It’s not easy playing on fourth line
Morin looking to do all he can in limited minutes
Peter Regin shrugged. He knew Daniel Carcillo was set to return Sunday and knew his spot in the Blackhawks’ lineup — maybe even on the roster— was in jeopardy. But as he prepared for the Hawks’ game Friday in Detroit, Regin wasn’t too worried.
‘‘Not really,’’ he said. ‘‘The only way I can control it is by how I play.’’
But how much can you really control in 10 minutes of ice time? Or eight? Or six?
With Carcillo returning Sunday against the Dallas Stars and Joakim Nordstrom recalled from Rockford, Regin was sent back Saturday to Rockford. His fourgame stint with the Hawks was perfectly acceptable but entirely unmemorable. That’s the problem with life on the fourth line: The only way to earn more playing time is to make an impact, but it’s tough to make much of an impact without much playing time.
That has been the story of Jeremy Morin’s career so far. In three stints with the Hawks last season, he had five goals and six assists in 24 games. But four of those goals and two of those assists came in April, when Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane were injured and Morin’s ice time increased from about eight minutes a night to about 12. He has yet to register a point in 14 games while averaging fewer than eight minutes this season.
‘‘Obviously, that’s frustrating,’’ Morin said of the points drought. ‘‘At the same time, I just have to keep going. There’s nothing I can do about it.’’
Playing limited minutes can be a double-edged sword. It’s hard enough to get into a rhythm and contribute offensively when you’re sitting on the bench for six or seven minutes of game action — that might be about 15 minutes of actual time — as you wait through power plays and penalty kills for your next turn on the ice. Then when you do get out there, you feel the pressure of having to be perfect, knowing that every chance to impress the coaches might be your last for a while.
As Morin has learned, the leash is shorter than it is for a more established player, too. One mistake or bad penalty might land you on the bench— or even in the press box for the next game.
In his limited minutes, Morin has generated his share of offense. The Hawks have attempted 45more shots than their opponents when he has been on the ice, putting his even-strength Corsi percentage (which measures shot attempts) among the top 10 in the league. He’s putting shots on goal at a higher rate (15 per 60 minutes of ice time) than anyone on the team, including Kane and Patrick Sharp, all without playing on the power play.
But with nothing to show for it on the scoresheet, Morin has been trying to win over coach Joel Quenneville in other ways. He fought Adam Burish late in a victory against the San Jose Sharks and picked up a couple of roughing penalties.
‘‘You just try to make the most of your minutes,’’ he said. ‘‘I’m not creating offense right now, so I’m trying to bring some physicality and stuff like that. You’ve got to try to influence the game with however many minutes you get. You’ve got to do something when you’re out on the ice.’’
On a team with so many established veteran forwards, there’s not a lot of upward mobility. But Quenneville insists the opportunity is there. It’s just amatter of forcing his hand.
‘‘Overcomplicating and trying to press or getting our of your element [won’t help],’’ Quenneville said. ‘‘What got you to the league — playing to your strengths — is basically what we’re talking about. You want to make sure that’s what you do.
NOTE: Late Saturday, the Hawks recalled goalie Scott Darling from Rockford and demoted goalie Antti Raanta to Rockford.