With Seth Jones' homecoming to Columbus spoiled as he entered COVID protocol after being pulled from practice earlier in the day, the top D pair of Connor Murphy and Calvin de Haan stepped up to lead the Blackhawks over the Blue Jackets in the rubber match of the road trip.
Murphy and de Haan each chipped in goals while logging 24:22 and 21:14 TOI, respectively, mainly at even strength and 2+ minutes each on the penalty kill. They also registered a combined 6 blocked shots and 3 hits. Riley Stillman skated 21:49 TOI with 3 hits and 2 assists.
However, arguably the best defender on the night was rookie Jakub Galvas who had an impressive NHL debut all while playing his opposite side on the right as a leftie. He was awarded with 23:40 TOI including 6:53 as the 1st PP quarterback and 1:51 as a member of the 2nd PK unit.
Defensively, Galvas was steady and composed making simple, smart plays and staying tethered to the slot. He maintained tight gaps and was efficient in his clears. On offense, he showed a willingness to jump into the play when the opportunity presented itself and not force the issue.
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Blackhawks Game Summary
Starting Lineup
Borgstrom - Strome - Kane
DeBrincat - Toews - Kubalik
Kurashev - Dach - Entwistle
Khaira - Carpenter - Connolly
de Haan - Murphy
Stillman - Galvas
C Jones - Mitchell
Fleury
Soderblom
Scratches:
Hardman, Beaudin
Abridged Boxscore
1st Goal (0-1): Jenner (Nyquist, Werenski)
2nd Goal (1-1): DeBrincat (Stillman)
3rd Goal (2-1): de Haan (Kurashev, Entwistle)
4th Goal (3-1): Murphy (Toews, Kane)
5th Goal (3-2): Nyquist (unassisted) SH
6th Goal (4-2): DeBrincat (Stillman) EN
SOG For/Against: 20/26
PP: 0-for-4
PK: 2-for-2
Faceoffs Won: 61%
Scoring Analysis
* On the 1st goal scored, Stillman made a nice slap pass to deceive the Columbus defense and feed Alex DeBrincat to tie the game 1-1.
* On the 2nd goal scored, Philipp Kurashev's hustle was the key factor as he beat the Jackets to the puck, fended them off, scanned his options, and feathered a pass for de Haan to deposit.
* On the 3rd goal scored, the Hawks displayed quick puck movement from behind the net, to between the circles, and onto the left circle for Murphy to send a one timer home.
* On the 4th goal scored, Stillman connected with DeBrincat again who followed up his missed shot on goal to bury the empty netter and put the final nail in the coffin.
* On the 1st goal allowed, Gustav Nyquist gained an extra step to get ahead of Dylan Strome then Boone Jenner pushed off of Caleb Jones at the right moment to achieve separation for an uncontested shot in the slot.
* On the 2nd goal allowed, an ill-advised PP pass by DeBrincat trying to hit Strome was picked off by Nyquist who pulled the Jackets within one as he capitalized on the 2-on-1 shorthanded chance.
Game Notes
* Ian Mitchell needs to be more selective with his stretch passes given that his teammates just aren't open much of the time and learn to use his feet to move the puck up ice as extra strides can make a difference.
* Caleb Jones employed smooth edge work including lateral C cuts with speed to evade the opposition and escape the zone; however, he still stands to reduce his turnovers in order to be a more reliable defender.
* Kirby Dach seems to expend too much energy on wasted movements as he tries to stickhandle through multiple opponents or to go around the world in the offensive zone but fail to generate a scoring chance.
* While he surely will lose many foot races, Strome has been giving a more noticeable effort to actually impact 50/50 battles by using his hockey sense and improved positioning to contribute defensively.
Highlights
Goal by Alex DeBrincat
Goal by Calvin de Haan
Goal by Connor Murphy
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Roster Updates
COVID Protocol
Newly entered into protocol:
* Seth Jones, Defenseman
* Jake McCabe, Defenseman
* Mike Gapski, Head Athletic Trainer
* Troy Parchman, Head Equipment Manager
Still in protocol:
* Brandon Hagel, Left Wing
* Sam Lafferty, Right Wing
* Erik Gustafsson, Defenseman
Out of protocol:
* Kevin Lankinen, Goalie
Defense Corps
With Seth Jones, Jake McCabe, and Erik Gustafsson out, the blueline is likely to look like what it did last night with a youngster rotating in and out if Galvas and Mitchell aren't leaned on regularly. Nicolas Beaudin is on the active roster again so he could cycle into the lineup.
Any of Galvas, Mitchell, or Beaudin could also get reassigned to Rockford to make way for Wyatt Kalynuk, Isaak Phillips, or Alec Regula to join the taxi squad or head straight to the active roster. Interim head coach Derek King has remarked he doesn't want any of them sitting for too long.
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IceHogs Updates
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