First, let’s jump on today’s game. As a reminder, the Blackhawks take the ice in Nashville at 1 PM CT. So get your breakfast taken care of and find someone else to handle the yardwork because it’s an afternoon hockey tilt in the city where the Blackhawks draft Connor Bedard. Let’s get it!
Taylor Hall is traveling with the team and will skate in warm-ups. If he feels good, he’s in. Which would be a nice help to the offense. The Hawks need to score.
From Thursday night’s post-game with head coach Luke Richardson on Corey Perry:
He’s hard on the𒉰 stick and he’s competitive a🅘nd that just becomes infectious around the dressing room. But it’s still showing up on the scoresheet. I mean, you’re going to have to kick him out of the league. I don’t think he’ll ever leave willingly, so he’s not ready to go yet.
Perry has four goals in 14 games, which puts him on pace for more than 20. He hasn’t scored 20 in a season since 2015-16 in Anaheim. Many wondered what he would bring on the ice and what he had left other than leadership in the room. He’s been really good so far.
This was a great, emotional moment before and during Thursday night’s game. It was Military Appreciation Night at the United Center and this one grabbed me square in the feels.
Tomorrow night is Hockey Fights Cancer night at the United Center when the Blackhawks host the Buffalo Sabres. Note: the atrium doors will open at 3:30 PM for the Purple Carpet event, with gates to the United Center opening at 4:30 PM. The first 10,000 fans to enter the United Center (including the Atrium) will receive a purple “Hockey Fights Cancer” scarf.
This is from a couple days ago but I thought it was interesting re: where Bedard is scoring:
How about some prospect highlights?
Nick Lardis didn’t play for Brantford last night in the OHL.
It’s okay, though, because…
Paul Ludwinski‘s point streak extended to 11 games with an assist in Kingston’s 6-3 loss to Mississauga last night. He also won 11 of 19 faceoffs.
Colton Dach scored his first professional goal for the IceHogs last night. Congrats Colton!
In the college ranks, Frank Nazar, Ryan Greene and Landon Slaggert all had one goal, one assist nights for their respective teams. Nazar won 15 of 21 faceoffs in a great win for Michigan, Greene scored on the power play for BU and won 7 of 11 faceoffs. And Slaggert picked up an assist on Notre Dame’s game-winner and scored into an empty net as the Irish upset the Gophers at Minnesota.
Something to keep an eye on, however: the game between Michigan and Penn State got physical in the third period. Michigan saw Dylan Duke, Rutger McGroarty, and Mark Estapa all leave the game because of injuries, including McGroarty needing a stretcher on a play that was not reviewed and did not have a penalty called. We’ll see how Michigan fills in for three important players on Saturday night and how chippy it gets again. Maybe the hockey team will just hand it off the entire game and still win like the football team did to Penn State last weekend?
For the record: professional athletes wear hats they think look good, not for teams in a city they want to live in long term (usually). HOWEVER, I’m going to go all the way in on the idea that William Nylander wearing a Cubs hat while taking selfies in his home country is a sign he’s going to sign a team-friendly deal to play for the Blackhawks this summer because it’s the middle of November and why the heck not?
Finally, I really hope the Bears can figure something out to keep Jaylon Johnson around for a while because he’s developing into a really good corner.
