptly ejected, and then banned from Chicago's home games.
Smith-Pelly was sent off for unsportsmanlike conduct in the second period of Sunday's loss, but he said he had no trouble with any fans.
"I said it the day after and I probably repeated it. It's just a couple of people," Smith-Pelly said. "I don't hold it against the city. I wasn't excited or nervous to come back here. It's just another game."
Carlson trimmed Chicago's lead to 4-3 when he blew a one-timer past Delia 3:09 into the third. Kane responded with a power-play goal, and Toews sent a wrist shot past Copley to make it 6-3 at 7:20.
It was Kane's 14th goal in his last 14 games. He has seven goals and 13 assists during an eight-game point streak.
After Washington pulled within one again on goals by Carlson and Niskanen, Toews danced around Orlov and beat Copley with 5:03 remaining. Toews' 21st goal made it 7-5 and completed his sixth career hat trick.
"To see the caliber and level he brings and elevates in those key moments, it's really special," Kane said.
It was part of an up-and-down day for Orlov, who got his third goal of the season when his shot from the left boards went under Delia 15:24 into the second. But he also batted a puck out of the air and over Holtby to hand Toews his first goal 14:53 into the first.
NOTES: Blackhawks D Henri Jokiharju was a healthy scratch. The 19-year-old Jokiharju has no goals and 12 assists in 36 games in his first NHL season. "We've got some young players. Eighty-two game season, it's hard to keep that level night-in and night-out," Colliton said. "So we may end up with a rotation where they're able to, it's not necessarily performance specifically why they're coming out." ... First-year Capitals coach Todd Reirden is from nearby Deerfield, about 30 miles north of Chicago. "I didn't have to get a lot of tickets. I do have a lot of passes," a smiling Reirden said before the loss.
The Athletic Powers: Are the Blackhawks handling Henri Jokiharju’s development properly?
By Scott Powers January 20, 2019
Whatever slim grasp of hope the Blackhawks had of making the playoffs disappeared during their latest losing streak.
Before the Blackhawks’ 8-5 win over the Washington Capitals on Sunday, they sat at the bottom of the NHL in points and points percentage. Twenty-eight points separated them from the top of the Western Conference and 10 points from the final playoff spot.
More than ever, the Blackhawks’ season is now about two things: planning for the future and development.
We should get a better sense of GM Stan Bowman’s plan for the future over the next month as the Feb. 25 trade deadline approaches. It would be surprising if the Blackhawks weren’t actively trying to sell off some players in order to acquire prospects, draft picks and most importantly, cap and roster space.
With that in mind, let’s discuss development, which is occurring in Chicago and elsewhere. Away from Chicago, the Hawks need Adam Boqvist to live up to being an eighth-overall pick and become a difference-making defenseman sooner than later. The organization is putting a lot of resources into ensuring that happens. The development of defenseman prospects Nicolas Beaudin and Ian Mitchell would be next on their priority list. Dylan Sikura and a few others in Rockford follow them.
Development is also essential at the NHL level. With 12 roster players 24 years old or younger, the Blackhawks have to be hopeful some players can still take steps forward. They could certainly use more players progressing like Alex DeBrincat has in his first two seasons.
That brings us to 19-year-old defenseman Henri Jokiharju. No current Blackhawk’s development is more essential. He’s their youngest player. He’s their only first-round pick since 2007 (Patrick Kane) on the roster. He’s their best shot at developing a drafted player into a top-4 defenseman since Niklas Hjalmarsson, a 2005 draft pick.
The Blackhawks need Jokiharju to get better and better and better for their near future — who knows when the other defenseman prospects will be ready — and for the long-term. They can’t ride Duncan Keith forever. If the Blackhawks are going to get back into the playoffs anytime soon, Jokiharju has to factor largely into that.
So far, Jokiharju has come along quicker than the Blackhawks could have hoped. He made significant strides last season and was one of the best defensemen in the Western Hockey League. He carried that confidence and play into training camp and stole a roster spot. Given that he was a late first-round pick, it was no given Jokiharju would come around so quickly. He’s the only player taken outside the top 25 in the 2017 draft to play 30-plus NHL games so far.
How good was Jokiharju early in the season? Joel Quenneville likely knew he was coaching for his job, and he still had faith in Jokiharju to put him on the top pairing with Keith and play Jokiharju 20-plus minutes on most nights. Jokiharju and Keith thrived as a pairing and remain the Blackhawks’ second-best pairing this season with a 53.32 Corsi percentage (min. 50 minutes), according to Corsica. The best pairing happens to be Jokiharju and Erik Gustafsson with a 54.46 Corsi percentage.
