My blog yesterday about team toughness was published a day early as it would have been the perfect storyline to highlight what may be missed most after Andrew Shaw announced his retirement after 10 NHL seasons.
Shaw epitomized what it means to have a heart of a champion and unquestionably defined the expression, "The size of the dog in the fight doesn't matter as much as the size of the fight in the dog."
For Shaw, his nickname "Mutt" wasn't just a style of play but also a way of life to thrive in the NHL. As fans know, Shaw was passed over twice in the draft yet proved that underdogs can raise the Cup.
When a player wants to see what it takes to put your body on the line to help the team win, just watch videos of Shaw sacrificing every part of himself -- physically and mentally -- in the name of competition.
This is the legacy that Shaw leaves behind in the Blackhawks organization. During the current rebuild, the young coach and the even younger players who are the future of the team need a guiding force.
The team identity is being forged around work ethic and compete level. Those are all well and good but any NHL team can claim the same thing. Does working and competing harder elevate a team to contender status?
Perhaps but, again, any NHL team can work and compete harder. It's Shaw's legacy, though, that can be that force to propel the Hawks to the next level. He was often the straw that stirred Chicago's drink.
What the rebuilding Hawks can learn from Shaw is playing tough in more ways than one. Battle every shift, sacrifice the body to make a play, make life hell for the opposition, and don't back down from anyone.
Every single player doesn't need to be at Shaw's level. But when every single player adopts the mentality of playing like Mutt, then even a team full of undersized underdogs can do more than just overachieve.
And that's the thing: Shaw didn't overachieve as a little guy in the big leagues. That was just the way he played. He brought his A game each and every night and has Cup rings to show for it.
Likewise, no matter the makeup of Chicago's roster, individual players and the team as a collective don't need to overachieve. Instead, play their game with a dose of Shaw and champions can be born naturally.
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Game Day
Game 49, April 27:
Blackhawks vs Lightning
7:00pm CST
Records:
Blackhawks, 22-21-5, 49 Pts (6th)
Lightning, 32-14-2, 66 Pts (3rd)
Season Series:
1-5-1
Goals For/Game:
Blackhawks, 2.77 (17th)
Lightning, 3.31 (6th)
Goals Against/Game:
Blackhawks, 3.10 (22nd)
Lightning, 2.58 (7th)
Power Play:
Blackhawks, 34-149, 22.8% (9th)
Lightning, 37-150, 24.7% (5th)
Penalty Kill:
Blackhawks, 101-132, 76.5% (27th)
Lightning, 126-153, 82.4% (9th)
For Tampa Bay, Marian Gaborik, Nikita Kucherov, Steven Stamkos, Jan Rutta, and Anders Nilsson are on LTIR.
Also, neither the Hawks nor the Bolts have any players on the NHL COVID-19 Protocol List.
The Lightning projected lineup (per DailyFaceoff.com):
Palat - Point - Barre-Boulet
Goodrow - Gourde - Coleman
Killorn - Cirelli - Johnson
Maroon - Colton - Joseph
Hedman - Cernak
McDonaugh - Savard
Sergachev - Schenn
Vasilevskiy
McElhinney
Also available: Gemel Smith (C), Mitchell Stephens (C), Daniel Walcott (W/D), Fredrik Claesson (D), Cal Foote (D), Christopher Gibson (G).
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Roster Updates
The news about Calvin de Haan was to be expected so it's a matter of how long is he out. As for Patrick Kane, he deserves a maintenance day (or two) to reenergize as he has arguably been in a rut lately.
While Ryan Carpenter's status wasn't on the radar, the video replay below illustrates why it really shouldn't come as unexpected. This will be his first extensive time on the shelf as a Blackhawk.
With de Haan and Carpenter out of commission for the foreseeable future, there's now opportunities for other players to get playing time including newcomers and rookies, especially with 8 games remaining.
On the blueline, Ian Mitchell and Nicolas Beaudin have a chance to start either taking turns or playing simultaneously if another veteran gets time off. The coaches would also need to opt for 11F/7D, too.
Consider this if Mitchell and Beaudin platoon:
Keith - Boqvist
Zadorov - Murphy
Stillman - Kalynuk
Mitchell or Beaudin
Then consider this if Zadorov is scratched:
Keith - Boqvist
Kalynuk - Murphy
Stillman - Mitchell
Beaudin (Zadorov sits)
If there is only 6D, then the coaches have more choices to make:
Keith - Boqvist
Zadorov - Murphy
Stillman - Kalynuk or Beadin or Mitchell
Ideally, Zadorov sits so as many rookies get more experience:
Keith - Boqvist
Kalynuk - Murphy
Stillman - Mitchell or Beaudin
At forward, Adam Gaudette could get another shot to prove his worth while Mike Hardman could make his NHL debut. Carpenter's absence opens up a spot but someone else would need to sit for both to suit up.
DeBrincat - Dach - Kane
Hagel - Strome - Kubalik
Suter - Gaudette - Kurashev
Hinostroza - Kampf - Connolly
Hardman
What if Dylan Strome is scratched again? The concern, though, is why scratch a natural center when the team lacks them. Strome's value for the team or on the market also depreciates with him in the press box.
The hit by Erik Gudbranson that took out Carpenter was pretty vicious with principal point of contact to the head. It's surprising that this play didn't get reviewed by the NHL Department of Player Safety.
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Prospect Updates
As reported by Scott Powers of the Athletic, last week D prospect Slava Demin entered the transfer portal to play his senior year of college elsewhere. He spent his first 3 years at the University of Denver.
Over a month ago, forward prospect Jake Wise transferred from Boston University after 3 seasons and will now be playing at the Ohio State University. Similarly, Wise is entering his senior year of college.
While both have intrigue, their stock as viable prospects has dipped over time. Demin may have more potential to be in the mix for an ELC as he had a strong end to his junior year. Wise, though, has fallen flat.
Next to the Wyatts (Kalynuk and Kaiser), Demin is considered one of the best skaters in the pipeline. As a D prospect, he's more defensively inclined despite his gifted skating ability and solid breakout passing.
Wise, though, has struggled with not only staying healthy but also being productive whenever he's fit to play. To his credit, coaches dubbed him one of the most offensively skilled in prospect camps.
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See you on the boards!
Chicago Blackhawks Blogger • 
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