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For the first time in their respective NHL careers, Connor Bedard and Connor McDavid will square off against each other when the Chicago Blackhawks visit the Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday at Rogers Place.

There’s mutual respect between the two Canadian-born stars, each of whom were dubbed as generational talents entering their draft years.

“What he’s done in the last eight years is obviously remarkable,” Bedard said. “He’s going to go down as one of the best players ever.”

“It looks like he’s handling everything really well,” McDavid told reporters. “Obviously, there are things going on there in Chicago, and he’s handled it really well. He’s playing at a very high level.”

Bedard is a hockey nut, and it’s no secret McDavid is one of the players he likes to study, even if he has a hard time incorporating some of the things he does on the ice.

“I try to watch all the time,” Bedard said. “I wish I could implement; I don’t think I can move that fast or anything. He’s the best player in the world and he’s so fun to watch. The stuff he does every shift, it’s crazy. Someone I love to watch, love to watch those games. Him and Leon Draisailt, they’ve got pretty good chemistry, too, so it’s fun to watch.”

Bedard is an 18-year-old kid, but he doesn’t carry himself like one. He’s dedicated to his craft, like every great player is and should be.

There are moments where Bedard still finds himself in awe of players like McDavid and Sidney Crosby, who’s his childhood idol. But rarely does it come on the ice, or at least when the game is going on.

“Once you’re playing the game, it’s hockey and you can’t really be thinking about it too much,” Bedard said. “But before the game and going into a faceoff or something, it’s definitely pretty special. I feel pretty fortunate for those opportunities.”

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On the latest Blackhawks Talk Podcast, Pat Boyle and Charlie Roumeliotis talk about their takeaways from Chicago’s four-game homestand in which it went 2-1-1. The guys also get into the packed schedule, Connor Bedard’s shift lengths, and more. Plus, a prospects update that includes Nick Lardis’ breakout season and Adam Gajan’s strong start. They wrap up the podcast by offering well-wishes to our very own Tony Granato, who is taking a leave of absence from NBC Sports Chicago after being diagnosed with a form of Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma.

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Katchouk, 25, was a healthy scratch in all four games of the recent homestand. His last game was on Dec. 3, which came in a 4-1 loss to Minnesota.

Katchouk has four points (two goals, two assists) in 17 games with the Blackhawks this season. He’s averaging 12:08 of ice time and has struggled to be an everyday player in the lineup.

Teams have 24 hours to put a claim in for Katchouk. If he clears — which is expected — the Blackhawks will send him to the Rockford IceHogs of the American Hockey League, where he can get more consistent playing time.

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The Chicago Blackhawks made a couple roster moves on Monday morning before traveling to Edmonton for a two-game road trip out West.

Filip Roos has been recalled from the Rockford IceHogs of the American Hockey League to serve as the extra defenseman. To make room for him on the roster, the Blackhawks placed Jarred Tinordi (concussion protocol) on injured reserve, retroactive to Dec. 5.

The move likely indicates that Kevin Korchinski remains away from the team while he deals with a family matter. He’s missed the last two games, and the Blackhawks play in Edmonton on Tuesday and in Seattle on Thursday.

Roos, 24, has four points (one goal, three assists) in 16 games with the IceHogs this season. His four points are tied for second among Rockford defensemen.

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The Chicago Blackhawks hit the two-month mark of the regular season on Sunday, and they sit tied for dead-last in the standings with 19 points. They’re in line for another top pick in the 2024 NHL Draft, which will strengthen the pipeline even more.

Let’s go around the horn and check out what Chicago’s farm system is doing. The list is sorted out in alphabetical order based on which round they were drafted in, beginning with the first rounders and ending with the seventh-rounders.

• Oliver Moore (first-round pick in 2023) has two goals and 10 assists for 12 points through 18 games of his freshman season at Minnesota. His 10 assists are tied for first on the team, and his 12 points rank sixth. 
• Frank Nazar (first-round pick in 2023) has seven goals and 10 assists for 17 points in 17 games with Michigan. He had only four points (three goals, one assist) in his first seven games of the season; he has 13 points (four goals, nine assists) in his last 10.
• Sam Rinzel (first-round pick in 2022) has one goal and 10 assists for 11 points through 18 games of his freshman campaign at Minnesota. His 10 assists are tied with Moore for first on the team, and his 11 points rank first among team defensemen and tied for seventh among all skaters on his club.
• Drew Commesso (second-round pick in 2020) started the season 5-2-1 with a .917 save percentage and one shutout. He’s 0-3-0 with an .842 save percentage in his last three starts.
• Colton Dach (second-round pick in 2021) has 12 points (five goals, seven assists) in 16 games for the Rockford IceHogs of the AHL. He ranks fifth on the team in all three scoring categories.
• Adam Gajan (second-round pick in 2023) improved to 14-4-2 after stopping 36 of 38 shots (.947 save percentage) in the Green Bay Gamblers’ 6-2 win over the Chicago Steel on Saturday. He leads all USHL goaltenders in games played (20) and wins (14), and ranks second in save percentage (.911). He’s also faced the most shots (682) of any goaltender.
• Ryan Greene (second-round pick in 2022) has 16 points (six goals, 10 assists) in 16 games for Boston University. He ranks fourth on the team in all three scoring categories. He had 31 points (nine goals, 22 assists) in 38 games last season.
• Roman Kantserov (second-round pick in 2022) has eight points (four goals, four assists) through 34 games in his first full season in the KHL with Metallurg Magnitogorsk.
• Paul Ludwinski (second-round pick in 2022) had a four-assist outing on Friday in the Kingston Frontenacs’ 7-5 loss to the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds. He ranks first on the team in assists (19) and points (30), and is tied for second on the team in goals (11) in 25 games.
• Martin Misiak (second-round pick in 2023) registered a goal and an assist in the Erie Otters’ 4-1 win over the Guelph Storm on Saturday. He ranks second on the team with 13 goals and fourth on the team with 26 points.
• Nick Lardis (third-round pick in 2023) recorded a hat trick and four-point outing on Saturday. He has 23 goals this season, which is tied for second among all OHL skaters. His 35 points ranks first on the Brantford Bulldogs.
• Jiri Felcman (third-round pick in 2023) has appeared in three different leagues in Switzerland. He has 18 points (seven goals, 11 assists) in 26 combined games.
• Gavin Hayes (third-round pick in 2023) has recorded at least one point in 22 of 27 games this season for the Flint Firebirds of the OHL. He leads the team in goals (19) and points (36), and ranks third in assists (17).
• Landon Slaggert (third-round pick in 2020) has 12 goals, four assists and 16 points through 18 games of his senior season with Notre Dame. His 12 goals are tied for fourth among all NCAA skaters. He’s serving as an alternate captain.
• Aidan Thompson (third-round pick in 2022) has 12 points (three goals, nine assists) in 18 games of his sophomore season with Denver. He had 32 points (10 goals, 22 assists) in 32 games last season.
• Ethan Del Mastro (fourth-round pick in 2021) leads all Rockford IceHogs defensemen in goals (two), assists (nine) and points (11) through 21 games. This is his first professional season.
• Michael Krutil (fourth-round pick in 2020) has 10 points (five goals, five assists) in 19 games with HC Stadion Litoměřice of Czechia2. He had only one point (an assist) in 22 games last season in the same league.

• Alex Pharand (fourth-round pick in 2023) has eight points (four goals, four assists) in 27 games with the Sudbury Wolves of the OHL. He had 18 goals, 21 assists and 39 points in 67 games last season.
• Dominic Basse (sixth-round pick in 2019) is 9-5-1 with a 2.22 goals-against average, .913 save percentage and three shutouts in 15 games during his senior season at St. Cloud State. He went 11-5-2 with a 2.30 goals-against average, .911 save percentage and three shutouts in 19 appearances last season.
• Nils Juntorp (sixth-round pick in 2022) has two goals, six assists and eight points through 18 games with Kristianstads IK of the HockeyEttan, which is the third-tier league in Sweden. 

• Milton Oscarson (sixth-round pick in 2023) has eight points (four goals, four assists) in 24 games with Örebro HK of the SHL. He had one goal and two assists in 45 games last season, and added six points (four goals, two assists) in 13 postseason contests.
• Ilya Safonov (sixth-round pick in 2021) has 13 points (nine goals, four assists) in 40 games as an alternate captain with Ak Bars Kazan of the KHL. He had 37 points (19 goals, 18 assists) in 64 games last season.
• Connor Kelley (seventh-round pick in 2021) has eight points (one goal, seven assists) through 16 games of his senior season at Providence College. He had zero goals and six assists in 21 games last season.

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The Chicago Blackhawks wrapped up a four-game homestand on Sunday with a 4-2 loss to the Washington Capitals. It wasn’t the way they wanted to end it, but it was a successful week after going 2-1-1.

There were some positives to build on as a team. Baby steps.

“We should be confident in our game,” Blackhawks head coach Luke Richardson said. “Our penalty killing is doing much better, our power play’s looking much better and our overall play is. I think we’ve had a little bit of continuity of a lineup for a while, so that might help.”

Selfishly though, the Blackhawks wanted more than five out of a possible eight points. 

“I mean, we need points, we need wins,” Nick Foligno said. “I will say I thought we had more of our sustained game in this homestand, so that was good to see. Our identity came out a lot more, so that’s a step in the right direction.

“But again, you want to get greedy in these ones and get this win, too, and really feel good about yourself going on the road.”

During the four-game homestand, the Blackhawks outscored their opponents 8-6 at even strength. They had a -15 goal differential prior to that.

The Blackhawks also went 10-for-11 on the penalty kill on the homestand, and have killed off nine straight penalties.

“It’s good for us,” Foligno said. “It’s a step in the right direction. Still a long ways to go, but we can rally around the fact that our game is starting to come, and we’re seeing it more and more. Especially on the road now, in two tough buildings, we’re going to have to make sure it’s there more than ever.”

Up next is a red-hot Edmonton Oilers team that’s won seven in a row on the shoulders of Connor McDavid, who has 23 points (six goals, 17 assists) in his last nine games. A desperate Seattle Kraken team awaits on Thursday.

Funny enough, the Blackhawks won’t really know how to feel about the four-game homestand results until they see how it carries over onto their road trip.

“If we can come back with some points off the road, we’ll feel good about this homestand,” Richardson said. “If we don’t, then we have to start back at square one. We have to take some of this we built this week and take it on the road with us.

“When we eventually come back home, I think it’s going to be something where we’re going to be hungry to get back to the winning feeling here in this building.”

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The Chicago Blackhawks fell to the Washington Capitals 4-2 on Sunday at the United Center to snap a three-game point streak.

Here are 10 observations from the loss:

1. The Blackhawks scored the first goal for the fourth consecutive game, but they couldn’t hold onto the lead after allowing three unanswered goals in the second period. Tough way to wrap up what was otherwise a successful four-game homestand (2-1-1).

2. The Blackhawks had six power-plays. They generated five total scoring chances on the first four opportunities, per Natural Stat Trick, but couldn’t cash in on any of them. They really could’ve used one, too. Connor Murphy scored late in the third period, but it was too little, too late at that point.

3. When Chicago’s second (Cole Guttman, Tyler Johnson, Taylor Raddysh) and third (Joey Anderson, Jason Dickinson, Nick Foligno) lines were on the ice together at even strength, the Blackhawks generated one scoring chance.

4. When Chicago’s first (Connor Bedard, Anthony Beauvillier, Philipp Kurashev) and fourth (MacKenzie Entwistle, Reese Johnson, Lukas Reichel) lines were on the ice, the Blackhawks generated nine scoring chances.

5. Dylan Strome is having a strong season for the Capitals. The former Blackhawk scored his 11th goal of the season and is now on pace for 36, which would shatter his previous career-high of 23 from last season.

6. Arvid Söderblom stopped the first 11 shots he faced before giving up three goals on his next five shots. It was a quick turn of events. Hard to really fault him for any of the goals (I guess he could’ve swallowed up the initial shot on the third goal), but at this point, he probably feels like he has to stand on his head to get a win.

7. The Blackhawks thought they scored the first goal on the power play but it was immediately waved off because Kurashev kicked the puck into the net. Kurashev would later put Chicago on the board in the second period, and that one counted. Great pass by Jones and finish by Kurashev, who got down on one knee to make sure he could get all of it.

8. On Thursday against Anaheim, the Blackhawks recorded only one shot on goal in the third period. On Saturday against St. Louis, they had only two shots on goal in the third period. On Sunday against Washington, they failed to generate a scoring chance during 5-on-5 action. Third periods haven’t been great for the Blackhawks of late.

9. The last time Alex Ovechkin was at the United Center, he recorded a hat trick to hit the 800-goal mark for his NHL career. He’s had a tough time finding the back of the net this season. He hasn’t scored in 10 straight games and has only five goals, which puts him on pace to finish with 16. It would be the fewest he’s had in an 82-game season, by far. Is he finally starting to slow down? Or is an offensive eruption coming soon?

10. Next on the docket for the Blackhawks: Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers, who have won seven in a row. McDavid has 23 points (six goals, 17 assists) in his last nine games. It’ll be the first matchup between McDavid and Bedard.