Under Jeremy Colliton, Jokiharju’s ice time and role has fluctuated. His play has been up and down. That’s not a surprise for a teenage defenseman who has also been handed different partners and played various amounts. The Blackhawks have tried to best navigate him through all that. Their goal is to prepare him for the long haul, especially as the playoffs became less likely.
With that in mind, the Blackhawks decided to loan Jokiharju to Finland for the World Junior Championship. Jokiharju wasn’t exactly happy with that decision, but he came to terms with it, especially as Finland won the gold. The Blackhawks were pleased too.
“What a confidence booster for Henri to go back,” Bowman said earlier this month. “He played great, I thought. The hard thing to do as a player who has been in the NHL going back doesn’t happen a lot but the times it happens is they sometimes feel like well I’m just going to dominate the game and I’m going to try to do everything by myself.
“I thought Henri, he played about half the game in all the games I watched because he pretty much played every other shift, but he just played like it was an NHL game. He didn’t try to go end to end. He just made the play that was there, confident. He was defensively aware. He made breakout plays. He made good plays at the offensive blue line. I was most proud of the way he approached it. He approached it like a pro would approach it. It was like he was playing a game in the NHL, but he was playing in the World Juniors, and that’s why his game translated so well. For him, it was exactly what we hoped would happen.”
Since Jokiharju’s return, the Blackhawks have been implementing a new plan for his development. In his first four games back, he played some on the left side, which is his off side, and had his ice time cut. Two of those games were among his three lowest ice-time totals of the season, and the two other games were among his top-nine lowest totals.
Colliton said Saturday not to read too much into the numbers.
“I’m not sure the numbers exactly like how much it’s down,” Colliton said. “But I think as a 19-year-old, we’re pleased with his progression. I think it’s not going to happen overnight where he becomes a dominant player at this level. There’s going to be ups and downs, and I think that’s part of the journey as a young player. You got to go through some adversity, and it’s not going to be perfect and that’s fine. It’s up to us to give us to give him the feedback he needs to continue to improve and up to him to work as hard as he can.”
Colliton hinted Saturday he could start rotating his more inexperienced defensemen, and he followed through with that the following day by healthy scratching Jokiharju (the second of his young career). Colliton explained his reasoning before the game.
“I think he doesn’t need to play every game just like other guys don’t need to play every game,” Colliton said. “Kind of touched on it yesterday, we got some young players, 82-game season, it’s hard to keep that level night in and night out, so we may end up with a rotation. It’s not necessarily performance specifically why they’re coming out, but we can get them extra off-ice training or video or maybe a little more practice work so we continue to develop them.”
Colliton was asked whether he thought those other areas could be more impactful than actual NHL game experience.
“I think it’s the total picture,” Colliton said. “Again, it’s a tough league, and we want to prepare these guys as best we can to be great players and not just this year but next year and the year after.”
According to someone familiar with the decision, the Blackhawks have been concerned with Jokiharju getting burned out, and they plan on minimizing that by not playing him in every game for the remainder of the season. The source said Jokiharju does understand their intention.
Colliton also spoke Saturday about preferring to lighten Jokiharju’s load rather than putting too much on him.
“Yeah, I’m not sure the way to go is to play them until they drowned,” Colliton said. “I don’t think that’s the way to go. I think we try to give them what they can handle and sometimes maybe give them less than they can handle while giving them feedback whether it’s off-ice work or video work or extra practice time. That can be part of the picture.”
One league executive thought the Blackhawks were taking the right approach with Jokiharju.
“I am fine with it, it’s the (Steven) Stamkos program,” the league source said. “He needs to get stronger.”
Jokiharju’s strength and willingness/ability to absorb physical play has been an issue scouts have noticed this season. After a Winnipeg Jets game earlier this season, a scout said, “He looked shit-scared to me. He got hit early and wanted no part of the puck after that.”
Colliton said there hadn’t been any discussion of sending Jokiharju to the Rockford IceHogs, even if it’s just for the upcoming bye week.
Confidence hasn’t been an issue for Jokiharju much of the season, and Colliton wasn’t worried sitting him would have a negative effect of Jokiharju either.
“No, I think it’s up to us to give him feedback on where he is and what we want out of him and why we’re doing it,” Colliton said. “I don’t see it being an issue.”
And that’s fair. Jokiharju and the Blackhawks have to be on the same page with this. He has to buy into how they’re selling him on his development. Because ultimately the Blackhawks need him to be further along a year from now. A year from now, they need him to be a permanent top-four defenseman to succeed.