Campbell’ s streak intact; Van Riemsdyk leaves game
COLUMBUS, Ohio— The Blackhawks’ defensive dilemma might have solved itself Friday in the most unfortunate of ways.
Trevor van Riemsdyk went hard into the post while breaking up Josh Anderson’s scoring chance late in the second period and immediately went off to the dressing room holding his right arm or shoulder. He did not return.
“We’ll know more [ Saturday], but he may be out for a bit,” coach Joel Quenneville said after the Hawks’ 3- 2 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Should van Riemsdyk miss any significant amount of time, the Hawks will be back down to the typical seven defensemen on the roster. Which will prevent Quenneville from making unusual decisions like he did against the Jackets.
For two practices and a morning skate, Brian Campbell had skated outside the Hawks’ top six. It seemed all but inevitable that Campbell’s streak of 390 consecutive regular- season games played was going to come to an end. But Quenneville had other ideas.
Both Campbell and van Riemsdyk, who had been a healthy scratch the previous three games, were in the lineup. With Marian Hossa out ( but expected to return from a lower- body injury Saturday against the Toronto Maple Leafs), the Hawks dressed seven defensemen and just 11 forwards.
“We want to get our defense in there,” Quenneville said before the game. “[ Van Riemsdyk] has been out too many games; we want him playing. And we feel that there are seven ‘ D’, they all deserve to play, as well.”
For a moment, it appeared that Campbell— after 17 years as an NHL defenseman— was going to play left wing. Rookie Vinnie Hinostroza was a healthy scratch, and during warmups, Campbell skated with Nick Schmaltz and Ryan Hartman on the third line.
But once the game started, Campbell was part of a full- blown seven- man rotation on defense, skating on his natural left side ( he had spent the first four games on his off side) with either Brent Seabrook or Niklas Hjalmarsson, and on the right side on the power play with his usual partner, rookie Gustav Forsling. Meanwhile, the forward lines changed frequently, often shift to shift, as Quenneville plugged the hole in the lineup. Patrick Kane played a whopping 28: 48, double- shifting frequently.
High praise
Artem Anisimov spent three seasons with the Blue Jackets before being traded to the Hawks in the Brandon Saad deal after the 2014- 15 season. The game marked his first back at Nationwide Arena.
“I already experienced this when I was first traded to Columbus [ by the Rangers] and I arrived at Madison Square Garden,” Anisimov said. “But this feeling, it’s different. I don’t know how to describe this feeling, but it feels weird coming back.”
Jackets coach John Tortorella was Anisimov’s coach in New York, when Anisimov broke into the NHL.
“He’s probably one of the smartest players I’ve coached,” Tortorella said. “There’s no maintenance to him. I love him. He gets it.”
Congrats
Hossa ( lower- body injury) didn’t make the trip to Columbus, so Saad didn’t get to congratulate him in person for scoring his 500th goal. But Saad did send his old linemate a text after the game Tuesday.
“He’s a special player,” Saad said. It’s a big [ moment] for him. I’m sure he’s happy.
“Everyone who plays with him or watches him knows how good he is.”
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