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After beating the St. Louis Blues 3-1 on Saturday at the United Center, the Blackhawks won consecutive games for the first time all season. They’re also on a three-game point streak (2-0-1).

“We really needed to build some momentum at home,” Blackhawks head coach Luke Richardson said. “I think that’s important for our team, but also just for the culture around here moving forward. We want to make sure that we do that, so I think we’re feeling good.

“It’s been a long time coming. I think now that we have it, I love it because most athletes get a taste of victory and they want more. And I think that’s what we want out of this group.” 

In addition, the Blackhawks improved to 4-1-1 in their last six home games after starting the season 1-5-0 at the United Center. The turnaround happened after Nick Foligno voiced his frustration following the fifth home loss of the season on Nov. 19.

“I’ve been on the other side of it when you come in this building and you’re hoping to get a win some nights,” Foligno said at the time. “I want to create that again. The fans deserve that. They sell it out every night to watch us play.

“It’s a great building when we’re playing the right way and we haven’t gotten the results we need and it’s disappointing because we want to make this a hard place to play.”

The energy was terrific on Saturday, with 18,892 fans in attendance — just short of a sellout. You could feel it right from the National Anthem.

“It feels great,” said Alex Vlasic, who scored his first goal of the season in Saturday’s win. “Just the anthem, I was talking to Louis [Crevier] the other day about it because it was his first time playing here, and I said it never gets old for me standing on that blue line and hearing everybody cheer throughout the whole anthem. It gives you goosebumps. It’s electric every night.”

“It’s pretty special,” Connor Bedard said of the anthem experience before the game. “Everyone you talk to about playing here — as an away team or home team — that’s one of the first things they say. It’s pretty special and gives you goosebumps every time. It’s unique the way they do it here. It’s pretty cool.

“I’ve just never really seen anything like that. It’s really loud, just how the fans get into it.”

The Blackhawks are hoping to capitalize on that momentum at home, with five of the next eight games at the United Center before they hit the road for five straight.

“I don’t know how many games we have left until Christmas break, but I think we’ve got to continue to do that,” Vlasic said. “I think it’d be huge going into the second half of the year and trying to make this a hard place to play. That was something that we tried to work on in training camp and it didn’t really happen at first but if we can find a way to try to make teams battle for a win every night to come in here, then we’ll do our job.”

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The Chicago Blackhawks turned in one of their most complete efforts of the season in a 3-1 victory over the St. Louis Blues on Saturday at the United Center.

Here are 10 observations from the win:

1. The Blackhawks won back-to-back games for the first time this season and have earned points in three straight games (2-0-1). They’re also 4-1-1 in their last six home contests after starting the season 1-5-0. That’s more like it.

2. The Blackhawks went back to Petr Mrazek, who stopped all 37 shots he faced in Thursday’s 1-0 win over Anaheim for his first shutout since April 4, 2021. He followed that up with another very strong performance, turning aside the first 39 shots he faced before allowing his first goal of the game with 3:29 left in regulation. So close to consecutive shutouts.

3. The Blackhawks had only three goals in 25 games this season from their defensemen prior to Saturday. They haven’t gotten much production from the back end. That changed in this game when Alex Vlasic scored his first goal of the season, Nikita Zaitsev recorded a pair of assists, and Louis Crevier (his first NHL point) and Connor Murphy each added assists of their own as well. 

4. The Blackhawks scored the first goal for the third straight game. They scored the first goal in only nine of their previous 23 contests. I thought it one of the best first periods Chicago has had all season.

5. Jason Dickinson scored his ninth goal of the season, which ranks second on the team. It also ties a career-high, which he’s done three times now. He’s on pace for 28 goals this season. Wouldn’t be surprised if he attracts interest at the trade deadline.

6. The Blackhawks seemingly didn’t lose a faceoff in the first period. They won 21 of 27 draws for a win percentage of 77.8. Pure dominance from a team that’s 31st in the NHL in that department.

7. What’s a Blackhawks-Blues game without a fight? The main card on this Saturday night was between Reese Johnson and Brayden Schenn, who ultimately won the scrap. Johnson doesn’t lose too many of them.

8. The Blackhawks generated a few shorthanded scoring chances in this game. MacKenzie Entwistle had one in the first period, and then Taylor Raddysh with another in the second period during a 3-on-1 opportunity. Dickinson and Nick Foligno also found themselves in a 2-on-1 rush but they didn’t get a shot off. Refreshing to see them on the other side of that for a change until St. Louis scored a shorthanded goal late in the third period.

9. The Blackhawks announced on Saturday morning that Korchinski was placed on the non-roster due to a family matter. His timeline for a return is unclear. Isaak Phillips was recalled from Rockford and slid into his place on the top pairing with Seth Jones.

10. Andreas Athanasiou has been out exactly one month with a groin injury. Blackhawks head coach Luke Richardson said on Friday the hope is he’ll start skating in the next two or three days. They could use a little boost to the top-nine.

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After the team’s morning skate, Blackhawks head coach Luke Richardson said Korchinski’s absence is due to a family matter. It’s unclear when he’ll be back.

“No timeline yet,” Richardson said. “We just found out last night.”

Korchinski, 19, leads all Blackhawks defensemen this season with two goals and ranks second with seven points. He’s averaging 19:30 of ice time through 25 games.

“He’s just starting to scratch the surface of his ability and being confident of that at this level,” Richardson said. “I thought last game he had a great rush and he’s starting to shoot the puck over the last few games and we’re trying to promote that, to have the confidence and look for those opportunities because he’s definitely an offensive threat out there. We’re going to miss him but we wish him all the best.”

The Blackhawks recalled defenseman Isaak Phillips from the Rockford IceHogs of the American Hockey League with Korchinski out and Jarred Tinordi in concussion protocol.

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“That draft was so long,” Crevier recalled.

By the time the seventh round rolled around, the broadcasts were barely talking about the picks. But Crevier’s name was eventually called — or should I say submitted — by the Chicago Blackhawks with the No. 188 overall selection.

More than three years later, Crevier has beaten the odds and made his NHL debut last week with the Blackhawks. While it doesn’t necessarily mean he’s a full-time NHL player as of this moment, there aren’t many seventh rounders that even sniff an NHL game let alone appear in one as quickly as he did.

“I remember saying [after the draft] like, ‘Why not?'” Crevier said. “It’s pretty cool of course. Second year of the draft too. It’s something I’m proud of, but at the same time, it’s something to get here but staying up is always the toughest thing; that’s what I heard at least. But yeah, I take pride in that for sure.”

Crevier, 22, offers an appealing package, and it obviously starts with his size. He’s one of the tallest players in NHL history at 6-foot-8; he flirts with 7-feet on skates.

But his skating ability for his size is impressive. Alex Vlasic, his 6-foot-6 defense partner in Rockford last season, saw it up-close.

“He’s obviously got all the athletic ability in the world being 6-8, and skating like he does is pretty rare to see,” Vlasic told NBC Sports Chicago. “His progression over the last couple years, being drafted in the seventh round, it’s crazy to see and everyone’s happy for him.”

Crevier (6-foot-8) and Vlasic (6-foot-6) are one of the tallest pairings in NHL history. The two of them combined are 13-feet-2.

“We’re pretty much one stick away from each other at all times, people joke about,” Vlasic said smiling. “I couldn’t imagine it’d be fun to play against.”

Crevier is a decent skater for his size, but his bread and butter is being a shutdown-type defenseman. He knows who he is as a player.

“My coach in Rockford shows me a lot of clips of Erik Cernak and maybe some Brandon Carlo clips too, just big guys who move well,” Crevier said. “He’s not going to show me some Cale Makar clips.”

Crevier did enough in the AHL to show that he was ready to be rewarded with an NHL stint, even if it’s not permanent.

“I really liked his game that I saw in the American League in Winnipeg the night before we played,” Blackhawks head coach Luke Richardson said. “He just kept simple. He’s big. He’s in the shot lanes and uses his reaches and he makes smart decisions. He never gets himself in trouble or in too much trouble. I think he knows what he is, and now we just want to see him continue to be consistent and play that same steady game.”

Off the ice, Crevier seemingly always has a smile on his face. He knows where he came from and what a privilege it is to play in the best league in the world.

“It’s been really busy in my mind for the past couple of days but it’s been super fun,” Crevier said. “It’s never a bad day when you’re up here, so it’s cool.”

Because he’s as likable a teammate as there is and works hard, good luck finding someone to say a bad word about him. He has a lot of people in his corner.

“I’m super happy for him,” Vlasic said. “He’s an unbelievable guy. Everybody calls him Sweet Lou. He’s just the nicest guy to be around. He’s always positive. Everybody from our team last year is happy for him and rooting for him.”

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Here are 10 observations from the win:

1. The Blackhawks won their first game of the season when scoring three or fewer goals. They were 0-16-1 prior to Thursday. They had to win a tight-checking game, and they finally did that.

2. Petr Mrazek was absolutely terrific. He made some big-time stops throughout the night to keep his team in it. He turned aside all 37 shots he faced and recorded his first shutout since April 4, 2021, which came with Carolina in a 1-0 victory over Dallas.

3. For the first time in their NHL careers, Connor Bedard and Leo Carlsson — the No. 1 and No. 2 overall picks in 2023 — squared off against each other. They both had their flashes. Imagine how fun this matchup will be when the two of them are in their primes.

4. The Ducks have taken, by far, the most penalties in the NHL this season. The Blackhawks knew that going in and ere probably hoping it could be a get-right game on the power play. They had four opportunities in this game and cashed in on their fourth of the game when Philipp Kurashev scored from Bedard and Tyler Johnson, who made it all happen.

5. Jason Dickinson won 12 of 16 faceoffs for a win percentage 75. He carried the Blackhawks in that department.

6. The Blackhawks went 3-for-3 on the penalty kill, which is a positive development because they went into the game having allowed at least one power-play goal in 14 of their previous 16 games. 

7. When Chicago’s fourth line of Ryan Donato, MacKenzie Entwistle and Lukas Reichel was on the ice at even strength, the Ducks led 10-0 in scoring chances, per Natural Stat Trick. That trio struggled together.

8. The Blackhawks were credited with only one shot on goal in the third period, which is obviously their fewest in a period this season. They bent but didn’t break.

9. The Ducks opened the season with a 9-6-0 record. Since then, they’re 1-10-0 in the last 11 games. Water is starting to find its level again, although it doesn’t help that Jamie Drysdale and Trevor Zegras have been out for a while with injuries.

10. Jarred Tinordi was placed in concussion protocol on Wednesday and did not practice with the team. He didn’t participate in Thursday’s optional morning skate, either. Dude just can’t catch a break.

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The first time, Kelce struggled to pronounce Bedard’s name. The second time, Kelce apologized for butchering the pronunciation before telling his older brother Jason, who’s the starting center for the Philadelphia Eagles, to get on board the Bedard hype train.

“You haven’t? One snippet?” Travis reacted to Jason not seeing any highlights of Bedard. “He’s a baller.”

On Thursday morning, Bedard was asked whether he’s been paying attention to what Kelce has been saying about him.

“Yeah, I saw that,” Bedard said. “A couple guys were showing him unable to pronounce my name. That was cool, for sure. Obviously one of the best football players in the world. It’s great.”

Kelce, who’s a noted Blackhawks fan, remembered the time when retired NFL legend Rob Gronkowski was invited to skate with the Tampa Bay Lightning back in 2021 when he was a member of the Buccaneers. Kelce would like to do something similar with the Blackhawks. 

“He was in net for a practice or something like that,” Kelce said. “It was a great bit. I kind of got jealous. I want to do it now. I want to hit up the Blackhawks and get in net or something.”

You don’t have to ask Bedard. He’s totally on board.

“It would be cool,” Bedard said. “Obviously he’s a Chicago fan, so that’s pretty sweet to have someone… Guys like Gronkowski and I think JJ Watt went out with the team, so it would be cool. Maybe try to teach him how to play hockey a little bit.”

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When the Chicago Blackhawks overcame a multi-goal deficit to beat the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-3 in overtime at the United Center on Black Friday, Jason Dickinson looked down at the stat sheet after the game and noticed it was just Arvid Söderblom’s second win of the season. 

“I couldn’t believe that when I saw it,” said Dickinson, who had a hat trick in that game. “Obviously our record is what it is, but I thought we should be playing a lot better for him because he’s getting us everything. He’s stood on his head a lot of nights, and we haven’t been able to come up with something for him, so it’s nice to get that for him tonight.”

Söderblom is still sitting on two wins this season, and both of those wins came against Toronto — once on the road and once at home. He fell to 2-8-1 after Tuesday’s 4-3 loss to Nashville, where he went 0-for-3 in the shootout.

“Of course it sucks losing,” Söderblom told NBC Sports Chicago. “You want to win every game. Small details like last night, we’re in the shootout and anything can happen and it’s been close games all year. It’s tough losing but you can only focus on the things you can control and your own performance and eventually the wins will come.”

