The Blackhawks finish up the current road trip with an afternoon affair in Tampa Bay. Ending with a win would be a boost to team confidence as the Hawks weren't grossly outplayed by any stretch in the last game.
Kevin Lankinen would probably want back a few of his goals allowed on Thursday as they were within his means to make the save. Look for him to be the starter today to show faith in his ability to rebound.
What would help get the Hawks over the hump against the Lightning is out hustling them on every play. Look no further than rookie winger Brandon Hagel as the role model for what to do and how to do it.
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Side Hustle
It's no surprise why Hagel has become a fan favorite. Despite his size (5'11" 174 pounds), Hagel will outwork any opponent even those who are bigger and stronger. If they beat him once, he is rarely beaten again.
Hagel's work is never done until he has the puck or ensures the other team doesn't have possession. That doggedness to keep after the puck is no simple feat to duplicate every shift or even within the same shift.
Yet, Hagel does it so well. Can his teammates do the same? At the most basic level, if a smallish player can outmuscle opponents of all sizes and strength levels, then it should be easy enough to do what he does.
But, it's easier said than done. And that capacity to get after it for an entire shift and for every shift is what places Hagel a cut above. If the Hawks can replicate that mentality, they would win more games.
The philosophy that the coaches stress is predicated on work ethic and compete level. So far in the rebuild, the Hawks are demonstrating they have both traits. Now, it's a matter of persistence and consistency.
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Short Straw
Offensively, Hagel is starting to ramp up. He is now up to 3 goals and 7 assists in 28 games. While he would be hard pressed to be a PPG player in the NHL, performing around 0.50 PPG is within reach.
One current opponent who could be a comparable for Hagel is Lightning center Yanni Gourde. Like Hagel, Gourde flat out hustles every shift and makes an impact on every play within each shift. Very pesky, too.
Gourde had 64 points in his first full season in the NHL so that may be an outlier. His water level, though, is around 20 goals and 45 points in a standard 82-game season but also capable of 50+ points.
That offensive output is realistic for Hagel and would make him a logical candidate to play middle 6 regularly for the Hawks. He's already a top penalty killer and could also be a power play weapon.
Hagel is actually a tad bigger than Gourde by a few inches in height. Regardless of his size and role, amongst a team full of all stars, Gourde is the straw that stirs the drink for the Lightning.
Hagel is becoming the same for the Blackhawks.
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Game Day
Game 32, March 20: Blackhawks @ Lightning 3:00pm CST
Records: Blackhawks, 14-12-5, 33 Pts (4th) Lightning, 21-6-2, 44 Pts (1st)
Season Series: 1-4-1
Goals For/Game: Blackhawks, 2.97 (14th) Lightning, 3.62 (1st)
Goals Against/Game: Blackhawks, 3.23 (24th) Lightning, 2.34 (5th)
Power Play: Blackhawks, 28-96, 29.2% (2nd) Lightning, 28-97, 28.9% (4th)
Penalty Kill: Blackhawks, 69-95, 72.6% (27th) Lightning, 83-99, 83.8% (7th)
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See you on the boards!