Friday 🌸 pic.twitter.com/rnsv5ViUel
— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) September 24, 2021
Here's a summary of newsworthy notes from Day 2 of Blackhawks training camp:
* Kevin Lankinen and Mike Hardman both entered COVID protocol.
* Collin Delia left the ice in discomfort after a sprinting drill but whatever he hurt is reportedly not serious.
* Jalen Luypen returned to practice after being helped off the ice on Day 1 with a leg injury.
* Dylan Strome played center yesterday after starting at left wing the day before.
* Colton Dach has requested a trade from the Saskatoon Blades expressing "a change of scenery in the WHL."
* Groups B and C scrimmaged with players "fighting for a chance to kind of move up" according to head coach Jeremy Colliton.
* Forward lines, D pairs, and goalies for Group A:
DeBrincat - Johnson - Kane Kubalik - Toews - Hagel Reichel - Dach - Kurashev Connolly - Strome/Carpenter - Khaira
McCabe - S Jones Stillman - Murphy de Haan - Kalynuk C Jones - Beaudin
Fleury Delia
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3rd String Goalie
Collin Delia just left the ice and looked to be in a lot of discomfort. #Blackhawks pic.twitter.com/b9XBv6qK4I
— Charlie Roumeliotis (@CRoumeliotis) September 24, 2021
Malcolm Subban and Delia are expected to be duking it out for the 3rd string to sit behind Marc-Andre Fleury and Lankinen. After what happened yesterday, though, the 4th string goalie became necessary as Lankinen and Delia were rendered unavailable due to different ailments.
Arvid Soderblom is the only other goalie eligible for recall given his NHL contract. The other system goalies Cale Morris and Tom Aubrun are on AHL deals and thus are ineligible for recall. Hopefully the Hawks don't need to go that deep into the minors for a backstop.
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Lesson of the Day
Iso on Dylan Strome pic.twitter.com/0ClFx9ETgB
— Scott Powers (@ByScottPowers) September 24, 2021
Iso on Tyler Johnson pic.twitter.com/1BMgOFYjSa
— Scott Powers (@ByScottPowers) September 24, 2021
Iso on Henrik Borgstrom pic.twitter.com/hUZRndaGzj
— Scott Powers (@ByScottPowers) September 24, 2021
Iso on Gaudette pic.twitter.com/c8uiwDP3qs
— Scott Powers (@ByScottPowers) September 24, 2021
But in comparison, Johnson, Borgstrom, and Gaudette exemplified the lesson of engaging with the puck whether hunting it down, digging it out, and making a productive play with it or getting in position close enough to teammates putting in that dirty work to gain possession.
Centers generally are involved in the play in all zones rather than standing off to the side. While they don't necessarily need to be the one to get the puck and make direct plays with it, they at least need to be a key cog in dictating the pace. So can Strome be a pace dictator?
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See you on the boards!