Söderblom’s goals-against average this season is 3.62 and his save percentage is .884, which rank 49th and 45th, respectively, among the 54 goaltenders with at least eight appearances.

On the surface, those numbers look ugly. But it’s deceiving.

According to Money Puck, Söderblom’s goals saved above expected is 1.9, which means he’s stopped more goals than an average goaltender would. A negative number would mean he’s given up more than the average goaltender.

Söderblom’s record isn’t too reflective of how he’s actually played this season.

“As a goalie, if you’re playing well, you just have to keep doing what you’re doing and be happy with the performance,” Petr Mrazek said. “A lot of people tell me that the goalie’s like a quarterback sometimes in football where you have to be in your own head and do your stuff first because you have to make a save first to help the team get a win. Sometimes that’s not the case, but as a goalie, you’re just trying to look after that and look at the performance and see if you can change something or keep it going the way you’re doing.

“I feel for him because he’s been playing really well — even last year he had some games that we should have won for him, especially for a young guy like that, coming into the league, try to get the confidence high but I think he’s been handling it really well.”

The Blackhawks also haven’t done Söderblom many favors as far as run support goes. In his 10 starts this season, the team is averaging 2.36 goals per game. For context, the Blackhawks finished dead-last in the NHL last season with a goals-per-game average of 2.46.

To take it a step further, the Blackhawks have scored only 53 goals in Söderblom’s 26 career NHL starts for a goals-per-game average of 2.04. That’s ridiculously low.

“I know what I can do, and I think I’ve proved that over the games I’ve played,” Söderblom said. “Sometimes we don’t score, sometimes I play a great game and we score one goal, it’s tough to lose, but you know you did what you could as a goalie. Sometimes there are just bad bounces and unlucky bounces. And then sometimes I’ve had to play better, too. It’s been a lot of different games, but I just try to stay confident. 

“I know that’s the only thing I can do, focus on my game and try to stay as confident as possible because as a goalie, you want to be giving your team confidence and not being affected if they score. You want to go out there and do the same thing over and over again, and over time, that’s going to help me and that’s going to help the team, and not to be having ups and downs, just trying to stay calm and focus on your own game.”

In a November episode of the Blackhawks Talk Podcast, Chicago’s goaltending coach Jimmy Waite praised Söderblom for his calm demeanor and said it reminds him a little bit of Corey Crawford. 

“Nothing fazes him,” Waite said at the time. “We don’t focus on wins with him right now. Obviously we want to win, but for him, he knows he’s playing well and we have to keep going on the same path and not change anything because one night might’ve gone wrong. You keep going the same way. He’s got a good head on his shoulders that he focuses on the good stuff.”

Söderblom carries himself that way off the ice, too.

“Calm is a big thing,” Connor Murphy said. “I think he’s consistent that way. I don’t think he really rides too many highs and lows. I wouldn’t be able to handle being a goalie and riding the losses and stuff. 

“I feel like you’ve got to be mentally strong and sometimes be able to put the result away in the back of your mind and not think that that’s the be-all, end-all, and focus more on the process of how you’re playing and developing more-so and realize you can’t completely control the end result because there’s plenty of plays where the goalies have zero chance of saving them based on what we’re doing in front of them.”

The fact Söderblom has only four wins in 26 career NHL starts and 30 appearances is mind-boggling. He agrees, but he’s confident things will turn around if he continues to focus on the process more than the results.

“It feels like I should have more wins, but you can’t do anything about that,” Söderblom said. “You can only be here now and take it day by day and try to improve, and as tough as it is losing, I feel like you almost sometimes learn more from the losses because then you’re more focused on what you could’ve done better. When you win, sometimes you’re just feeling great about yourself and not really reflecting or whatever, so I’m trying to see the positives there. 

“You’re always looking to improve, and when you’re losing, you have that hunger to get better and get those wins, and hopefully that will help me improve. The wins will come.”

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Here are 10 observations from the loss:

1. Nick Foligno was the best player on the ice for the Blackhawks. He was everywhere, and it showed with his second three-point outing of the season (two goals and one assist). He leads through his words and his actions.

2. The Blackhawks suffered their first loss of the season beyond regulation. They were 2-0 in overtime prior to Tuesday and hadn’t gotten to a shootout yet.

3. Connor Bedard finally had his first career NHL shootout attempt, and of course he converted. The Blackhawks threw him out first, which means he’s going to be in that spot for a long time. Setting the tone, just like Jonathan Toews did in Chicago.

4. Lukas Reichel was a healthy scratch last game and drew back into the lineup, albeit on the fourth line. The Blackhawks want him to earn his way back. I thought his line generated chances and looked good. Let’s see if it was enough for him to work his way higher into the lineup on Thursday.

5. Anthony Beauvillier’s immigration papers officially cleared, so he was able to rejoin the Blackhawks in the United States. He skated on the top line with Bedard and Philipp Kurashev. The three of them weren’t as noticeable as the first game in Winnipeg, but I like the chemistry they have.

6. The Blackhawks kept their first power-play unit together after a strong performance in Minnesota on Sunday. They only had two chances in this game. The first was definitely better than the second, but neither could capitalize.

7. Arvid Söderblom appeared in his 30th career game with the Blackhawks, and he’s still sitting at four wins. His other two wins this season came against Toronto. He’s played better than his record shows, although I’m sure he’s disappointed in himself that he went 0-for-3 in the shootout.

8. Juuse Saros went into the day with a 10-3-2 record, 2.06 goals-against average, .932 save percentage and one shutout in 16 career appearances against the Blackhawks. He just has their number.

9. The Blackhawks fell to 0-16-1 this season when they score three or fewer goals. They’re 7-0-0 when they score at least four. It’s hard for this team to win low-scoring games.

10. Thanks to everyone that tuned into the first-ever HawkCast on NBC Sports Chicago Plus. It was an alternative-broadcast-type feel that was iso-cam heavy, and I’m looking forward to doing more of them in the future. The next one will be on Dec. 19 vs. Colorado.

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Chicago Blackhawks forward Lukas Reichel was a healthy scratch for the first time in his NHL career on Sunday in a 4-1 loss to the Minnesota Wild. The organization wants to see more from him and is hoping a reset is what he needs.

On Tuesday after the morning skate, Reichel said he was “a little shocked” by the decision at first but then understood why.

“It’s disappointing, but I know I’ve got to be better,” Reichel said. “I don’t play my game right now, but it’s a good wake-up call. Now it’s just about playing good, playing my game again.”

Reichel admitted it was beneficial for him to take a breather and watch the game from a different vantage point.

“I watched the last game on top in the press box, it’s actually a different game up there,” Reichel said. “Looks so easy.”

Reichel, 21, has only six points (two goals, four assists) in 22 games this season. His -17 rating ranks last on the team. It’s not where anyone expected him to be as we approach the two-month mark of the season.

Overall, Reichel hasn’t been too noticeable in games this season. It reached a head on this last road trip where the Blackhawks felt it was time for him to sit.

“The Detroit-Winnipeg games, he didn’t seem himself,” Blackhawks head coach Luke Richardson said. “He started, not being frustrated, it’s almost like he was down on himself. He needed to take a step back.

“It’s not punishment to sit out. It’s just kind of an evaluation of yourself and we gave our opinion and he gave some really honest, fair opinions back and I think he’s ready to go.”

The Blackhawks tried moving Reichel from center to wing earlier in the season to free him up a bit and lessen his responsibilities, but that doesn’t seem to have worked in the way they intended. Reichel knows what he has to do to not just stay in the lineup but make an impact.

“Play the right way, play good defensively and make plays in the O-zone,” Reichel said. “Just try to work hard, stay positive and make good things happen.”

Reichel will return to the lineup on Tuesday against Nashville. He skated on the fourth line with Ryan Donato and MacKenzie Entwistle, which doesn’t seem like the ideal place to get his swagger back but the Blackhawks want him to earn his way up.

“I think he knows if he can get his game going and get his skating going, he’ll get rewarded and move up when he has an opportunity,” Richardson said. “He seemed determined. I asked him: ‘I don’t want to just put your number on the board to be back in after one game, do you really want to go after it or do you need more time to visualize and recheck and reset? He said, ‘Oh no, I’m ready.’ So he’s ready to go. 

“I said, ‘It might not be perfect. You might not get three goals tonight but let’s see some determination, some of that skating ability, and he seems determined to do that tonight.”

When asked where his head is at, Reichel replied: “Get back to work. And play a good game.”

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Here are 10 observations from the loss:

1. The Blackhawks went into the first intermission trailing 3-0 to the Wild, who outshot Chicago 13-3 at even strength in the opening frame. The Blackhawks have now given up 34 goals in the first period this season, which ranks last in the NHL.

2. The Blackhawks generated 11 shot attempts, eight scoring chances, seven shots on goal, and three high-danger chances on their first power play of the game, per Natural Stat Trick. It might’ve been their best power play of the season. They did everything but score. Eventually, the Blackhawks did find the back of the net on the power play in the third period thanks to Taylor Raddysh, but the game was pretty much over by that point.

3. Connor Bedard leads all rookies this season with 11 goals, but Marco Rossi closed the gap by scoring a pair of goals against Chicago. He almost completed the hat trick in the second period. Rossi moved into second behind Bedard with eight goals. Worth noting Bedard picked up an assist on Raddysh’s goal to extend his road point streak to nine games.

4. Lukas Reichel was a healthy scratch. The Blackhawks are looking for more out of him, and I don’t blame them. He hasn’t been very noticeable this season. A potential reset isn’t the worst idea at this point.

5. The Blackhawks went 1-for-3 on the penalty kill and have given up at least one power-play goal in 13 of the last 15 games. They’re 6-for-11 on the penalty kill in their last three games for a success rate of 54.6 percent.

6. The score could’ve been even uglier if it wasn’t for Petr Mrazek, who made several high-quality saves. This was a forgettable three-game road trip for the Blackhawks, who lost all three games in regulation and were outscored 12-3.

7. Louis Crevier made his NHL debut and he skated on the third pairing with Alex Vlasic, who was his partner in Rockford last season. Vlasic is 6-foot-6 and Crevier is 6-foot-8; they might be the tallest pairing in the league. It was difficult to evaluate Crevier’s individual performance because the entire team looked off.

8. The Blackhawks fell to 0-7-3 in their last 10 games against the Wild. Their last win came on Dec. 15, 2019, which was a 5-3 victory at the United Center.

9. The Wild went into the day with the fourth-worst team save percentage this season. They had the third-best save percentage last season. Filip Gustavsson and Marc-Andre Fleury haven’t given them great goaltending, and it’s probably one of the reasons why the organization made a coaching change, going from Dean Evason to John Hynes.

10. Anthony Beauvillier did not travel with the team to Minnesota due to visa issues. He was able to play in Winnipeg because the Blackhawks were in Canada. The hope is he could join the team on a full-time basis at some point this week.

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Chicago Blackhawks forward Lukas Reichel will be a healthy scratch in Sunday’s afternoon game against the Minnesota Wild at Xcel Energy Center.

Reichel, 21, has only six points (two goals, four assists) in 22 games this season. His -17 rating ranks last on the team.

“I’m sure he’s disappointed,” Blackhawks head coach Luke Richardson told reporters. “But we need more from him.”

Cole Guttman will draw into the lineup after he missed the last few games with an injury. Anthony Beauvillier, who had a solid debut with the Blackhawks in Winnipeg on Saturday, did not travel with the team to Minnesota due to visa issues.

The Blackhawks have tried moving Reichel from center to wing to free him up a bit and lessen his responsibilities, but the production just hasn’t been there this season. He probably needs a reset.

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The Chicago Blackhawks scored the first goal but couldn’t build on it, falling to the Winnipeg Jets 3-1 on Saturday afternoon at Canada Life Centre.

Here are 10 observations from the loss:

1. The Blackhawks slipped to 3-12-3 in their 18 games against Winnipeg, which dates back to April 7, 2018. They’ve also lost six in a row to their divisional foes. The Jets have just had their number for the last half decade.

2. Connor Bedard opened the scoring in the first period with his 11th goal of the season. He extended his road point streak to eight games, which is now the second-longest streak in NHL history among players 18 years old or younger. Only Nathan MacKinnon (16 games) is ahead of him.

3. Bedard was all over the ice. Every other shift he seemingly created a scoring chance. There was a scare at the end of the second period when he appeared to be in some discomfort after taking a high hit but Bedard it the ice for the third period and looked to be fine. It was another game where he probably could’ve had at least two or three points.

4. Anthony Beauvillier made his Blackhawks debut and skated on the top line with Bedard and Philipp Kurashev. When the three of them were on the ice together at even strength, the Blackhawks generated 12 scoring chances, per Natural Stat Trick. When they weren’t, the Blackhawks had only six chances. Strong first game for Beauvillier. He was also used in the bumper role on the first power-play unit, where he primarily took the draws.

5. Tyler Johnson was fed up with the power-play struggles after Thursday’s 5-1 loss in Detroit, calling it “pretty embarrassing.” The Blackhawks changed up the units again in an effort to shake things up. They only had 2:24 of power-play time, which wasn’t much. The first unit was better than the second in the brief showing.

