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Tuesday night was an absolute wild night at the Madhouse as the Hawks kicked off the Hawks vs. State of California schedule. Including their game against the Ducks, the Hawks play six straight games against the teams from Cali, three at home and three on the road. The Ducks got things kicked off, and truly, I wasn’t going to expect this game to be filled with so many fireworks. Connor Bedard went off for a career high 5 points (more on him in a bit), Kurashev really showing that he is taking steps in the right direction, and not only that, the line of Bedsy, Kurashev, and Folgino, which seemed like an odd couple line-up, really has been showing amazing chemistry; that line combined for a 13-point night. The powerplay continues to stay out as they go 4 for 6 on the night. It wasn’t just the offense creating an exciting buzz at the UC; the line brawl in the third that almost saw Mrazek and Gibson drop the gloves gave the fans a nice old-time hockey feel. Speaking of Mrazek, he has a great bounce-back game after three really rough starts. He was able to stop 27 of the 29 shots he faced, and it was great seeing him play with the confidence we have seen most of the year.
I know some people aren’t happy with the Hawks decision to finally play some hockey and win some games, but let's be honest, they are going to finish in the bottom three of the league and will be drafting the top six next June. I will gladly take some moral victory games here at the end of the season and let these guys just enjoy themselves after a difficult and long season. We already have our big prize out of the draft; everything now is just a nice bonus.
Connor Bedard
I already touched on Bedard's 5-point game on Tuesday, but there is a lot more that can be said about his rookie season. He reached the 20-goal and 50-point mark in 52 games, and with a total of 51 points, he is more than likely going to finish this season as a point-per-game player. Since returning to the lineup, Bubble Bedard has played lights-out hockey, putting up 18 points in 13 games. Now, I know it's still very early, but if there was any question about whether or not this kid was going to live up to the hype he had, I think we are seeing that it was well deserved. From his stick handling, which he makes look like hes just messing around with sticks and pucks, to his hockey IQ, which he shows out there each shift, and even stepping up as the leader of this team at just the age of 18, He is proving that not only does he belong in the league, but he deserves to be treated as one of the best. Despite missing 14 games this season, he is the odds-on favorite to win the Calder Trophy this summer. The only bummer about his rookie season is that I would have loved to see what his numbers could have looked like if he played the full year and had a bit more help offensively. Considering what he has been doing, I think he will get over that what-if.
Game Day
The Hawks welcome their former Cup-era rivals, the LA Kings, for the first of three matchups this season. The Kings have been having themselves a surprisingly good season and have found their way into a tight battle for the 3rd divisional playoff spot in the Pacific. Currently, they are the tiebreaker over the Vegas Golden Knights, and unless you’re a Knights fan, I'm sure everyone is pulling for the Kings to keep Vegas out. The Kings season has had the theme of streaks. Good and bad, and right now they have found themselves in a streak of alternating wins and losses, as they have done so for the last 8 games. They are 5-4-1 over their last ten and are coming off a 3-1 loss at the hands of the Blues on Wednesday. This is a team that had much bigger hopes for their season, but after some questionable moves this past off-season, they just haven’t been able to establish themselves as legitimate playoff contenders. They will look to jump over the Hawks and grab the much-needed two points tonight, hopefully getting on a new winning streak and finishing off their last 17 games strong.
Soderblom gets the net tonight, and he looks to continue his good play. If this season is any indication, though, because they aren’t playing the Leafs or Coyotes, it's going to be tough for him to pick up the win. As I brought up last week, Landon Slaggert will get to make his NHL debut. He is penciled in on the fourth line. Speaking to the media after the morning skate, he talked about how he is going to have over 40 family, friends, and Notre Dame staff in the building. I am excited to see what this kid is all about, and while we won't know the true value for a little bit, a nice dip-your-toes moment is a nice little preview.
That’s going to be it from me. The puck drop is set for 7:30 p.m. central time, and as always, Let's Go Hawks!
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