NEWSLETTER
The Blackhawks are back in action tonight at the United Center, where they’ll welcome the Vancouver Canucks while still searching for their first victory of the season.
• Technically, tonight will be Patrick Kane’s 1,034th NHL game, but the Blackhawks will honor the career-Blackhawks winger for No. 1,000, because his actual 1,000th game with the Blackhawks (on March 9, 2021) was played during the fan-less COVID-19 season.
The time has come. 1️⃣ more sleep until we celebrate #1Kane https://t.co/hOi2FQaUrP
— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) October 20, 2021
• Who better to celebrate this milestone against than the Vancouver Canucks? After all, Kane’s Blackhawks legacy was largely forged by his role in an incredibly heated rivalry between the Blackhawks and Canucks in the early part of the previous decade. So let’s hope that Kaner and the Blackhawks fare better tonight than they did in his actual 1,000th game when they were crushed by the Dallas Stars.
• The Blackhawks were off on Wednesday, so I shifted gears and checked in on the farm with a recap of Rockford’s opening weekend. The IceHogs split a weekend double-header, but Alexander Nylander and Lukas Reichel had a strong weekend for Rockford.
Down On The Farm Report: IceHogs Split Opening Weekend; Nylander, Reichel Shine https://t.co/yhQXXIHpVt
— Bleacher Nation Blackhawks (@BN_Blackhawks) October 20, 2021
• Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times wrote up a terrific story on the usage — or lack thereof — of Dylan Strome, who has been a healthy scratch through the first four games of the season and the subject of trade rumors for weeks now. As Pope opines, the current plan of scratching Strome night in and night out isn’t only unfair to the player; it’s counterproductive to the Blackhawks on a pair of fronts.
The Blackhawks’ handling of Dylan Strome — scratching him 4 straight games — has become inexplicable and illogical.
It’s unfair to him. It’s detrimental to the team. And it’s even reducing his trade value.
My Wednesday column: https://t.co/Qcow8RuXeQ
— Ben Pope (@BenPopeCST) October 20, 2021
• Jonathan Toews is back, but he’s off to a historically slow start by his standards, and he knows it as well as anyone. The Daily Herald’s John Dietz spoke with Toews about his slow start and how the captain plans to ramp it up after missing an entire hockey season.
#Blackhawks Jonathan Toews: "No doubt I've got work to do."
Also notes on Mike Hardman, the sellout streak potentially ending and what the Hawks are celebrating tonight:https://t.co/S3HugUkdeN
— John Dietz (@johndietzdh) October 21, 2021
• Scott Powers over at The Athletic dropped a yearly regular in which he asks every player on the Blackhawks why they wear the number that they do. It’s a pretty fun read, so go and check that out and learn a thing or two about the players behind the sweater.
Why the Blackhawks wear their numbers: the 2021-22 season edition https://t.co/rbMALRcPsh
— Scott Powers (@ByScottPowers) October 21, 2021
• On the national front, the Seattle Kraken opened their inaugural NHL campaign with a hellacious road trip that has and will take them to five states and three different time zones before they drop the puck in their new arena in Seattle. The Athletic’s Kraken beat writer Ryan S. Clark has the story. Check it out!
Five games. Five states. Eight days. Three different time zones.
Maiden voyages are supposed to be memorable, and the Kraken's first road trip was indeed that.
From private jets to fashion emergencies, @ryan_s_clark reveals everything you didn't see ⤵️https://t.co/xN2SbBcQom
— The Athletic NHL (@TheAthleticNHL) October 20, 2021
• The Bulls won last night! Billy Donovan and his new-look Bulls became the first Bulls team to start the season 1-0 since the 2016-17 season. Check out Eli’s EBS from last night’s win over the Pistons in Detroit.
Enhanced Box Score: Bulls 94, Pistons 88 – October 20, 2021https://t.co/ULPY54rdOQ
— Bleacher Nation Bulls (@BN_Bulls) October 21, 2021
• Oh, and Zach LaVine is indeed THAT DUDE!
Zach LaVine is that dude.
(🎥 @NBCSBulls)
pic.twitter.com/rq17JFeBaH— Bleacher Nation Bulls (@BN_Bulls) October 21, 2021
• A friendly reminder not to put too much stock into pre-draft fodder.
One Draft Analyst Admits His Mistake: I Was Too Low on Justin Fields Before the Draft https://t.co/99z86Y0WaL
— Bleacher Nation Bears (@BN_Bears) October 20, 2021
• Too soon to get excited about the MLB Hot Stove SZN? Probably, but it’s ok to dream a little bit, Brett.
Cubs Have Reportedly Been Doing Their Homework on the Elite Shortstop Free Agent Market – https://t.co/xW8rdn8uCw pic.twitter.com/YsNU2sgSOq
— Bleacher Nation (@BleacherNation) October 20, 2021
That’s it for today!