6. The Blackhawks finished with 21 shots on goal, which is tied for their third-fewest in a game this season. They’ve also allowed at least three goals in 12 straight contests.

7. Some pretty soft penalties were called on the Blackhawks. Connor Murphy’s interference in the first period was borderline at best, Philipp Kurashev’s hooking penalty was not much of anything, and Ryan Donato’s hooking penalty was the wrong call because Alex Iafallo held his stick. The Jets capitalized on the Murphy penalty by scoring a power-play goal in the first period to tie things up at 1-1.

8. Before the game, the Blackhawks assigned defensemen Wyatt Kaiser and Isaak Phillips to Rockford. Kaiser probably needs the reset. He was a training camp and preseason standout, but he’s struggled of late and it was time for the Blackhawks to get him to the AHL and rebuild his confidence. Important to remember he’s still 21 years old.

9. Jarred Tinordi was activated from injured reserve after being sidelined since Nov. 9 with an oblique injury. He skated on the third pairing with Nikita Zaitsev, who saved a sure goal in the third period that would’ve made it 3-1 Winnipeg.

10. The Blackhawks recalled defenseman Louis Crevier from Rockford after sending down Kaiser and Phillips. It’s the first NHL call-up of his career. He didn’t play in this game, but I imagine he’ll make his team debut soon, perhaps as early as Sunday afternoon in Minnesota.

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The Chicago Blackhawks have assigned defensemen Wyatt Kaiser and Isaak Phillips to the Rockford IceHogs of the American Hockey League, the team announced Saturday morning.

In addition, the Blackhawks recalled defenseman Louis Crevier and activated defenseman Jarred Tinordi from injured reserve.

Kaiser, 21, has four assists and is averaging 16:34 of ice time in 21 games with the Blackhawks this season. He was a training-camp and preseason standout but has had a difficult time of late, so it’s no surprise the Blackhawks are sending him to Rockford for a reset.

Phillips, 22, filled in nicely for Tinordi, who had been out out the lineup since Nov. 9 with an oblique injury. Phillips registered three assists in eight games over that span and mostly played with Kaiser on the third pairings.

To make room for Kaiser and Phillips in Rockford, the Blackhawks are rewarding Crevier with a call-up. The 22-year-old 6-foot-8 defenseman ranks second among all IceHogs blue liners this season with five assists in 16 games.

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DETROIT — It has been a crazy last week or so for the Chicago Blackhawks, to say the least.

Corey Perry was mysteriously held away from the team while the organization conducted an internal investigation, which led to him having his contract terminated for code of conduct reasons. The Blackhawks still haven’t won consecutive games, which is starting to take its toll on the group mentally. And Taylor Hall officially underwent ACL surgery on his right knee that will sideline him for the rest of the season.

The glue through it all has been Nick Foligno, who wears an ‘A’ on his sweater but has acted as the de-facto ‘C’ for the Blackhawks. I’m not sure what state this team would be in if he wasn’t here.

“He’s really one of the best teammates I’ve ever played with,” Philipp Kurashev told NBC Sports Chicago. “He’s been huge for our room and our team. He’s so vocal, he’s always talking and always helping everyone out. It’s been some hard situations but he’s really helped us get through it because he has so much experience. He’s been awesome.”

Connor Bedard will likely be Chicago’s next captain. It’s only a matter of when, not if. And he absolutely should be the next captain because this is now his team.

But right now, there isn’t a better leader for the Blackhawks to be following than Foligno, who has helped the team navigate through some muddy waters and distractions of late.

“Anytime there’s ups and downs throughout a season, it’s very important to have those guys or certain guys that take charge and kind of control the room and they give way,” Johnson said. “Nick’s done an amazing job of that. Ever since he came in, you could definitely tell he’s got a leadership presence to him. I can’t say enough good things about him.

“He’s done an awesome job coming in and getting to know the guys, and most of all controlling the room through good times and bad.”

Said Bedard: “It’s big. Not just for the young guys, but for everyone. He’s been in the league for a long time and he’s been on winning teams and been the captain of good teams. Hearing what he has to say and hearing what he, from his experiences, what he knows to be successful, it’s good for us.” Obviously for myself only playing 19-20 games in the league so far, to have somebody like that is great.”

The Blackhawks have held a players-only meeting twice this season, once after a 4-2 loss to New Jersey on Nov. 5 and another shorter one after a 4-2 loss to St. Louis on Nov. 26. You’ll never guess who drove most of the conversation.

“Nick probably talked the most in those meetings,” Kurashev said. “It’s great. We all listen to him and we all respect him and what he’s done. We all just look up to him and try to follow his lead.”

Foligno says the right things, strikes the right tone, and leads by example through his actions. He is as passionate as anyone about helping rebuild the Chicago Blackhawks, and he’s only worn the sweater for 21 games.

“Maybe just because I talk a lot,” Foligno joked when asked how he’s essentially become the voice of the team. “You know what, I am who I am. That’s one thing everyone probably sees. I’m not going to change. I’ve seen a lot in my life on and off the ice, so whatever I can help with — in a lot of ways — I’m going to do.”

It’s a luxury for a head coach to have a leader inside the dressing room like Foligno, who sets an example in every way possible and holds the group to a high standard.

“He’s been great from Day 1, and we knew that,” Richardson said. “He was great even stepping up after a game like [Tuesday] and saying some really good words to the team after the win, heartfelt and encouraging moving forward too. He’s seen a lot over these years and even before that, growing up in that lifestyle with his father playing. He’s perfect for the role he’s in right now.”

Foligno’s presence, both on and off the ice, cannot be overstated. He is doing exactly what the Blackhawks brought him in to do, and then some.

In a week full of chaos, Foligno has been the stabilizing force for the Blackhawks.

“I care a lot about the players I play with and the organization I play for,” Foligno said. “That’s something I’ve always tried to do, and I’m hoping that has a trickle effect on every guy in here. It matters what we do on a day-in, day-out basis, and if you build good habits that way, on and off the ice, then it usually translates to success in the organization for yourself personally. 

“I don’t get caught up in it too much. Just try to be who I am and I’m lucky to go to work every day with these guys.”

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DETROIT — The Chicago Blackhawks have not been able to gain any sort of traction on the power play, which has been one of the worst units in the league all season long. 

That remained the case on Thursday after the Blackhawks lost to the Detroit Red Wings 5-1 at Little Caesars Arena. And Tyler Johnson seems fed up with it.

“I thought it was pretty sh—y,” Johnson said bluntly when asked what his assessment of the game was. “It starts with the PP. We can’t be playing like that. It’s a privilege to be out there and we’re just not doing anything right now. It’s pretty embarrassing, and it turns the tide of the game. I mean, you see their PP, they score goals and it’s a big difference.”

The Blackhawks went 1-for-3 on the power play against Detroit, but they allowed a shorthanded goal just 19 seconds into their first one of the game in the opening frame. It’s the fourth time this season the Blackhawks have given up a shorty, which is tied for the most in the NHL. Only Carolina (five) has allowed more.

“It’s a little lackadaisical,” Johnson said. “When you’re on the PP, you have to be moving, you have to have some speed, you have to be making those decisions quickly. It’s not holding onto the puck and trying to do something just by yourself. You have an extra guy, you have to use that to your advantage and we’re not doing that.

“And then also, yeah you want to score goals but you’ve got to take care of your own net, you’ve got to be smart with the puck, smart with where you’re at, and sometimes you have to give something up in order for them to not get something. You have to be back, you have to kind of not dive for that extra puck, and right now we’re just taking too many chances for whatever reason and almost trying to force things.”

Blackhawks head coach Luke Richardson has seemingly tried everything to this point. He recently swapped out Seth Jones for Kevin Korchinski as the quarterback on the first unit. He’s experimented with three or four different players in the net-front role (Ryan Donato, Nick Foligno, Tyler Johnson and Corey Perry). Same with the bumper position, which is currently occupied by Lukas Reichel.

At some point, it just comes down to execution.

“I think maybe there’s a little bit of tentativeness there and the other teams probably smell that out and they take that to us,” Richardson said. “But you know what, the only way we’re going to do it is to work a little harder and move the puck quicker. I think sometimes we just hold the puck and look for the perfect play.

“You watch other nights when teams do it right, they move it quick and shoot the puck and they recover rebounds instead of chasing things down the ice and bad things happen. We can’t work on it really anymore, but I think we’ve got to work on it smarter. Even the last few days in practice, I think we’ve been moving the puck quicker. It has to translate into the game, though.”

After the power play in the second period, Connor Bedard expressed his frustration by smashing his stick along the boards on his way to the bench. That’s reflective of how everyone feels about the power-play woes.

The Blackhawks might just have to simplify things, to the bare bones. Their power-play differential of +3 is tied for dead-last in the NHL (seven goals for and four goals against).

“We all want to be better and we all want it to be perfect,” Johnson said. “We’re all competitive and we’re all trying, it’s just at times we need to relax and actually just kind of come together. That’s only the way you get through stuff like that. It’s not one person, it’s all five guys on the ice. We all have to be working together.”

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DETROIT — The Chicago Blackhawks were routed by the Detroit Red Wings 5-1 on Thursday at Little Caesars Arena.

Here are 10 observations from the loss:

1. The Blackhawks are approaching the two-month mark and they’re still looking for consecutive wins. I really thought this would be the game they’d do it. Detroit got back home very late and was playing in the second of a back to back. But no dice.

2. The Blackhawks allowed their fourth shorthanded goal of the season, which is tied for second-most in the NHL. Only Carolina (five) has given up more. It happened on Chicago’s first power-play of the game, too, just 19 seconds in.

3. Connor Bedard was probably disappointed with himself for his role in Detroit scoring the shorthanded goal to open the game. He made up for it by delivering a nifty pass to Lukas Reichel, who scored his second of the season to tie things up at 1-1 in the first period.

4. I love how Bedard wears his emotions on his sleeve. He had quite a few chances in this game and probably should’ve had three or four points. At one point, he smashed his stick along the boards after a failed power play. In the third period, he was robbed by Alex Lyon on what I thought was going to be a sure goal. It’s amazing how he doesn’t let the carry over into his next shift.

5. Wyatt Kaiser is a solid young player. He’ll have a good NHL career. I don’t think he’ll want to rewatch the first Robby Fabbri goal, who danced around the Chicago defenseman and scored to put Detroit ahead 2-1.

6. Klim Kostin was hit with a 10-minute misconduct in the second period after he tried shoving Connor Murphy’s face into the ice. Kostin wasn’t happy with the hit on Andrew Copp, and I think he was even more annoyed with Murphy for going down easily on the cross-check, which drew a penalty. Still no excuse to lose your cool and force somebody’s head into the ice.

7. Taylor Raddysh is a smart hockey player. He does some little things on the ice that shows he’s got a strong hockey IQ. For example, he’s almost always the first guy to dart to the bench when a power play is winding down so the Blackhawks don’t get caught with only one defenseman on the ice at even strength. His awareness level is high.

8. Alex DeBrincat picked up an assist, led all skaters with six shots on goal, and is on pace to flirt with a point-per-game this season. He’s also projected to hit the 40-plus-goal mark for the third time in his NHL career. I think he’ll score 50 this season. And with a certain former teammate of his set to join him soon, I like his chances even more. Happy for him and his family that he’s found a new home with the Red Wings, his hometown team.

9. Patrick Kane did not play against his former team, although I’m sure he would’ve loved to. The Red Wings want him to get a few practices under his belt and acclimated to his new teammates and system. I don’t blame them. Circle your calendar for Feb. 25, which will be his first game at the United Center as an opponent. Kane’s not sure what his emotions will be like that day.

10. Corey Perry released a statement for the first time since having his contract terminated by Chicago for code of conduct reasons. He said he has started working with mental health and substance abuse experts to “discuss my struggles with alcohol.” Read the full statement here.

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The Chicago Blackhawks have officially terminated the contract of Corey Perry, who was dismissed from the organization after an internal investigation revealed he engaged “in conduct that is unacceptable,” the team said in a statement on Tuesday.

On Thursday, Perry released a statement of his own for the first time since having his contract terminated:

“I would like to sincerely apologize to the entire Chicago Blackhawks organization, including ownership, management, coaches, trainers, employees, and my teammates. I would also like to apologize to my fans, and my family. I am embarrassed and I have let you all down.

As a result of my actions, there has been speculation and rumors. I am sickened by the impact this has had on others, and I want to make it clear that in no way did this situation involve any of my teammates or their families. Most importantly, I want to directly apologize to those who have been negatively affected and I am sorry for the additional impact to others it has created. My behavior was inappropriate and wrong.

I have started working with experts in the mental health and substance abuse fields to discuss my struggles with alcohol and I will take whatever steps necessary to ensure this never happens again. I hope to regain the trust and respect of everyone who has believed in me throughout my career.

Once again, I am deeply sorry.

Corey“

Perry was listed as a surprise healthy scratch on Nov. 22 against the Columbus Blue Jackets. Six days later, the Blackhawks announced they would be placing him on unconditional waivers for the purposes of a buyout after conducting a quick but throughout investigation, which determined he violated the team’s code of conduct policy.

