A good hitter, Andreas looks to diversify
How prolific an offensive player is Andreas Martinsen? Put it this way: Only three Norwegian players have had more NHL points than the Blackhawks left winger.
All right, so that’s a bit misleading. Current Rangers forward Mats Zuccarello comes in at 325 points, and, well, the list goes off a cliff from there. Martinsen, 28, entered the matchup Friday night against the Kings at the United Center with all of 20 points in 139 NHL games, most of them with the Avalanche.
What the 6-3, 230-pound Martinsen is, above all else, is a thumper. Martinsen was leading the Central Division with 3.5 hits per game and coming off a seven-hit game in the Hawks’ 1-0 victory Wednesday against the Blues, the first win of Jeremy Colliton’s NHL coaching career.
It’s no wonder Martinsen was in the lineup for the fifth consecutive time since Joel Quenneville was fired. Not only that, but his ice time has been on a steady uptick.
“I think he’s playing well,” Colliton said. “He’s making an impact on the game, on the team. He’s being physical. He’s getting in the forecheck . . . . He reads the game well, and he’s got some speed when he gets going.”
Martinsen was plenty fast on the ice when he was a wiry 175-pounder, not yet 6 feet tall, at 17. Before long, he’d grown significantly, though, with leaps and bounds in added strength to go with it. Formerly a weight-room warrior, Martinsen dead-lifted in the neighborhood of 500 pounds.
His workouts focus much more on agility, quickness and his core now, but the die has been cast.
“A lot of guys, they see this big guy who runs around and hits guys and whatever,” he said. “I know what I can do. I’m here for a reason. And I have more to bring than just running around hitting guys.”
Such as?
“I can probably try to create more offense when we have the puck,” he said. “I know I’m strong on the puck, but sometimes I throw it away a little too soon instead of trusting myself and just holding on to it and making a play. I can also take it to the net way more, make stuff happen. That’s something I can, for sure, improve.”
Mixed message?
A healthy scratch for a second consecutive game was rookie left winger Alexandre Fortin, the fastest skater on the Hawks and a player who was in the lineup for 15 out of 15 games to begin his career. What does he have to do to get back on the ice?
“Keep doing what he’s doing,” Colliton said. “We’re happy with him. He’s played well. He adds a different dimension [with] his speed, making it uncomfortable for defensemen, winning races for us.
“It’s his first year. It’s not going to be easy for him. Next time he gets a chance, continue on the same progression and don’t allow us to take you out.”
In and out
Center Marcus Kruger got back on the ice after being activated from injured reserve, and defenseman Brandon Davidson (right leg) was put on IR retroactive to Nov. 13.