Chicago Blackhawks forward Philipp Kurashev’s benching appears to be over after one game.
He returned to his roles as second-line center and power-play winger on the second unit during practice Thursday at Fifth Third Arena, two days after the Hawks made him a healthy scratch for a 6-3 loss to the Vancouver Canucks.
Kurashev said coach Luke Richardson broke the news to him before that game.
“(We) quickly watched some clips and told me I’m not playing, so yeah, that’s what it was,” Kurashev said.
“I mean, how I can react, you know? Of course, it’s not the best news you can get, but it’s just back to work, go to practice, so show your best and get back in the lineup.”
Richardson said Kurashev has responded well to the decision.
“I talked to him about why the decision was (made) not to play him, and he knows that,” he said “He took it like a man and he’s ready to come in and be a better player for us.”
The coach appears to be giving players a shorter leash this season, but Richardson could have singled out several veterans for poor play.
“It doesn’t matter who’s fair. Life is not fair,” Kurashev said. “So I take it like it is and I give my best next time.”
He wasn’t a healthy scratch for any of his career-high 75 games last season, when he finished second on the team in points (54) to linemate Connor Bedard (61).
“I mean, how I can react, you know? Of course, it's not the best news you can get, but it's just back to work, go to practice, so show your best and get back in the lineup.”
—Philipp Kurashev’s reaction to getting scratched for the Blackhawks’ game against the Canucks Tuesday pic.twitter.com/opUPQO4Xii
— Phillip Thompson (@_phil_thompson) October 24, 2024
Kurashev said Richardson showed him areas where he was lacking on the ice.
“Just being better in battles, just winning my one-on-ones, and then just supporting my linemates a little bit better,” Kurashev said. “And I think that’s what I can bring.”
Meanwhile, Lukas Reichel, who was a healthy scratch for the first four games, took some reps on the second power-play unit.
“We want to make sure we continue to have everybody get reps in there,” Richardson said. “Reichel’s been practicing really hard and he’s a guy who could flip-flop in, and it depends on who’s playing well in the game at that point.
“But if we got a penalty or power play right away on the first shift of the game, Kurashev would probably start there.”
“I talked to him about why the decision (was made) not to play him, and he knows that. He took it like a man and he’s ready to come in and be a better player for us.”
—Luke Richardson on Philipp Kurashev returning to the lineup after a healthy scratch pic.twitter.com/oUrMwuiSnY
— Phillip Thompson (@_phil_thompson) October 24, 2024
Defenseman Alex Vlasic briefly replaced Seth Jones on the top power-play unit against the Canucks, and he was top unit’s point man again in practice.
Richardson reiterated it’s about strategy and not solely a commentary on Jones’ performance.
“We talked about it, (and) I mentioned to him (Jones) in the third period last game about that, that they were keying on two righties on that side when it gets jammed up,” Richardson said. “He understood.”
He talked to Jones again Thursday “about that, but also about five-on-five play, and he said he wasn’t the greatest, as our whole team wasn’t the greatest last game or the smoothest. …
“We just need him to be like any other D: Move the puck quick, join the rush in the second wave,” Richardson said. “We can’t have them exhausted every shift, going up and down the ice trying to do everything. Just to kind of settle things, let the game come to him.”