Blackhawks GM Kyle Davidson was visibly distraught in his press conference on Tuesday, particularly when asked about the salacious rumors on social media that involved players on his team and their families. Both Davidson and Perry — in his statement — vehemently dispelled the rumors.

Perry officially cleared waivers on Wednesday and is an unrestricted free agent. He was tied on the Blackhawks in goals (four) and points (nine) prior to his release.

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DETROIT — When Patrick Kane stepped off the ice after his hour-long skating session in Detroit on Thursday morning, a young Chicago Blackhawks fan wearing a Connor Bedard jersey was one of many kids waiting for him to finish and ask for a photo.

When he saw the jersey, a smiling Kane joked to the fan: “We’ve got to change the 9’s to 8’s.”

Just like it’s weird to see No. 88 in a Red Wings jersey, Kane is still getting used to seeing No. 98 Bedard jerseys in Blackhawks red.

“Yeah, I mean, you know what, it’s great for Chicago, it’s great for the league to have a player of his caliber in that market,” Kane said of the Blackhawks winning the 2023 NHL Draft lottery and landing Bedard. “Obviously happy for the organization and for Connor, too, to go to a city like that. It’s a great place to play. He’s already doing well, I’m sure he’ll be even better as time goes on, so hopefully they can build something up there.”

Kane said he talked to Bedard a few times, both leading up to the draft and after he was officially selected with the No. 1 overall pick by Chicago. They are the only two players in franchise history to be taken first overall.

“He’s very respectful, you could tell he was raised the right way,” Kane said. “He’s still very young too, right? He’s a young 18-year-old, so I’m sure he’ll figure out ways to be better and better on the ice. It seems like he’s already got a good head on his shoulders.

“From afar, it seems like he’s already a pro, right? Whether it’s, you see him staying on the ice after practice, the way he takes care of himself, things like that. It’ll all go well with him.”

After the Blackhawks won the lottery, Kane thought there might be any outside chance his former team circles back. But the Blackhawks have respectfully turned the page to a new era.

“Yeah, I mean, I never really knew, right?” Kane said. “Especially after that first pick, I was like: ‘OK, maybe they’ll try to bring, even like Tazer or myself back.’ But it seems like they’re kind of headed in a different direction now, so yeah didn’t hear from them but I’m thinking they’re trying to kind of rebuild and get their young players in there and give them a chance. It is what it is.”

When asked whether he took that a little personally, Kane took the high road.

“No, I don’t think so,” Kane said. “I was there for a long time. I was there for 16 years or so. We had a good run when I was there. I think there’s always a piece in the back of your mind that maybe it could potentially happen or even down the line or in the future, you never know, but yeah, I love the city, loved my time there with the organization. Obviously we had a lot of success, so if it’s time to move on, then it is what it is.”

Kane made the decision to have hip resurfacing surgery on June 1. He felt it was time, after trying everything possible with the Blackhawks to get it right. It originally started to bother him during the COVID-19 bubble in 2020.

“The next year I played with it, I think I had like a really good start to the season,” Kane said. “I think I had 66 points in 56 games. I’m like, good, I think I can run it back and not just get the surgery. And I had a good year the next year too and had 92 points in 78 games. I’m just thinking, I can play with this, this is just the way it is. I’m not going to be at the level I was before, but I can still be an effective player.

“Obviously there was a lot of moves with the roster and everything. And some of the players I really had chemistry with, made the game easy on me, like [Alex] DeBrincat, [Dylan] Strome, weren’t there anymore, so a little bit of building up.”

As he looks to the write the next chapter of his career, Kane signed a one-year deal with Detroit. He believes he can get close to the level he was at before the injury.

“Very confident,” Kane said. “The season ended right around May 1 and it took us a good month to figure out what to do. We wanted make sure we were confident in the decision we were going to go. Decided to go through with the surgery on June 1. It was pretty much the best option for me. 

“I could’ve maybe done a labrum repair and a scope, but with the wear and tear in the hip, it would’ve maybe given me a year or a year and a half, and I could’ve potentially even had more pain. It was the right move to do the resurfacing. … Excited, confident, very optimistic where I’m at and where I can go from here and just about my play in general.”

Kane signing with the Red Wings clearly wasn’t to spite Chicago. The Red Wings simply checked a lot of boxes for him.

Detroit is an up-and-coming team with a young nucleus, he reunites with his close friend and linemate Alex DeBrincat, and geographically, it’s a middle point for him between Chicago, where he has a home, and Buffalo, where his family lives. It seemed like a no-brainer for Kane.

“I think the rivalry has kinda died out a little bit, right?” Kane said. “I never thought of anything like that. Just more of the fit for me. I obviously respect the organization in Chicago completely and would never want to do anything to piss any of the fans off, or the organization. But I don’t think that’s the case in this situation.”

Because he’s on a one-year deal, Kane’s future in Detroit beyond this season isn’t guaranteed. But he wants to do everything he can to show that he can be a piece for the Red Wings beyond just this season and avoid becoming some sort of NHL journeyman.

“I hope it’s not like six, seven teams, to be honest with you,” Kane said. “I’d rather keep it as low as possible. You have a three-year-old son, it’s tough to move around all the time. I think the situation here what they’re building, kind of where I fit into the team made a lot of sense for me.”

The Blackhawks play the Red Wings in Detroit on Thursday, but Kane won’t make his return against his former team just yet. He’s cleared to play, but the Red Wings want to ease him in and let him get a few practices under his belt with his new teammates as he adjust to a new system and environment.

Circle the calendar for Sunday, Feb. 25, where Kane is scheduled to make his United Center return for the first time as an opponent. It will also be Chris Chelios’ number retirement night.

Even Kane’s not sure what his emotions will be that day.

“I have no idea,” Kane said. “I’ve always played with a little bit of a chip on the shoulder, so hopefully I have a little bit that night and can play a good game and help the Wings win. It would be fun to score a goal or have a couple points, whatever it is. Just to play well against them.”

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Presented by Nationwide Insurance Agent Jeff Vukovich

Presented by Nationwide Insurance Agent Jeff Vukovich

Presented by Nationwide Insurance Agent Jeff Vukovich

The Chicago Blackhawks hung on to beat the Seattle Kraken 4-3 on Tuesday at the United Center.

Here are 10 observations from the win:

1. This wasn’t the cleanest game for the Blackhawks, but they’ll take it. They got scoring contritions from Jason Dickinson, MacKenzie Entwistle, Tyler Johnson and Boris Katchouk, and Petr Mrazek had a decent night between the pipes, too, aside from Seattle’s third goal that trickled through him. Now, can the Blackhawks win a second straight game for the first time all season on Thursday? They’re 0-for-6 so far.

2. The Blackhawks scored the first goal for the first time in six games. They also extended that lead by going ahead 2-0. And then they squandered it by giving up a pair of goals near the end of the first period. So close to building some momentum in that area.

3. The Kraken pushed back in the third period, trailing 4-2. The Blackhawks played a bend-but-don’t-break kind of defense. They almost broke. But the Blackhawks killed off a 5-on-3 power play for 63 seconds with 5:49 left, and it turned out to be the game. What a kill.

4. The Blackhawks committed three penalties in the first period, and all three of them came from defensemen: Seth Jones, Connor Murphy and Wyatt Kaiser. They got away from it unscathed.

5. Boris Katchouk scored a goal for the second straight game after having zero in his first 12. Ever since the Nashville game, he’s been noticeable.

6. Joey Anderson registered two assists, four shot attempts and a team-high four takeaways. He also drew a penalty in the third period. He’s been very good in the three games since being called up.

7. The Blackhawks had 23 giveaways in this game. On Sunday against St. Louis, they had 24. They’re going in the wrong direction.

8. The Blackhawks are placing Corey Perry on unconditional waivers for the purpose of a buyout after an internal investigation determined that he “engaged in conduct that is unacceptable.” His contract will be terminated, effective immediately. Blackhawks GM Kyle Davidson seemed visibly distraught when talking about the situation before Tuesday’s game, calling it “a tough couple of days.”

9. During the game, the Blackhawks acquired forward Anthony Beauvillier from Vancouver in exchange for a conditional fifth-round pick in 2024. With Perry no longer on the team and Taylor Hall expected to miss the rest of the season with a knee injury, the Blackhawks probably needed to add a serviceable NHL player to help stabilize the lineup.

10. Patrick Kane officially made his free-agent decision and has signed a one-year, $2.75 million contract with the Detroit Red Wings. He reunites with close friend and old linemate Alex DeBrincat, to no one’s surprise. The Blackhawks will be in Detroit on Thursday but it doesn’t sound like Kane will be playing in that game. Circle your calendars for Feb. 25, when Kane makes his return to the United Center.

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The Chicago Blackhawks have acquired forward Anthony Beauvillier from the Vancouver Canucks. In return, Chicago has sent Vancouver a conditional fifth-round draft pick in 2024.

With Taylor Hall expected to miss the rest of the season with a knee injury and Corey Perry being placed on unconditional waivers for the purpose of a buyout, the Blackhawks’ forward depth quickly thinned up. Andreas Athanasiou remains out with a groin injury, too.

Beauvillier, 26, has eight points (two goals, six assists) in 22 games this season with the Canucks. He’s in the final year of his contract that carries a $4.15 million cap hit and is set to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season.

On Saturday morning, Blackhawks GM Kyle Davidson talked about potentially adding to the group to supplement the forwards so the younger players are put in a position to succeed.

“We’ll see,” Davidson said. “It’s not an easy thing to do just to add on the fly, especially this early in the season. There are probably other teams that would be far more aggressive than us in trying to add talent if we were to look at that. It’s not something I’m looking at right now.

“We’ll see how Cole [Guttman] and Joey [Anderson] assimilate to the group and how they do. They played really well on [Friday]. Obviously that’s just one game, but we’re hopeful that they can jump in and fill some roles – and also hopefully we can get some players back at some point.

“I’m not ruling anything out, but at this point it would be difficult to be aggressive in adding to the team.”

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The Chicago Blackhawks announced on Tuesday that Corey Perry will be placed on unconditional waivers for the purpose of a buyout. His contract will be terminated, effective immediately.

In a statement, the Blackhawks said they conducted an internal investigation and determined that “Corey Perry has engaged in conduct that is unacceptable, and in violation of both the terms of his Standard Player’s Contract and the Blackhawks’ internal policies intended to promote professional and safe work environments.”

Blackhawks GM Kyle Davidson addressed the media before Tuesday’s game at the United Center to talk about the situation. He was not able to share many details, but he did want to hammer home one thing.

“I do want to be very clear on this one point: This does not involve any players or their families, and anything that suggests otherwise, or anyone that suggests otherwise, is wildly inaccurate, and frankly, it’s disgusting,” Davidson said. “This has been a tough situation.”

Davidson was visibly distraught and emotional when talking about the Perry situation in his 10-minute press conference. You could tell he felt partly responsible for the rumors running rampant because of the vagueness of Perry’s absence to begin with.

Davidson believed the team “went through the process as quickly as we could in order to run a responsible investigation,” which is why they didn’t disclose anything sooner.

“To be honest, I think over the last 24 hours, what’s gone on has been very disturbing and I feel like I’m wearing it. I’m carrying that,” Davidson said before his voice trailed off. “It’s just tough to see. Yeah, it’s tough to see.”

Davidson and the Blackhawks have worked hard to reshape their image after the 2010 sexual assault allegations that led to a house-cleaning. Nobody is more committed to making sure something like that doesn’t happen inside the organization again than Davidson himself.

“I think more than anything, it reinforces the resolve we have to change the culture and make sure we’re doing the right things,” Davidson said. “Upholding our values and making sure we continue to build a culture of accountability. That’s my thoughts.”

When asked whether the Perry situation will lead to more internal changes, Davidson responded: “It’s so fresh that we’ll get through today and I’m sure we’ll continue to always evaluate.

“The one thing, it goes without saying whether it’s after something comes up or not, you’re always trying to be better, you’re always trying to improve. I don’t see why that wouldn’t be the case moving forward. We’re always looking to be better than we were the day before.”

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Chicago Blackhawks GM Kyle Davidson addressed the media on Tuesday hours after the team made the decision to place Corey Perry on waivers with the intent to terminate his contract after he “engaged in conduct that is unacceptable.”

Davidson opened his press conference with a statement and tried to be as transparent as he could.

“First and foremost, I want to start off by reiterating the organization is committed to a culture of accountability and upholding our values across our employees and players both on and off the ice,” Davidson said. “Last week, management was notified of possible misconduct by Corey Perry. We immediately pulled him from the game and conducted an internal investigation. Upon learning the findings of the investigation, we made the decision to terminate his contract.

“As this is an individual personnel matter, I will not be able to disclose any details related to the initial reporting, investigation or the findings.

“However, I do want to be very clear on this one point: This does not involve any players or their families, and anything that suggests otherwise, or anyone that suggests otherwise, is wildly inaccurate, and frankly, it’s disgusting. 

“This has been a tough situation and I understand you wanted answers. It was important that we took all the necessary steps before sharing more. I hope you can understand that I may not be able to answer everything today, but I am going to be as open and honest as I can be, given the situation and out of respect for those involved.”

