Tribute to Pat Foley
One of the main reasons I became not just a Blackhawks fan but a hockey fan in general was listening to Pat Foley do the play-by-play for games. Win, lose, or draw, he had a natural ability to engage viewers with his enthusiasm, quirks, and catch phrases.
When thinking about the core pieces of my Blackhawks fandom, Foley was one of them. The dark ages in the late 1990s and early 2000s was sad for many reasons -- including a decade of futility -- but a few years without Foley's voice was up there for me as a major reason.
It's only fitting that as the player personnel goes through a rebuild so are other areas of the franchise including management and the broadcast crew. Foley is a part of that transition out. Yet, it's also fitting that the Hawks delivered him a W in his swan song.
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Reese Johnson Re-Signing
All teams have "okay for now players" on their roster where they fill a key role in the present and near future but aren't necessarily fixtures where they are untouchable. Is this the same as a "dime a dozen" player? Sometimes but not always.
According to beat reporters, Reese Johnson replaces what left when Ryan Carpenter was shipped to Calgary at the trade deadline. For a few years, Carpenter was an affordable 4C who played with energy, grit, and sandpaper while being a reliable penalty killer.
A 4C who can kill penalties, Johnson is the same way but younger and cheaper as well as bringing more energy, grit, and sandpaper than Carpenter. He's a much better skater, too, and a solid leader on the bench and in the locker room.
Could Johnson upgrade his stock over the next two years to be more valuable to the Hawks and possibly attractive to other teams? Think bottom 6 forwards like Blake Coleman and Barclay Goodrow that contenders covet and will pay a pretty penny to obtain.
It's doubtful Johnson rises to that level but you never know. He at least can anchor a tough-as-nails 4th line. Assuming Sam Lafferty also re-signs, there's a high likelihood that next season's 4th line is comprised of Johnson centering Lafferty and MacKenzie Entwistle.
What about Jujhar Khaira? One would think he as well as Tyler Johnson and/or Brett Connolly are buyout candidates. One trade that could be worth exploring is sending Spokane-native Tyler Johnson to the Kraken for a late-round draft pick.
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Blackhawks Game Summary
Thursday Boxscore
DeBrincat - Strome - Kane
Kurashev - Toews - Raddysh
Lafferty - Reichel - Dach
Katchouk - R Johnson - Entwistle
Stillman - S Jones
McCabe - Regula
Vlasic - de Haan
Lankinen
Delia
Scratches:
Borgstrom, T Johnson, Kubalik, Gustafsson, C Jones
1st Goal (1-0): Kane (Strome, DeBrincat)
2nd Goal (1-1): Meier (Hertl, Burns)
3rd Goal (2-1): Raddysh (S Jones, Kane) PP
4th Goal (2-2): Reedy (Nieto, Chmelevski)
5th Goal (3-2): de Haan (Kane, DeBrincat)
6th Goal (4-2): Strome (S Jones, DeBrincat)
7th Goal (4-3): Balcers (Couture, Karlsson)
8th Goal (4-4): Megna (Meier, Hertl)
Shootout (5-4): DeBrincat
Blackhawks:
* Toews (save)
* Kane (save)
* DeBrincat (goal)
Sharks:
* Hertl (save)
* Couture (save)
* Karlsson (save)
SOG For/Against: 32/37
PP: 1-for-3
PK: 1-for-1
Faceoffs Won: 64%
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Blackhawks Notebook
Plays like this is what helps put butts in seats even when a team like the Blackhawks will bottom out first in order to build up to be a contender again. Regardless, Patrick Kane controls his own destiny on whether he wants to be part of the rebuild or seek a greener pasture sooner.
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IceHogs Notebook
With captain Garrett Mitchell returning for 2022-23, the IceHogs lock in veteran leadership for a farm team that is a critical component to the rebuild. Dmitri Osipov could also earn another contract. Expect a D veteran like Ryan Stanton to be in Rockford, too.
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See you on the boards!
Sources: Chicago Sun-Times, Chicago Tribune, Daily Herald, NBC Sports Chicago, The Athletic Chicago
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