Sources: Chicago Sun-Times, Daily Herald, NBC Sports Chicago, The Athletic Chicago
Here's a summary of newsworthy notes from Day 3 of Blackhawks training camp:
* Colton Dach and Alec Regula left Saturday's scrimmage mid-game after each getting hurt.
* Collin Delia remained out with what is reportedly an injury so Malcolm Subban got his turn with Group A to tend the nets with Marc-Andre Fleury.
* Also getting their turn with Group A were Alex Nylander, Adam Gaudette, Henrik Borgstrom, and Ian Mitchell while Dylan Strome, Philipp Kurashev, Lukas Reichel, and Nicolas Beaudin cycled down to Group B.
* Head coach Jeremy Colliton commented that Seth Jones and Connor Murphy will "play a lot of minutes" and Jake McCabe will play with one or the other on the 1st or 2nd D pair.
* Forward lines, D pairs, and goalies for Group A:
DeBrincat - Johnson - Kane
Kubalik - Toews - Hagel
Nylander - Dach - Gaudette
Khaira - Carpenter - Borgstrom
McCabe - S Jones
Stillman - Murphy
de Haan - Kalynuk
C Jones - Mitchell
Fleury
Subban
* There's no camp today as Sunday is an off day for the players and coaches.
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Transition Game
As John Dietz from the Daily Herald commented while watching drills yesterday: "My observation: The passing from D-man to forward was flat-out atrocious. It's been an issue for years and something this team must fix."
Even with stronger goaltending, pretty good offensive weapons up front, and a revamped blueline, the Blackhawks are going to struggle to contend for a playoff berth if they can't get the puck out and up in a consistent and productive manner.
A clean breakout to flip the ice is critical to not only killing the energy of opponents who have been all too good at hemming the Hawks in their own end but also playing with pace to exert pressure right away to start rushes and generate offense.
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Puck Touches
Forwards who are committed to playing a full 200-foot game and engaging in puck battles anywhere on the ice are more often than not going to repeatedly touch the puck to either disrupt momentum by the opposition, force turnovers, or regain possession.
Centers need to make it a habit to touch the puck as many times as possible on each shift. Jonathan Toews, Tyler Johnson, Kirby Dach and Philipp Kurashev are good to great at it. Too early to say with Henrik Borgstrom but a clear weakness of Dylan Strome.
Wingers can also drive play with puck touches. Look no further than Brandon Hagel who is the king of this art form. There isn't a shift where he doesn't touch the puck multiple times in every zone and all without being a defensive liability.
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Lesson of the Day
While Wyatt Kalynuk may be the favorite to crack the starting lineup as a prospect -- albeit one with some NHL mileage already logged -- Jakub Galvas has been my dark horse to push hard for a roster spot due to his 5 years of pro experience in Europe.
So far in camp, Galvas has been turning heads which is somewhat of a surprise to most fans given how little fanfare he has received ever since being drafted in 2017. He may be slight in frame but he plays a steady, fundamentally simple and sound game.
The above clip of Galvas in action illustrates lessons in protecting the front of the net and maintaining a tight gap when venturing away. Keeping a tight gap helps to swiftly take away time and space from the opponent which can lead to unforced errors.
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Soupy Mic'd Up
Brian Campbell: "Hey with our sticks, just don't wave them around like wands. Think about where he's gonna be going with that puck." Right on, Soupy. Stick checking is an effective strategy in the defensive tool belt if employed with purpose and conviction.
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See you on the boards!
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