Davidson was not able to disclose too many details, but he was visibly distraught and emotional about it all, most notably when asked about the ridiculous rumors of the situation potentially involving players and their families.

Davidson believed the team “went through the process as quickly as we could in order to run a responsible investigation,” but understood that the vagueness of Perry’s absence led to the rumors running rampant.

“To be honest, I think over the last 24 hours, what’s gone on has been very disturbing and I feel like I’m wearing it. I’m carrying that,” Davidson said before his voice trailed off. “It’s just tough to see. Yeah, it’s tough to see.”

Davidson and the Blackhawks have worked hard to reshape their image after the 2010 sexual assault allegations that led to a house-cleaning. Nobody is more committed to making sure something like that doesn’t happen inside the organization again than Davidson himself.

“I think more than anything, it reinforces the resolve we have to change the culture and make sure we’re doing the right things,” Davidson said. “Upholding our values and making sure we continue to build a culture of accountability. That’s my thoughts.”

When asked whether the Perry situation will lead to more internal changes, Davidson responded: “It’s so fresh that we’ll get through today and I’m sure we’ll continue to always evaluate.

“The one thing, it goes without saying whether it’s after something comes up or not, you’re always trying to be better, you’re always trying to improve. I don’t see why that wouldn’t be the case moving forward. We’re always looking to be better than we were the day before.”

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The Chicago Blackhawks are placing forward Corey Perry on unconditional waivers for the purpose of a buyout. His contract will be terminated, effective immediately.

The Blackhawks released this statement on Tuesday afternoon:

“After an internal investigation, the Chicago Blackhawks have determined that that Corey Perry has engaged in conduct that is unacceptable, and in violation of both the terms of his Standard Player’s Contract and the Blackhawks’ internal policies intended to promote professional and safe work environments.

“As such, Corey Perry has been placed on unconditional waivers. In the event Mr. Perry clears waivers, we intend to terminate his contract effective immediately.”

Perry was an unexpected healthy scratch in Columbus on Wednesday, Nov. 22, with the team calling it an “organizational decision.” He was slated to play after participating in the team’s morning skate.

On Saturday morning, Blackhawks GM Kyle Davidson held a media availability to address Perry’s status and said “he’s away from the team and will remain so for the foreseeable future.” He clarified the decision to hold out Perry is “coming from the organization’s end” and “that’s all I’m able to provide.”

Perry’s agent Pat Morris of Newport Sports Management released a statement later in the day on behalf of his client, stating: “Corey Perry has stepped away from the Chicago Blackhawks to attend to personal matters. Corey and his family appreciate privacy at this time.”

Perry, 38, was tied for third on the Blackhawks in goals (four) and points (nine) prior to his absence. He was also part of the leadership group as one of four alternate captains.

Davidson is scheduled to meet with the media at 4 p.m. CT on Tuesday.

Connor Bedard, who’s the new face of the Chicago Blackhawks, grew up watching Kane and skated with him at the BioSteel Camp in Toronto. He spoke to the media on Tuesday about the nine-time NHL All-Star finding a new home with a longtime rival.

“I think it’s always weird to see,” Bedard said. “Even last year when he went to New York, it’s definitely an adjustment just to your eyes. But it’s cool that him and [Alex] DeBrincat will be back together. I’m sure they’ll be a pretty exciting duo, so excited to watch. But obviously it’s weird when he’s here for 16, 17 years. But it’ll be fun to watch.”

It’s hard to imagine Kane in a Red Wings sweater. In any jersey that isn’t the Blackhawks, for that matter.

Like many others, Bedard thinks it’s going to take some time getting used to.

“Him and [Jonathan] Toews being gone, it’s weird just from being a fan growing up and seeing the success they had and winning those Cups and everything,” Bedard said. “It’s weird for every hockey fan not seeing them in Chicago. … It’s probably weird for him, too.”

Kane underwent hip resurfacing surgery on June 1 after dealing with the nagging injury for years. Blackhawks head coach Luke Richardson made sure to work around Kane when it came to his health during his time in Chicago.

“He’s a pro,” Richardson said. “He knew what his body needed. Sometimes it was more rest and recovery at his age and obviously maintenance because of the hip injury he had. I think he went for some treatment with his doctor every three or four months or something like that on a schedule. We had to make sure we just managed that schedule for him and it worked for him and the team.

“But he’s low maintenance. He just goes about his business. The odd time you talk to him about maybe the team structure and he’d just smile sheepishly and he knows he does sometimes a little too much out there to try and help the team, but it’s all good intentions.

“He was really good for us at the end and put a show on a few nights there at the trade deadline to show everybody he was still a very effective player out there.”

The Blackhawks are scheduled to play the Red Wings in Detroit on Thursday. It’s unclear whether or not Kane will be slotted into the lineup immediately, but the Blackhawks are preparing for that possibility.

“If he’s ready to sign, I’m sure he’s ready to play,” Richardson said. “I expect to see him. The good thing is our guys know him and know, as good as he is, his tendencies out there. That’s an easy pre-scout for us, but he is so good that he still gets things done out there. We definitely always have to keep an eye out on him.”

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Kane, 35, underwent hip resurfacing surgery on June 1 and was put on a four-to-six-month timetable. He was expected to make a decision by Thanksgiving, and he’s done just that.

Because he was traded to the Eastern Conference last season, Kane never had a chance to face his former team with the New York Rangers. That won’t be the case this season.

Kane and the Red Wings are scheduled to play the Chicago Blackhawks on Thursday at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, although it’s unclear whether Showtime will be slotted into the lineup right away.

Kane’s first game back at the United Center as an opponent is scheduled for Sunday, Feb. 25. That, of course, is also Chris Chelios’ jersey retirement night.

Kane reunited with his old linemate and close friend Alex DeBrincat in Detroit should come as no surprise. But that doesn’t make it any less weird to see both of them with the Red Wings.

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On Tuesday, the Detroit Red Wings announced that they have signed the three-time Stanley Cup champion and former Hart Trophy winner to a one-year contract. His cap hit is $2.75 million.

Kane, 35, underwent hip resurfacing surgery on June 1 and was put on a four-to-six-month timetable. He was expected to make a decision around American Thanksgiving, and he’s done just that.

Kane reunites with his old linemate and close friend Alex DeBrincat, who was traded to Detroit from Ottawa over the offseason. The two of them were magic together in Chicago and they’ll try to recreate that with the Red Wings.

The Chicago Blackhawks play in Detroit on Thursday night, but it’s unclear whether or not Kane will be slotted into the lineup right away. The two teams play in Chicago on Feb. 25, which is Chris Chelios’ jersey retirement night.

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Well, the Blackhawks followed that up with a lackluster start against a middle-of-the-pack St. Louis Blues team, which scored three goals in the first period, including two in the first five and a half minutes. The Blackhawks lost 4-2, and the players seemed to have another meeting after the game to address the inexcusable start.

“Disappointing,” Nick Foligno, who’s essentially the Blackhawks’ de-facto captain, said after the game. “I didn’t like our start. We talked about this, it’s building winning habits in here, and understanding what those are. I understand in the sports world, a lot of cliches get thrown around, like, words, buzzwords, but there is a definition behind a lot of them and commitment behind it, and that’s what we have to learn here.

“It’s just how to do it over and over again, and we talk about it. Sometimes it’s not fun or exciting, but it’s how you win in this league. And tonight, we gave them those goals in a lot of ways, right? We’re not over checks, we’re not reloading and then boom, boom, boom, they’re in the back of the neck.

“And then we push back and we get our game going, we get a goal, but then we just don’t sustain it. It’s a disappointing one, because we felt like we were understanding of how we had success against Toronto, and now we’re right back in the loss column.”

The Blackhawks are the only team in the NHL this season that hasn’t won consecutive games yet. They’re back to square one.

“It’s just not good enough,” said Ryan Donato, who scored a goal in the loss. “Obviously we hold ourselves to a pretty high standard and you should in this organization. It’s tough the way everything happened tonight; we’ve just got to make sure we show up every night.

“The difference can’t be us not showing up. Sometimes you’re going to play some good teams and they’re just going to beat you, right? But if you’re not showing up every single night, then that’s a problem. Hopefully we can figure it out and learn from it.”

Blackhawks head coach Luke Richardson seemed to pinpoint at least part of the problem. Maybe even the biggest one.

“We really have to get an identity as a team,” Richardson said. “I think we had it early in the season and I think now we’re fluctuating on and off of it nightly and it’s something that probably is going to be the first thing that we address Tuesday morning before the game, that we have to get back onto a work-habit train where we’re just going. There are going to be nights where it doesn’t work, but we give ourselves a chance by doing that.”

When asked to clarify what kind of identity he wants his team to have, Richardson replied: “A relentless work habit.”

“I thought we created that last year,” he continued. “We’re tracking hard, we’re on top of them hard. I think we were loose tonight, we weren’t as physical; that doesn’t mean going out and running someone over or through the boards or fighting or anything like that, it means just playing hard. And we need to get back to that. 

“I think we’re kind of watching the game, hoping it’s going to go our way. I think you have to make it go your way and that’s what we did a lot last year and at times, we’ve done that this year. But ‘at times’ in the NHL doesn’t work. You have to do it all the time.”

Some of the inconsistencies come from the fact the Blackhawks are a young team. They’re going through growing pains, and it’s part of the learning curve.

Foligno acknowledged that “they’ve never been pushed like this before.” At the same time, he admitted: “Some of it is on the veteran guys that are here too and maybe trying to do too much, which then causes a lot of problems too. It’s a give and take. You can’t just blame it on the young guys.”

The Blackhawks are still closer to the beginning stages of the rebuild than they are to being Stanley Cup contenders. There’s no denying that, and it’s important to have that perspective.

From the outside looking in, it’s not like the Blackhawks are underperforming. Where they’re at in the standings is where most thought they would be, and they will probably hover near the bottom all season long.

Foligno, no question, understands that. He knows what he signed up for. But as a veteran and former captain in this league, he also knows it’s on him and the leadership group to establish the culture inside the locker room, and by continuing to hold himself and everyone else to a high standard, Foligno is doing just that.

“What we’re doing here, and we’ve talked about this, is we’re trying to build to become the Chicago Blackhawks again,” Foligno said. “The team that every time they step on the ice you know what you’re going to get and you know it’s going to be a hard night. That’s what we’re trying to get out of our game, is some of those habits that have maybe crept in, and we’re working toward that.

“I get that we’re young. No one is giving up here. It’s just that at some point you’ve got to take it on yourself, too. There is a pride in each individual player. That’s the bare minimum, as far as I’m concerned. There’s so much more layers on top of just to compete in the NHL, but that’s the bare minimum we have to understand as a group here. And then a lot of your winning habits come from that.

“Your hair should be on fire this whole year because you can be a big part of building this and being a part of the future of this. There is no excuse for that. And that’s what we have to get out of our game and make sure that every time we step on the ice, find your motivation, what it might be. I can think of 10 already and I’m a 36-year-old guy. That should go through every guy in this room.”

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Here are 10 observations from the loss:

1. The Blackhawks allowed the first goal for the fifth straight game and seventh time in the last eight contests. They gave up three goals in the first period. Tough start, and a common theme lately.

2. Score effects is probably the reason for this, but I actually didn’t mind the Blackhawks’ second and third periods. I thought they were the better team after the first period. The problem is they were in a 3-1 hole after the first and it was too difficult to overcome for a second consecutive game.

3. The Blackhawks still have not won back-to-back games yet this season. They’re the only team in the NHL that hasn’t done that so far. 

4. The Blackhawks had eight giveaways in the first period. They finished with 24 total. For reference, their per-60-minute average this season is 8.44. Puck management wasn’t the best.

5. Arvid Söderblom earned a second straight start after a strong performance against Toronto on Friday. He bounced back very nicely after a rocky start of giving up three goals on eight shots in the opening frame. I liked the decision to go back to him.

6. Scoring chances were 10-3 Chicago when its fourth line of Ryan Donato, Reese Johnson and Boris Katchouk was on the ice at even strength, per Natural Stat Trick. That trio was extremely noticeable. Fitting that Donato and Katchouk scored the only two goals for the Blackhawks.

7. The Blackhawks committed only two penalties, but they allowed a goal on the man advantage to a Blues team that had the second-worst power play entering Sunday. 

8. Just a real unfortunate play on the Blues’ fourth goal for Kevin Korchinski, whose stick look like it caught something on the ice before fumbling it and getting stripped. That was the dagger to put St. Louis up 4-1 in the third period.

9. Blackhawks GM Kyle Davidson said on Saturday morning that Corey Perry will be away from the team for the “foreseeable future.” The reason for his absence remains unknown, although his agent Pat Morris called it a personal matter.

10. The Blackhawks have an off day on Monday for the first time in a week. They’ve been on the ice a lot lately, so the time off is probably welcomed.

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It doesn’t sound like there’s been much consideration of him going. He’s likely going to be here with the Blackhawks all season.

