Blackhawks Practice: 4 Nations Buzz as Busy Schedule Approaches

The Chicago Blackhawks were back on the practice ice at Fifth Third Arena today. It was their first time back together since their loss to the St. Louis Blues on Feb. 8. Defenseman Ethan Del Mastro was recalled from the Rockford IceHogs earlier in the day. He was joined on the ice by fellow blueliner Louis Crevier, who has been out since suffering a concussion against the Florida Panthers on Feb. 1. He was sporting the green non-contact jersey. Still, interim head coach Anders Sorensen did not rule him out for the weekend.

A Busy Post-Break Schedule

The Blackhawks will have three practices before returning to game action on Saturday. They start their post-4 Nations Face-Off schedule with back-to-back games and 10 games in 17 days.

“That’s the NHL schedule for you,” captain Nick Foligno said with a smile.

Today was a “get-back-to-work day,” according to Sorensen. He stressed getting the most out of these three days since there won’t be much practice time over this busy stretch of the schedule. He was impressed with how the team played heading into the break and wasn’t too concerned about it not carrying over. There is still a lot of hockey to play and work to be put in before you can put a cherry on top of this season.

“We’ve taken some steps offensively, so we want to keep improving there,” he said. “We want to cut down on our D-zone time. Individually, you want the guys to keep taking strides and progressing.”

Foligno, a veteran of 18 NHL seasons, knows how valuable extra practice is in the middle of a season. Today, the team was genuinely happy to be back to work, bringing an extra burst of energy.

“We have these days now to practice and get ready,” said Foligno. “It’s been a tough year, but we’re excited to be coming back and having a strong second half. It’s important that we try to hit the ground running here and find our consistency.

“If you look at the way we were playing, it was a pretty exciting brand of hockey. We’ve had some really strong games where we played hard and emotional hockey. That’s what you need to bring the consistency. We can’t be the Jeckel & Hyde team we were earlier in the year, where one game we’re playing really hard and the next we lay an egg. If we can put that together, that’s what I think is a good second half. Not so much wins and losses but the brand of hockey we’re playing.”

The Blackhawks will be tested right out of the gates with the Blue Jackets, one point out of a Wild Card spot in the East, and the Toronto Maple Leafs, just three points out of the Atlantic Division lead.

Absent From Roll Call

Forward Teuvo Teravainen was not at practice today as he’s returning from representing Finland at the 4 Nations Face-off. He is likely to return tomorrow. Jason Dickinson, as expected, was absent as he recovers from his high ankle sprain suffered against the Edmonton Oilers on Feb. 6. Sorensen said there were no changes to his timetable. He will be out for at least another 2-3 weeks. Defenseman T.J. Brodie was dealing with a family matter today and will be back for Wednesday’s practice.

4 Nations Face-Off Buzz

Hockey fans aren’t the only ones enjoying the action at the 4 Nations Face-Off. It was the buzz of the locker room after practice. From the social media team asking players for their championship predictions to goaltender Petr Mrazek chirping about how things would be different if Czechia were in the tournament.

“Any fan of the game loves to see that. Especially that USA/Canada game – that’s the sport at its finest,” Foligno said. “I think we’re hitting all the right notes as a league with the way we’ve presented this.”

Foligno added that he would have loved to be in the middle of the fisticuffs on Saturday. He said that with nearly 10 years of pent-up excitement between the two countries, it was no surprise that things came to blows right off the bat between the United States and Canada.

Sorensen watched the action with a coach’s eye. However, he admitted that he had to miss the rivalry game between Finland and his native Sweden as he was flying home from visiting his parents.

“It’s impressive to watch,” he said of the players. “What really stands out are their habits. You can throw out the structure, but the habits and the compete levels have been awesome to watch.”