The Chicago Blackhawks took a beating Friday night at the United Center, falling 4-1 to the Montreal Canadiens.
But the team didn’t seem to dwell on the loss, with cheers and hollering heard during practice drills a day later. Which is just how coach Jeff Blashill likes it.
“The reality is you got to find a way to move past that because to me, being frustrated is honestly a little bit like feeling sorry for yourself,” Blashill said postgame. “That doesn’t do anyone any good, so let’s find a way to move past it and look for solutions.”
The Hawks have two games remaining on their seven-game homestand — versus the Florida Panthers on Sunday and the Los Angeles Kings on Tuesday. After that, they’ll play five of six on the road.
Wins in the next two would give the Hawks a chance to turn the early season around after a 3-7-0 start. Blashill said Friday that he’s eager to have a full roster, and that day could be approaching soon.
Amid the arrival of players, Blashill made a few lineup changes, hoping to give his team a spark. Here are a few updates from practice Saturday at the Blackhawks Ice Center.
Bowen Byram returns to practice
The 25-year-old defenseman joined the Hawks for practice in a gray noncontact jersey. It’s another positive sign for Byram, who hadn’t played or practiced since Oct. 13 because of an upper-body injury, presumably from the puck he took to the face in the Hawks’ 5-3 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins.
He will not play Sunday, and Blashill did not give an update as to the defenseman’s timeline.
“It’s good to see him on the ice, take part in a decent amount of practice, see how he does,” the coach said.
Byram has had a lackluster start to his Hawks tenure, having one assist, nine blocked shots and eight giveaways in six games. He’s expected to slot back into the top of the first power-play unit, on which Teuvo Teräväinen has played in Byram’s absence.
Byram signed a six-year, $75 million contract extension with the Hawks in July, which kicks in next season.
Kevin Korchinski expected to play Sunday
Korchinski, the No. 7 pick in the 2022 draft, likely will replace Ethan Del Mastro in the third pairing against the Panthers. The 22-year-old defenseman has played in only one game this season, seeing 11 minutes, 21 seconds of action in a 4-3 road loss to the Buffalo Sabres on Oct. 3.
Del Mastro has been the sixth defenseman, and the 23-year-old only saw 10:05 of ice time against the short-handed Canadiens.
“My thing to (Korchinski) was make sure he makes quick decisions with the puck but he doesn’t panic with the puck,” Blashill said. “When he handles the pressure he’s going to face (Sunday), he’s got to make sure he’s not throwing it around, that he knows he has great intent of what he’s doing with the puck every time he touches it.”
The Panthers, even without Aleksander Barkov and Brad Marchand, are a hard-checking team that makes scoring difficult for any opponent. It’s not an ideal matchup for a player trying to earn the trust of his coach, but a good showing from Korchinski may do just that.
“I think every every team in this league is good, there’s no off nights, there’s no easy games,” Korchinski said. “No matter what the team is, (you’ve) just got to be ready and prepare the same way.”
Korchinski signed a two-year, $2.65 million contract Aug. 29.
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Andrew Mangiapane to return to lineup, Oliver Moore likely a healthy scratch
Mangiapane is expected to join the Hawks lineup Sunday after missing nine games with an lower-body injury. The 30-year-old skated as the fourth line’s right wing Saturday with Cole Smith and Ryan Greene.
“Mangiapane brings good energy, really good energy,” Blashill said. “He’s a guy who’s super competitive, so hopefully he can come in and give us that competitiveness against a team that plays really hard in Florida.”
All the lines besides the top saw new names in practice. Jordan Greenway joined the right side of the second line with Tyler Bertuzzi and Anton Frondell, while Teräväinen, Frank Nazar and Ryan Donato made up the third.
Moore, 21, slotted in as an extra skater in rush drills. Blashill didn’t say much as to why.
“We have 13 NHL forwards and so there are reasons behind what we do, for sure,” Blashill said. “But again, that’s probably between us.”
Moore’s a fast skater, but his rushes with the puck often result in either a giveaway or being trapped by defenders. He has three points (two goals, one assist) with 13 shots on goal and 10 giveaways this season.