“My inclination would be for him to stay here,” Blackhawks GM Kyle Davidson said on Saturday. “I think out of respect, you just consider everything and want to make sure the player’s in the best position possible and you want to consider that. But honestly, hasn’t really crossed my mind all that much.”

Korchinski is coming off a game in which he scored the overtime winner in Friday’s 4-3 comeback victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs at the United Center. He looks like he belongs in the NHL.

“He’s been playing really well,” Davidson said. “The standard ups and downs for any young player, he’ll go through those, they make mistakes, but that’s OK. You learn from your mistakes and that’s why we have a coaching staff, to help them work through that. That’s why we have veteran players to help them work through that and I think he’s worked through that incredibly well.

“I’m really glad to see him rewarded with the goal last night in overtime and an unbelievable environment. It was a great game, great overtime and excited that he was able to experience that.”

Korchinski doesn’t seem to mind what the organization’s decision will eventually be.

“Either way is awesome,” Korchinski told NBC Sports Chicago. “I think World Juniors is something that’s really special and something I grew up watching. Whenever you get the privilege to throw on the Canadian jersey, it’s a special honor.

“Whether I would stay here, go there, either way, I’m happy. I get to play hockey against the best in the world and that’s what you look forward to.”

It helps that Korchinski won the gold medal with Team Canada last year. He didn’t play the significant role that he likely would’ve this year, but it was enough to scratch the itch and experience a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

“We had a really good team last year,” Korchinski said. “Obviously making the team is a privilege, but I would’ve been pretty bummed out if we came up short. That’s always tough.

“I’m glad we won and we don’t have to deal with living with regret and not winning it, so I’m thankful that we won it last year.”

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Andreas Athanasiou has been out since Nov. 9 with a groin injury. Taylor Hall will undergo ACL surgery on his right knee on Monday and is expected to miss the rest of the season. And Corey Perry is “away from the team for the foreseeable future” and it’s unclear when he could be back, if at all.

That’s three pieces in the top-nine out, all at once.

On Saturday morning, Blackhawks GM Kyle Davidson spoke to the media to address a variety of topics, including whether or not he could add a forward externally to help stabilize the group.

“We’ll see,” Davidson said. “It’s not an easy thing to do just to add on the fly, especially this early in the season. There are probably other teams that would be far more aggressive than us in trying to add talent if we were to look at that. It’s not something I’m looking at right now.

“We’ll see how Cole [Guttman] and Joey [Anderson] assimilate to the group and how they do. They played really well last night. Obviously that’s just one game, but we’re hopeful that they can jump in and fill some roles – and also hopefully we can get some players back at some point.

“I’m not ruling anything out, but at this point it would be difficult to be aggressive in adding to the team.”

Obviously, the Blackhawks are in no position to be buyers, but that doesn’t mean they won’t entertain the idea of adding a serviceable NHL player or two if it makes sense, to make sure their young players are being supported.

But first, the Blackhawks will look for answers internally, which is why they recalled Joey Anderson and Cole Guttman from Rockford.

“It’s always something you’re considering,” Davidson said. “It’s always something you’re thinking about, but that’s why there’s some leaders who have been through some streaks and how to get out of a rut; it’s important to have in there and we do have that in there, so we’ll lean on them. 

“As far as the scoring, I think we’ve got some young players that we hope will continue to step up and increase the ability of our team to put offense on the board. So we’ll lean on them.

“Obviously Connor’s line has been playing well. But you know what? Look at Jason Dickinson’s line with [Nick] Foligno, they were dynamite last night, and so we’ll look for contributions throughout the lineup and hopefully some of these players who came up from Rockford can give a little extra juice to the offense and forward group moving forward.”

Off the ice, the Blackhawks have lost a couple big presences inside the locker room with Hall and Perry. Davidson doesn’t seem to be too worried about the void there.

“There’s been a significant growth in the group as a collective,” Davidson said. “We did bring some players in, but we had some strong leaders already here. It’s just a collective leadership group that’s going to continue forward. I’ve been really happy with how the collective has led so far, and I trust that they will do so moving forward.

“You look to some of the older veterans that have been around and have been added that are in that locker room right now, and I have no fear that there’s enough quality leadership to carry this forward.”

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“Corey Perry has stepped away from the Chicago Blackhawks to attend to personal matters,” Pat Morris of Newport Sports Management told Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. “Corey and his family appreciate privacy at this time.”

Earlier in the day, Blackhawks GM Kyle Davidson held a media availability to address Perry’s status and said “he’s away from the team and will remain so for the foreseeable future.”

Davidson said the decision to hold out Perry is “coming from the organization’s end” and “that’s all I’m able to provide.”

Nevertheless, Perry isn’t with the team right now and it’s unclear when he’ll be back, if at all. Davidson did not want to get into specifics as far as whether it could be trade-related or any other reason.

“I think it’s, to start ruling anything out is irresponsible,” Davidson said. “So I’m just going to not comment on any possible outcome of this.”

Perry was an unexpected healthy scratch in Columbus on Wednesday, with the team calling it an “organizational decision.” He did not practice on Thursday and was scratched for a second straight game on Friday.

Perry, 38, was tied for third on the Blackhawks in goals (four) and points (nine) prior to his absence. He’s been a key part of the team and is part of the leadership group.

With Perry’s absence and Taylor Hall expected to be out for the rest of the season with a knee injury, Davidson wasn’t ruling out the possibility of adding to the roster to help stabilize the forward group. But he acknowledged it would be difficult to do at this moment.

“We’ll see,” Davidson said. “It’s not an easy thing to do just to add on the fly, especially this early in the season. There are probably other teams that would be far more aggressive than us in trying to add talent if we were to look at that. It’s not something I’m looking at right now.”

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“There’s no update on that end,” Davidson said. “He’s away from the team and will remain so for the foreseeable future. I’m unable to provide any further update on that front.”

Davidson said he “understands” there’s speculation out there as to what’s going on, but respectfully didn’t want to get into details. He did, however, provide some sort of clarity on one front.

“It’s been a team decision so far to hold him out and that’s all I’m able to provide,” Davidson said. “It is coming from the organization’s end, yes.”

Davidson did not want to get into specifics as far as whether it could be trade-related or any other reason.

“I think it’s, to start ruling anything out is irresponsible,” Davidson said. “So I’m just going to not comment on any possible outcome of this.”

Perry was an unexpected healthy scratch in Columbus on Wednesday, with the team calling it an “organizational decision.” He did not practice on Thursday and was scratched for a second straight game on Friday.

Perry, 38, was tied for third on the Blackhawks in goals (four) and points (nine) prior to his absence. He’s been a key part of the team and is part of the leadership group.

With Perry’s absence and Taylor Hall expected to be out for the rest of the season with a knee injury, Davidson wasn’t ruling out the possibility of adding to the roster to help stabilize the forward group. But he acknowledged it would be difficult to do at this moment.

“We’ll see,” Davidson said. “It’s not an easy thing to do just to add on the fly, especially this early in the season. There are probably other teams that would be far more aggressive than us in trying to add talent if we were to look at that. It’s not something I’m looking at right now.”

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“I’m smiling,” Blackhawks head coach Luke Richardson said as he stepped to the podium for his postgame press conference.

The Blackhawks entered Thanksgiving on a five-game losing streak, with the most recent loss being an embarrassing 7-3 shellacking to a Columbus team that had lost nine in a row. It came on the heels of the team mysteriously scratching Corey Perry, whose status remains unknown, followed by the news that Taylor Hall will miss the rest of the season with an ACL injury.

The Blackhawks desperately needed some positive energy inside the locker room, and boy did they get it on Friday. Jason Dickinson recorded a hat trick and Kevin Korchinski scored the overtime winner, sending the 20,238 fans at the United Center home happy.

“That was a blast,” Dickinson said after the win. “I felt like the energy was there, the emotions were in it. Everybody was having fun out there.”

It was the first hat trick of Dickinson’s NHL career, and it couldn’t have come at a more opportune time. He now has nine points (five goals, four assists) in his last nine games after going eight straight without one. He strapped Chicago on his shoulders

“It felt pretty amazing,” Dickinson said of his hat trick. “The puck laid up nicely in the slot to finish it off and luckily it went in.”

The Blackhawks have done a decent job of playing up to their opponents this season. Their struggles have oddly come against non-playoff teams.

Arizona handed Chicago its worst loss of the season earlier in October with a final score of 8-1. They had a deflating 4-2 loss in Nashville last weekend, too, before falling to Buffalo and Columbus, the latter of which was easily the worst of the season.

The Blackhawks clawed back against Toronto after a tough first period and showed they can hang with some of the top teams if they’re on their A-game.

“Just kind of channeling our emotions and showing up to each game, whether they’re top of the league or bottom of the league, you’ve got to bring the same attitude, same work ethic,” Korchinski said. “Tonight we brought the work ethic, the emotion that we needed and we came out with a win. It’s a huge stepping stone for us and we can build off of this.”

Richardson concurred with Korchinski and felt the Blackhawks channeled their energy in the right way.

“They did, and I think the building felt it and they really appreciated the play, especially the second period on,” Richardson said. “That got more lively, especially in overtime it was pretty loud and I think that just energized the team.

“We saw some of our greatest efforts with desperation in the third and also in overtime when I thought we did a good job holding onto the puck against a really good, skilled team.”

It’s a feel-good win for the Blackhawks, who have yet to win back-to-back games this season. That’s going to be their next challenge as they head into Sunday’s matchup against St. Louis.

For now, the Blackhawks will enjoy it, and the hope is that there’s a carry-over effect.

“There’s been a lot of emotions going around with a lot going on,” Dickinson said. “A positive win at home, hard fought, doing the right things, details — all of that leads into a really good feeling in this locker room to head forward.”

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Kevin Korchinski scored the overtime winner, and he did so in bizarre fashion.

Connor Bedard circled the zone for a bit then fired off a shot, which originally went off Maple Leafs goaltender Ilya Samsonov. The puck then hit the glass, bounced off the top of the netting, and trickled through the crease before Korchinski poked it home on his backhand with only his right hand on the stick.

Bedlam ensued at the United Center.

“The puck was bouncing and it was just scrambly,” Korchinski said. “Just went to the net and got a good bounce. It’s really fortunate.

“We had a good thing going. Me, Bedsy and Kurshy, we were just kind of circling the zone trying to create chaos and we had a lot of plays there that almost worked out, then finally got a good bounce and got it in the back of the net.”

It’s the first overtime goal of Korchinski’s NHL career, and his second goal of the season. His first one was kind of whacky, too.

The first to hug him after the overtime winner? That would be his pal Bedard.

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Here are 10 observations from the win:

1. The Maple Leafs were in total control of the first period. They recorded eight shots on goal and generated 10 scoring chances by the first TV timeout. They had 11 high-danger chances at even strength in the opening frame alone, per Natural Stat Trick. And yet the score was 1-1 at the intermission. Blackhawks were fortunate.

2. The second period was much more even between both sides despite the Maple Leafs leading 3-1 at one point. There was a 4-5-minute stretch at the end of the second period where the Blackhawks had some lengthy offensive zone possession time. It drew cheers from the crowds. Prior to that, Toronto was having its way with Chicago.

3. Jason Dickinson recorded a hat trick and was the best Blackhawk on the ice by a mile. He now has nine points (five goals, four assists) in his last nine games after going eight straight without one. He strapped Chicago on his shoulders.

4. After trailing 3-1 in the second period, the Blackhawks fought back to force overtime and Kevin Korchinski scored the winner in bizarre fashion. What a finish and what an effort.

5. This game got chippy in the third period, and it started when Boris Katchouk laid a big hit on Max Domi. Seconds later, Ryan Reaves and Seth Jones got tied up and started to go at it. A third scrum ensued behind the goal line. It was chaos. Four players — two on each side — were hit with roughing penalties.

6. Arvid Söderblom started in goal in large part because he stopped 35 of 36 shots in a 4-1 win against Toronto in the first meeting. That was his best outing of the season and still might be. He was tested right out of the gates in this game and was up to the task. His two wins this season have both come against Toronto.

7. The Blackhawks’ first line of Connor Bedard, Philipp Kurashev and Lukas Reichel had a tough time generating offense together. Scoring chances were 10-0 Toronto through two periods when that trio was on the ice at even strength before they finally generated a chance of its own in the third period.

8. The uncertainty around Corey Perry continues as he was scratched for the second straight game. The Blackhawks are being mum on the situation, electing to keep it internal for now. Head coach Luke Richardson said before Friday’s game that “Hopefully we’ll be able to give updates soon but we can’t give a timeline on that.”

9. Taylor Hall will undergo surgery on his right knee and is expected to miss the rest of the season. It’s an ACL injury, to be exact. What a tough blow for the Blackhawks, and an unfortunate start to Hall’s Chicago career after being in and out of the lineup on multiple different occasions this season because of injuries. Big void in the top-six now.

10. Williams Nylander’s 17-game point streak to open the season has officially ended. He hit a triple post in overtime that would’ve ended it. He had 27 points (12 goals, 17 assists) over that span. His next contract is getting bigger by the week.

