IF ONLY HE WERE KILLING IT
Improving Reichel still only partway there
The Blackhawks finally have Lukas Reichel skating at a high level. That's one box checked.
The next one is for him to translate that skating (and the puck-possession time it's creating) into real scoring chances and production — a rosier outlook for the 21-year-old German forward heading toward the summer than what he has shown for most of this season.
Reichel has looked more active and assertive since returning from a stint in Rockford to boost his confidence. But in his first fives games back in the Hawks' lineup, including Tuesday night's 3-1 victory over the Flames, he has only one point (an assist) and five total shots on goal.
“Confidence is such a big thing,” Reichel said Monday. “But without the puck and getting pucks back and competing every single day, that's a big thing I needed to work on.
“I've felt good, but [I would] just like to have that killer instinct to put it in the net or make that last pass that creates a shot or leads to a goal. So [I'll] just try to keep working on that, and hopefully I produce chances and everything.”
Reichel had one of his best shifts in a long time in the second period Saturday in a win over the Sharks. He hopped on the ice and made a nice pass around a defender to defenseman Seth Jones, who fired a hard shot from the faceoff circle. After the Sharks started a breakout, Reichel chased winger Filip Zadina from behind and stripped him in the neutral zone, then turned the other way and circled 360 degrees around the entire offensive zone before passing off to Jones for another hard shot.
The only gripe about that impressive sequence is that Reichel never got into the interior of the zone, which is where most NHL goals are scored. If he can keep hustling this tenaciously, protecting the puck this well and keeping his head up this much while penetrating defensive structures, he'll truly be dangerous.
Coach Luke Richardson called him one of the Hawks' “most noticeable guys” against the Sharks and mentioned another shift in the third period in which he forced a turnover in the offensive zone, evaded a defender, passed the puck and maneuvered into open space for a one-timer that he unfortunately blasted high and wide.
“I loved how he turned and opened up, like, ‘I want it and I want to shoot it,' ” Richardson said.
However, he also mentioned a rush with forward Connor Bedard early in the second period in which Reichel skated too deep too quickly and took himself out of the play. If he had instead pulled up around the net front, he could have been an option for Bedard or jammed in a potential rebound.
“I would like to see him try to not just be one-and-done,” Richardson said. “Shoot, reload, get open somewhere else for a second chance and be a threat. Because sometimes when someone gets a shot and the puck goes away, everybody's eyes go away, and you get lost. You're the guy that's going to be the most dangerous if we get the puck back.”
Reichel's entry-level deal expires this summer. Coming off such a disappointing season, it will be interesting to see how small his next contract turns out to be. He said he's trying not to think about that.
In the meantime, he consciously attacked the net during a two-on-two drill Monday. He's aware that's the next step he needs to take.
Asked what he wants to prove during the closing stretch, he again brought up “killer instinct.” It's just a matter of actually translating his talents and flashes of improvement into results.