VINNIE CAN DASH AND BASH
Speedy, hardworking Hinostroza has been a revelation in his second stint with Hawks
The rest of the Blackhawks were searching for solutions during the second intermission Wednesday when Vinnie Hinostroza turned to Brandon Hagel and tried to pump him up.
“He was saying . . . if we get out there, let’s be Bash Brothers,” Hagel said after the game, unable to hold back a grin. “We got out there, and I guess we were Bash Brothers with that final goal.”
Hagel eventually scored the overtime goal against the Predators to secure the Hawks’ second all-time victory (and first since 1987) after trailing by three with 10 minutes left.
Hinostroza, meanwhile, set up Hagel for the overtime goal with a slick zone entry. He also forced a turnover by Roman Josi that led to Hagel’s assist on Pius Suter’s first-period goal and scored himself off a pass from Kirby Dach in the middle of the third-period comeback.
The Chicago native and former Hawks prospect has been a revelation since his April 2 reacquisition, picking up seven points in his first eight games with the Hawks after getting zero points in nine games with the Panthers.
His work ethic, speed and colorful personality have made a difference on and off the ice.
“That earns a lot of respect with the guys,” coach Jeremy Colliton said Thursday. “When you play that hard and are willing to do the dirty work, you become pretty popular inside the walls of the dressing room.”
Colliton’s hands-on coaching style — in contrast with Joel Quenneville’s hands-off approach in Florida — has aided Hinostroza’s turnaround.
“It’s nice to have someone that believes in you,” Hinostroza said Wednesday. “It’s nice, on days off, to get with the coaches and watch some video. They want every guy here to succeed. They work individually here with guys . . . . It’s nice to be here.”
But Hinostroza’s renewed commitment is the key factor in his turnaround.
He spoke at length last week about how his disastrous Panthers stint — most of which he spent as a healthy scratch — gave him time to reflect on his career and what it meant to be in the NHL.
“It’s something I’ll never take for granted again,” he said.
And since returning to his hometown, Hinostroza has created instant chemistry with every wing he has played with.
First it was with Dominik Kubalik, who gave Hinostroza his first two points of the season by scoring off his passes April 8 and 10 against the Stars. Kubalik said the two of them knew “right away what to expect from each other.”
Next it was with Patrick Kane, one of the few holdovers from Hinostroza’s 2015-2018 tenure with the Hawks. Kane and Hinostroza teamed up twice in the victory against the Red Wings last weekend.
“I’ve always liked playing with Vinnie,” Kane said Sunday. “It was nice to develop that chemistry and feel we were creating chances, had the puck a lot and [were] making plays out there. I’m looking forward to seeing what that brings here.”
And now it’s with Hagel, the only Hawks skater who might be able to beat Hinostroza in a race.
The Bash Brothers term is somewhat misleading, but the point of the nickname isn’t factual accuracy.
“Their speed is so key,” Colliton said. “It helps our team so much to get out of the D-zone, push the pace and get through the neutral zone [and] have more of a forecheck.”
“We have to bring the energy, play hard and be some of the guys first [in] on the forecheck — playing chippy, hitting guys,” Hinostroza added. “When we get out there, we just look at each other, and it’s kind of like the Bash Brothers.’’