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Chicago Blackhawks forward Corey Perry was a healthy scratch for the second straight game on Friday afternoon.

Here’s what we know about the situation:

Tuesday, November 21

Perry practiced with the team on Tuesday in his usual spot on the top power-play unit and on the right wing of the third line before traveling with the team to Columbus.

Wednesday, November 22

Perry was listed as a surprise scratch on Wednesday against the Columbus Blue Jackets, which ended in a 7-3 lopsided loss at Nationwide Arena. He participated in the team’s morning skate but did not take part in warmups.

After the game, Blackhawks head coach Luke Richardson confirmed to reporters that it was an “organizational decision” to sit Perry. He was a healthy scratch.

It doesn’t sound like this was for on-ice performance reasons. Perry is tied for third on the team in goals (four) and points (nine).

The Blackhawks played the game with 11 forwards and seven defensemen after Taylor Hall was ruled out, which we later found out was because of a knee injury that will likely end his season.

Thursday, November 23

The Blackhawks returned to practice on Thanksgiving Thursday and there was no sign of Perry.

Blackhawks head coach Luke Richardson opened his media availability by addressing the elephant in the room.

“I just wanted to start by saying I know you have questions about Corey Perry not playing last night and attending practice today but we’re going to keep that internal in the organization right now,” Richardson said. “I’m not going to be able to answer any more questions on that.”

When pressed about specifics due to the wild speculation going on, Richardson responded: “I’m sure there is but unfortunately, I can’t give you anything but that today.”

The players didn’t seem to know many details, either.

“We just know he’s not with us,” alternate captain Nick Foligno said. “We haven’t really gotten any details. It’s unfortunate; he’s a big part of this, so we’ll miss him. But we haven’t really gotten any other information.”

Said Connor Bedard: “I’m not going to speak on it too much. Obviously, it sucks he’s not here, but we don’t really have too much information on it or anything yet, but of course, he’s a big part of the team, and it sucks he can’t be here today.”

Friday, November 24

On Friday morning, Richardson revealed that Perry would not be in the lineup against the Toronto Maple Leafs.

When asked about who made the decision, Richardson responded: “That’s just going to be kept internal for now in the organization. Hopefully we’ll be able to get an update soon, but we can’t give a timeline on that.”

—

Perry is tied for third on the Blackhawks in goals (four) and points (nine) going into Thanksgiving. He’s been a key part of the team and is part of the leadership group.

Now, the challenge for the Blackhawks — who have lost five in a row — is to prevent this situation from becoming a distraction until there’s more clarity around Perry.

Saturday, November 25

Blackhawks GM Kyle Davidson held a media availability on Saturday morning to address Corey Perry’s status as questions continue to swirl around his mysterious absence.

“There’s no update on that end,” Davidson said. “He’s away from the team and will remain so for the foreseeable future. I’m unable to provide any further update on that front.”

Davidson said he “understands” there’s speculation out there as to what’s going on, but respectfully didn’t want to get into details. He did, however, provide some sort of clarity on one front.

“It’s been a team decision so far to hold him out and that’s all I’m able to provide,” Davidson said. “It is coming from the organization’s end, yes.”

Davidson did not want to get into specifics as far as whether it could be trade-related or any other reason.

“I think it’s, to start ruling anything out is irresponsible,” Davidson said. “So I’m just going to not comment on any possible outcome of this.”

Later in the day, Perry’s agent released a brief statement on Saturday regarding his client’s status as questions continue to swirl around the Blackhawks forward’s mysterious absence.

“Corey Perry has stepped away from the Chicago Blackhawks to attend to personal matters,” Pat Morris of Newport Sports Management told Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. “Corey and his family appreciate privacy at this time.”

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On Thursday, Blackhawks head coach Luke Richardson opened his media availability by addressing the elephant in the room.

“I just wanted to start by saying I know you have questions about Corey Perry not playing last night and attending practice today but we’re going to keep that internal in the organization right now,” Richardson said. “I’m not going to be able to answer any more questions on that.”

When pressed about specifics due to the wild speculation going on, Richardson responded: “I’m sure there is but unfortunately, I can’t give you anything but that today.”

The players didn’t seem to know many details, either.

“We just know he’s not with us,” alternate captain Nick Foligno said. “We haven’t really gotten any details. It’s unfortunate; he’s a big part of this, so we’ll miss him. But we haven’t really gotten any other information.”

Said Connor Bedard: “I’m not going to speak on it too much. Obviously it sucks he’s not here but we don’t really have too much information on it or anything yet, but of course he’s a big part of the team and it sucks he can’t be here today.”

Perry practiced with the team on Tuesday in his usual spot on the top power-play unit and on the right wing of the third line before traveling with the team to Columbus. He participated in Wednesday’s morning skate but did not take part in warmups.

Perry is tied for third on the Blackhawks in goals (four) and points (nine) going into Thanksgiving. He’s been a key part of the team and is part of the leadership group.

Now, the challenge for the Blackhawks — who have lost five in a row — is to prevent this situation from becoming a distraction until there’s more clarity around Perry, and they have to move forward while also coming to grips with the fact Taylor Hall will miss the rest of the season because of an ACL injury.

“We’ve got a lot of young guys, so it’s kind of a shock at first,” Foligno said. “But it’s being a pro. We talk about it and this is an opportunity to do that. It’s the outside noise that you have to push away, whether it’s this or anything else that’s going on in your life. There’s a job to do when you come to the rink.

“We’re trying to get better, we’re trying to grow as a team, so you have to learn to block out all that stuff. Because as your career goes on, you have to learn to block out all that stuff.

“Trust me — you’ve got kids at home, you’ve got sick babies, a lot of things that go on. It’s a good lesson in a lot of ways of refocusing here as a group. Regardless of the distractions, we’ve got a job to do tomorrow against the Leafs and we have to be at our best.”

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Blackhawks head coach Luke Richardson confirmed after practice that it’s an ACL injury for Hall.

“He’s very disappointed, but just came from an accumulation of a bunch of little injuries and the game and even in practice the other day,” Richardson said. “It just became unstable that they have to fix that now.”

Hall originally injured his knee in Tampa Bay on Nov. 9 after taking a hit from Lightning forward Michael Eyysimont late in the third period. He returned missed a little more than a week of action and return on Nov. 18, playing the next two games before the Blackhawks kept him home from the Columbus trip on Wednesday to be reevaluated.

Apparently, Hall caught a rut in practice on Tuesday and it was the final straw.

“It’s heartbreaking,” Connor Bedard said. “Someone that loves to play so much and every game is so impactful. Such a good hockey player but such a good person and means so much to our group. It’s heartbreaking, like I said.

“Obviously we’re rooting for him and wishing him the best. We know he’s still going to be around and of course a big part of the team. It’s sad but he’s going to do everything he can to get back.”

Hall, 32, has four points (two goals, two assists) in 10 games with the Blackhawks this season. It’s a brutal blow for the Blackhawks, who now have a gaping hole in their top-six.

“It’s a huge loss,” Nick Foligno said. “I know what kind of player he is and it just stinks that he really couldn’t get going with the injuries. We feel for him. He’s a guy that was really excited about the opportunity he has here.

“In the long run, this will probably be the best thing for him, because you’re going to get a healthy and motivated version of Taylor Hall, which I think is going to be very scary in a lot of ways. But it hurts.

“Listen, we need guys like him in this lineup. That was a little bit of a shock. But he’s got to do what’s best for him and his career and we all understand that. When you’re playing through injuries, especially the way he plays with his speed, if he can’t do that, he needs to go and get that better. We’ll miss him but we’re happy he’s going to get fixed up and ready to go.”

The Blackhawks recalled forwards Joey Anderson and Cole Guttman from the Rockford IceHogs of the American Hockey League, and also placed Andreas Athanasiou (groin) on injured reserve, retroactive to Nov. 9.

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After the game, Blackhawks head coach Luke Richardson confirmed to reporters that it was an “organizational decision” to sit Perry. He was a healthy scratch.

It doesn’t sound like this was for on-ice performance reasons. Perry, who’s tied for third on the team in goals (four) and points (nine), practiced with the Blackhawks on Tuesday and was in his usual spot on the first power-play unit and third-line right wing.

The Blackhawks played the game with 11 forwards and seven defensemen after Taylor Hall was ruled out. He’s reportedly being evaluated back in Chicago for a health issue.

The Blackhawks host the Toronto Maple Leafs on Friday afternoon at the United Center.

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Here are 10 observations from the loss:

1. Taylor Hall did not travel with the team and is being evaluated back in Chicago. He just can’t catch a break. Corey Perry was also a late scratch for unknown reasons. The Blackhawks were forced to play with 11 forwards and seven defensemen. And it didn’t go well.

2. It was an ugly start for the Blackhawks, who gave up the first goal for the fifth time in six games and found themselves in a 3-0 hole in the first period, against a Blue Jackets team that had lost nine in a row. Not ideal.

3. Connor Bedard and Adam Fantilli, the No. 1 and No. 2 overall picks in the 2023 NHL Draft, went head-to-head for the first time in their NHL careers. Bedard showed off that lethal shot of his by scoring his 10th goal of the season in the opening frame. Fantilli matched it with a beautiful spinning no-look pass to Patrik Laine, who made it 7-1. Both of them are special talents.

4. Laine was a healthy scratch last game. Johnny Gaudreau was benched in a game last week, as was Laine. Kent Johnson, a first-round pick in 2021, was benched and then sent to the minors earlier in the month despite being a full-time NHL player last season. Columbus has been a disaster this season, but you wouldn’t know it based off this game.

5. Adam Boqvist had appeared in only five games this season prior to Wednesday. He had zero points and was averaging 13:42 of ice time in those games. He drew into the lineup against his former team and registered two assists against them. His defenseman partner Zach Werenski had four assists. What a night for that duo.

6. Petr Mrazek will probably not want to review the tape of this game. The first goal was a tough one. The third one was just unfortunate, which went off the post then his back and in. He was eventually pulled in the second period after the fifth goal for Arvid Söderblom, who gave up two goals in relief. Mrazek has otherwise been very good this season.

7. Seth Jones’ cross-checking penalty in the first period was a pretty soft call. The Blue Jackets capitalized on that opportunity, which put them ahead 3-0. Jones looked dumbfounded when the official blew the whistle, and I don’t blame him.

8. Kevin Korchinski was promoted to the top power-play unit. There were three and a half power plays for the Blackhawks (one of them was about 50 seconds), but the first unit moved the puck well. I thought Korchinski looked comfortable there.

9. You want a positive? I got one. Boris Katchouk was flying in the first period. He recorded three of Chicago’s first four shots on goal and finished with five shots on goal, which ranked second on the team. And he wasn’t even supposed to be in the lineup.

10. I’m not sure whether the Blackhawks should flush the film after this game and move on quickly or let this one stew in their brains. This was a surprisingly bad performance.

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“Obviously it’s a privilege,” Korchinski said about the move. “It means that they trust me, which is awesome. And yeah, it’s an opportunity.”

Seth Jones, who had been the quarterback on the top unit for the first 16 games of the season, was moved to the second unit.

“Nothing has really been clicking, so we’ve got to change it up,” Jones said. “Kev is great puck-mover and it’s just a different look for us. We want to get more shots to the net, so try to develop chemistry somewhere.”

The Blackhawks rank 29th in the NHL with a power-play percentage of 11.3. They’ve scored only six goals on 53 opportunities, although there have been a few instances this season where the Blackhawks scored seconds after a power play expired, so the numbers don’t look as favorable as they could be.

Still, the eye test tells you the Blackhawks needed to change things up, and Korchinski is hoping to bring a different element to that first unit.

“They obviously still want me to shoot the puck,” Korchinski said. “We have a lot of guys who can shoot on that unit, but just play my game, move the puck well, try and use my speed on the breakouts and just try and play with good play and produce.”

The zone entries, specifically, have been a challenge for the Blackhawks. It’s compounded by the fact they’re last in faceoffs.

Korchinski’s speed is one of his strengths, if not his main asset, so we’ll see how it translates as he makes the jump to the first unit.

“He’s a fast guy and all those guys are young, with good speed, and you have [Corey Perry] hat could be right in front of the net for them,” Richardson said. “Those guys seem to be around each other a lot, they’re all around the same age and communicate a lot, which is huge and that’s part of the power play. It makes sense to give it a try.”

The other change was Philipp Kurashev being put back on the first power-play unit and Taylor Hall dropping to the second. Kurashev has been one of Chicago’s most consistent forwards this season, and the Blackhawks don’t want to separate him with Connor Bedard and now Lukas Reichel, who’s on the first line with those two.

The Blackhawks are trying anything and everything at this point, and it was strategic that they made the change before hitting the road for Wednesday’s game in Columbus.

“They won’t hear the home fans get annoyed and impatient and yell, ‘Shoot!’ which that happens in every rink with the home team,” Richardson said. “I think it lets us just kind of focus on simplicity and trying to get pucks to the net and getting bounces.

“When you watch the highlights every night, it’s very simple. It’s point shots with screens and tips and unless you’re Tampa Bay, there’s not a lot of seam and double-seaming to the back door. We have to do the same.”

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