NEWSLETTER
Even though the Chicago Blackhawks are not in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, that doesn’t mean that we can’t watch some of the players and prospects from the organization excel and make us excited for the future at the IIHF World Championships. That’s exactly the case with guys like Dominik KubalÃk and Lukas Reichel so far through a day and a half of action at the tournament being held in Latvia.
•  KubalÃk tallied a goal and an assist in the opening game of the tournament with the Czech Republic in a 4-3 loss to Russia. He clapped a huge slap shot in the third period on the powerplay to tie the game late in “vintage” KubalÃk form. It was a reminder that the guy has a dangerous shot that was underutilized by the Blackhawks on the powerplay this season.
•  Even with his 17 goals in 56 games this season, four of which came on the powerplay, it always felt like he could have been doing more. But that’s not on him. He needs to be utilized on the man-advantage more next season.
•  As for Reichel, I want to pre-empt my next statement by saying the Germans have played Norway and Italy in their first two games, not incredibly world-beaters full of NHL players on their rosters. But it looks like he has the makings to be a real impact player. He’s one of the youngest players on the German squad and the offense has been flowing through him in their first two contests at the IIHF World Championships.
•  Reichel has five points in two games in the tournament so far, including a slick steal and score in this morning’s win over Norway.
Lukas! ðŸ¤#IIHFWorlds #Blackhawks pic.twitter.com/f0v2TyC8EK
— Bleacher Nation Blackhawks (@BN_Blackhawks) May 22, 2021
•  If the Blackhawks found another, dare I say, Teuvo Teravainen-type of player in the middle fo the first round of the draft, that would be incredible scouting on the part of the Blackhawks. This time around, they’ll do right to keep him in a Blackhawks uniform for much longer than they did Teravainen.
•  Speaking of Teravainen, the Hurricanes had an opportunity to take a 3-0 hold on their series against the Predators last night in a game that was tied in double-overtime, but Nashville had other plans for their first playoff home game of the series.
MATT DUCHENE! DOUBLE OT HERO! 🚨#ItsOn pic.twitter.com/d6aDgfuMPO
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) May 22, 2021
•  Matt Duchene didn’t need to do that to Jake Bean, my goodness.
•  We have a series now between the Hurricanes and Predators with Carolina leading 2-1 now.
•  Speaking of teams with former Blackhawks, the Colorado Avalanche are doing what everyone expected them to do against the St. Louis Blues. With another win last night, they hold a 3-0 series lead over the Blues thanks in part to Brandon Saad.
https://twitter.com/HeresYourReplay/status/1395953528120782851?s=20
•  He has a very real chance of adding a third Stanley Cup to his mantle this summer.
•  The Avalanche will be without Nazem Kadri for the rest of this series against the Blues and for most of their upcoming series against the winner of the Vegas-Minnesota series after being levied an eight-game suspension for his hit on Justin Faulk.
Colorado’s Nazem Kadri has been suspended for eight games for an Illegal Check to the Head on St. Louis’ Justin Faulk. https://t.co/5rg2ZPVm5P
— NHL Player Safety (@NHLPlayerSafety) May 22, 2021
•  Somewhere, Tom Wilson is cackling.
Nazem Kadri has now been suspended six times by the NHL, totalling 16 playoff games and 11 regular-season games.
— Chris Johnston (@reporterchris) May 22, 2021
•  Kadri has a history, so you can’t feel bad for him getting this suspension dropped on him for that hit, but it’s a lot like that case with Wilson. Kadri is a really good player who, if he didn’t make these bone-headed plays, would be a lot better and more revered across the league.
By the time his suspension ends, Nazem Kadri will have been suspended for 31% of the playoff games his teams have played during his career
— Pete Blackburn (@PeteBlackburn) May 22, 2021
•  That’s nuts.
•  And from one bad hit to another, medical tests are coming back positively for Toronto Maple Leafs Captain John Tavares.
TOR GM Kyle Dubas says CT scans and MRIs cleared John Tavares of structural damage to his head, neck and spine. That’s great to hear.
— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) May 22, 2021
•  The concussion that Tavares will be recovering from will take some time, but we know for sure he’ll be out at least the next two weeks due to a knee injury he also suffered from the collision with Ben Chiarot and Corey Perry.
John Tavares sustained a knee injury in the collision with Corey Perry, plus a concussion. He'll be out a minimum of two weeks for the knee issue.
— Chris Johnston (@reporterchris) May 22, 2021
•  Just hoping that he can recover fully from both. Like I Said yesterday, I would be really surprised if he came back this postseason.
•  Two players that have yet to show up in the postseason has been Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl for the Oilers. Down 2-0 in the series against the Winnipeg Jets with two home losses, McDavid and Draisaitl have combined for…ZERO points. The Oilers, in two games, have one goal scored by Jesse Puljujarvi.
The Edmonton Oilers have one goal in two games because if McDavid and Draisaitl aren't doing the most, well….
— Shayna (@hayyyshayyy) May 22, 2021
•  Credit where it’s due to the Jets and to Connor Hellebuyck, they have done everything they can in the Stanley Cup Playoff rule book to lock down McDavid and Hellebuyck has stopped 70 of 71 shots faced heading to Winnipeg with a two-game series lead. Not the position many thought the Oilers would be in after two games. I blame those awful sweaters.
•  That’ll do it for today. Have yourselves a Saturday!
