RADDYSH FINDS HIS SCORING TOUCH
SUNRISE, Fla. — Calling Taylor Raddysh the Blackhawks’ leading goalscorer requires a few asterisks. Technically, Max Domi has scored more goals than any other individual for this season’s Hawks team, potting 18 before he was traded. Patrick Kane, with 16 goals before his trade, has also contributed just as many as Raddysh.
But Raddysh is officially the leading scorer with 16 goals (entering Friday’s game against the Panthers), having pulled out of a tie with Andreas Athanasiou by scoring twice Wednesday against the Red Wings.
And that’s a moderately pleasant surprise. After all, Raddysh arrived in Chicago a year ago having scored just five career goals (in 53 games) with the Lightning and having fallen just short of the 20-goal plateau in both of his AHL seasons, as well.
Since then, however, he has tallied 22 goals in 85 games for the Hawks, demonstrating a decent scoring touch.
“It’s obviously nice to score, but I don’t think that’s something you really think about — [or] try not to think about, at least,” Raddysh said.
His pace looked even better before he endured a 15-game goal drought prior to Wednesday. In fact, when he scored his 14th goal of the season back on Jan. 28, he was tied for the team scoring lead with no asterisks necessary.
His shot volume remained steady over the ensuing stretch — averaging 2.7 per game, just as he had during his first 48 games — but pucks simply stopped going in. Nonetheless, his ability to handle that stretch of bad luck and emerge unscathed on the other side is encouraging for his future as a solid goalscorer in the NHL.
Reichel on First Power-play unit
The Hawks have finally unleashed Lukas Reichel on the power play.
Richardson jumbled the top PP unit in practice Tuesday to put Reichel in the left circle — Alex DeBrincat’s old spot — and
MacKenzie Entwistle in front of the net, with Seth Jones, Philipp Kurashev and
Athanasiou maintaining the other three spots.
“[On Saturday], we had great entries, but no [offensive] zone-time execution,” coach
Luke Richardson said Tuesday. “And then [Monday], we couldn’t even get to zonetime execution because we had poor entries. There’s just frustration there, so it’s time to make a change.”
They debuted that set-up Wednesday when Reichel earned his first career NHL power-play point on one of Raddysh’s goals.
They have also eliminated the drop pass from their typical zone-entry routine, with Richardson acknowledging the Hawks maybe “don’t have the personnel to do that” like they did with Kane and DeBrincat. Instead, they’re focusing on forwards sweeping to the outside with speed in order to enter the zone on the PP.
This and that
Kane found his legs with the Rangers on Thursday, recording both his first goal — assisted by Artemi Panarin — and his first assist for his new team while attempting nine shots in a shootout win over the Canadiens.
♦ Connor Murphy missed Friday’s game against the Panthers and will also miss Saturday’s game against the Lightning while attending to a family matter. Filip Roos was called up to take his place and made his first NHL appearance since Dec. 6.
♦ The Hawks signed depth forward Luke Philp to a one-year, two-way contract extension for next season that will carry a $775,000 salary-cap hit at the NHL level. Philp, 27, has racked up 38 points in 45 games for Rockford in the AHL this season and added one point in two Hawks games.