The Chicago Blackhawks were still buzzing about Colton Dach a day after his NHL debut Friday in a 4-2 win over the Montreal Canadiens at the United Center.
“He was great,” Connor Bedard said after practice Saturday at Fifth Third Arena. “He brought us a lot of energy. He’s very physical and he’s got a lot of skills, especially around the net, in the corners and tight areas.
“It’s hard to find guys with all the skill sets he has.”
Dach’s arrival — and Frank Nazar’s before him — puts spots in the lineup at a premium, and for now it’s Philipp Kurashev and Lukas Reichel who’ve found themselves squeezed out.
“It’s performance-based at this level,” interim coach Anders Sorensen said before the Canadiens game. “To stay in the lineup or play more minutes, you have to perform and expectations. At moments they’ve done it, but now there are some guys coming in, if it’s Colton that we want to give an opportunity (to), there’s a trickle-down effect.
“(Reichel and Kurashev are) learning and they’ve been pros about it, and they’re not happy and we don’t expect them to be happy. … So now when we get an opportunity to get back in the lineup, what are you going to do with it?”
The Hawks have been slowly working in more young players and Rockford IceHog exports who likely will make up the future core, so it’s not a good sign if you’re currently on the outside looking in.
Reichel still has an additional season left at $1.2 million, but Kurashev ($2.25 million) will be an arbitration-eligible restricted free agent after the season. Both have to show their value, whether it’s for the Hawks or another team.
Kurashev has been scratched in six of the last eight games.
For Reichel, a 2020 first-round pick, minutes have been hard to come by as a fourth-liner. He was scratched Friday after lackluster performances against the Dallas Stars and St. Louis Blues. And he looks like a scratch for Sunday against the New York Rangers.
“It sucks,” Reichel told the Tribune. “I want to play, of course. Everyone wants to play. That’s what I love, but I can’t control it.
“So I’m not worried about what happened, just more like working hard in the gym and (keeping) myself in shape so when I get out there I’m ready to go.”
Reichel said he’s hunkering down with Sorensen, going over video clips.
“He told me (to be) a little bit harder on pucks,” Reichel said. “He said I have chances but I’m not finishing it.”
Also, he has to learn not to defer so much, though he considers playmaking for linemates a big part of his makeup.
“I’m just playing my game, and it’s like setting up guys,” he said. “But at the same time, I can shoot more so those other things open up. Because if you’re a D-man and you know me, like, I’m probably going to pass it.”
Ryan Donato said if he has any advice for Reichel, it’s just go about your job, work hard in practice and work with the coaches.
“He’s not letting anybody see that he’s upset,” he said. “He’s doing the right thing, and that’s what pros do. I’m sure when he gets his chance to come back, he’ll be hungry and ready to go.”
Nick Foligno said that as captain, he has had conversations with Reichel and Kurashev — and the rest of the team believes in them — but there’s a limit to how much he or any teammate should get involved.
“It’s been enough times these guys have played in the league now,” Foligno told the Tribune.
“Lukas is a little different, but Kursh isn’t really a young player anymore, and I think he’s understanding that there’s a certain style and way he needs to play to have success.”
Kurashev posted 18 goals and 36 assists in 75 games last season, but he has had just three goals and two assists in 30 games this season and has been more of a defensive liability.
In Foligno’s estimation, Kurashev’s game needs to be more straightforward and less about trying to rely on skills.
“I think Kursh is working through the understanding of who he is as a player,” he said. “OK, I had one year of really good success last year, and the years before that, I was still trying to find myself. So what am I really, you know?
“That’s where he has to understand, he’s that hard-nosed going to the net, uses skill and speed that way, as opposed to trying to skill and speed it all the way, all over the ice. He’s got to be that guy that’s more direct.”
Reichel has been stronger defensively this season and has a modest three goals and eight assists in 34 games. His issue is consistency, Foligno said.
“Reichs, it’s more the consistency of working through confidence and understanding that you need to be this way every night — every night.
“As a young player, sometimes you’re like, OK, I did well for a few games here. No, you can’t have a night off. That’s being a pro. … You’re going to have a couple bad games, but you’ve got to catch yourself right away after that or find a way to make an impact, even if your game isn’t quite where it needs to be.”
Foligno said that Reichel has to pay attention to the details, such as puck battles, but he and Kurashev had a better showing in practice Saturday.
“They’re great teammates (and) I want to see them have success,” Foligno said. “If they do well, the team is doing well, so that’s the message to them.
“But there’s not a lot of hand-holding. At some point you really do have to take control of your own career and understand it’s on you a little bit to get yourself out of it.”
Here are three other things we learned Saturday.
1. The win over the Canadiens lifted a weight.
The way the Hawks were blown out by the St. Louis Blues in the Winter Classic on Tuesday was a hard pill, but a win — any win — is a panacea.
“It’s everything,” Donato said. “Even if you come to practice the next morning, you might be sort of a little tired, but having everybody in a good mood and laughing and making jokes, it creates a lot of positivity. And practices tend to be better as well.”
Added Bedard: “Yeah, it’s big.”
A couple of wins in a row or more would help the Hawks regain the momentum they had when Sorensen took over last month but lost during a five-game skid.
“We weren’t only losing, we were losing by a lot,” Bedard said. “And it’s frustrating, of course. So it’s good to just kind of turn the page a little bit, and hopefully we can use that momentum.”
2. How does Bedard handle the ups and downs?
He had his personal slumps, such as a 12-game goal drought and the constant questions during that stretch.
The Hawks have had their lows — losing streaks and the firing of coach Like Richardson — and Bedard gets asked about that. Sometimes he wears the frustration on his face and his voice carries it in his tone.
“When you’re losing five straight, then you’re going to be upset,” he said. “Of course you want to stay even-keeled as much as you can, but as a competitive guy, you treat every game like it’s the biggest game.
“I’d rather be getting mad than not caring.”
3. What worked for the Hawks against the Canadiens?
It was the first time the Hawks won since Dec. 19 against the Seattle Kraken, which also came by a two-goal margin. Also, the Hawks had three five-on-five goals, and that phase of the game had deserted them recently.
“A lot of our goals were maybe a little more simple plays,” Bedard said. “But in the end, Sody (Arvid Söderblom) was great as well, really helped us out.” The goalie made 38 saves on 40 shots.
Donato said the Hawks were winning more puck battles and putting shots on net.
“Sometimes I might be a guy that shoots it too much, but at the end of the day, these goalies are so good, you got to get numbers on them and get second rebounds and second chances and win second battles,” he said.
Pat Maroon, Tyler Bertuzzi and Foligno all scored from down low — Maroon’s came on a pass from Donato.
Foligno scored one goal on a deflection and another after a couple of rebounds.
“When you’re slinging the puck and shooting the puck at the net and getting guys at the net, you tend to play a lot more offense and create more offensive-zone time,” Donato said. “Eventually, whether it’s a great shot or a rinky-dink shot from the point that somehow hits three different sticks and ends up in the crease and a guy puts it away, it doesn’t really matter how it happens.
“And I think last night kind of attests to that.”
