Slumper party: Hartman in, Panik out against Panthers
Richard Panik’s benching Tuesday against the Panthers was the latest sign of the Blackhawks’ struggles this season. Mired in a 21- game goal- less streak, Panik was replaced by the slumping Ryan Hartman on the third line with Patrick Sharp and Vinnie Hinostroza.
Coach Joel Quenneville intimated that it was more than the goal drought that earned the 6- 1, 208- pound Panik, 26, a healthy scratch.
“We think he could be way more dangerous and can add to our team game by being more of a power forward— physically getting more involved and having the puck more,” Quenneville said. “Whether he’s shooting or around the net, disturbing there— but having the puck and keeping it more, as opposed to being a deadend at that end when he does get around [ the puck].”
Last season, Panik had a hot start with six goals in his first six games, went 17 games without a goal and— with the Hawks leading the Central Division and the Western Conference in points— eventually played his way out of it. He finished with career highs of 22 goals and 44 points and signed a two- year, $ 5.6 million contract in the offseason.
Panik had a similar start this season. He scored five goals and had eight points in the first nine games but hasn’t scored since Oct. 21. The Hawks, though, can’t afford to be as patient this season— they entered the game in sixth place in the division and out of the playoff picture in the conference.
It’s Panik’s first healthy scratch since the end of the 2015- 16 season, when he scored six goals and had eight points in 30 games after being acquired from the Maple Leafs for Jeremy Morin.
Oesterle plays again
With defenseman Cody Franson still out— day- to- day with an upper- body injury, Quenneville said— Jordan Oesterle played in his second consecutive game, again with Duncan Keith.
Oesterle, 25, signed as a free agent after playing 25 games in three seasons with the Oilers, had been a healthy scratch for 18 of 19 games before playing Sunday against the Coyotes. Oesterle had one assist— his aggressive entry into the offensive zone led to Tommy Wingels’ goal off a pass from John Hayden that broke a scoreless tie.
“The more you play in a game, you feel more involved, your game starts to come a little more,” Oesterle said. “That kind of helped me out— not being sheltered, just kind of rolling the D- pairings and playing helped me get back tomy game as quickly as I could.”
Stepping up in class
After beating the last- place Coyotes and Sabres and facing the fifth- place Panthers, the Hawks face the much- improved Jets ( 18- 8- 5, No. 3 in the Western Conference) in Winnipeg on Thursday. The Jets are 10- 0- 1 in their last 11 home games.