The Chicago Blackhawks have lost two straight games by a combined score of 11-2. They are 4-4-2 in their last 10, but the way they’ve been outplayed in these last two games has the team as a whole feeling down.
It’s a young group that must find a way to get out of the rut before the season ends. They have one more game on their East Coast swing before returning home to Chicago.
Advertisement
The one bright spot on this dark cloud has been Nick Lardis. He is not one of the first-round picks that had everyone excited in recent years, but his rise has been nothing short of sensational.
After turning heads with 71 goals in the OHL last season, he came to the AHL’s Rockford IceHogs and continued to fill the net. That earned him a call-up when Connor Bedard injured his shoulder, but he was sent back down once the forward group returned to full health.
After the Olympics, Lardis was called up again, but stashed on the fourth line for a while. He wasn’t producing in that role, as expected.
In the middle of their game against the Colorado Avalanche last Friday, Jeff Blashill randomly decided to bring him up to the second line with Tyler Bertuzzi and Frank Nazar. That has turned out to be one of Blashill’s top lineup decisions of the season.
Advertisement
Lardis didn’t score against Colorado late in that game, but he has scored in three of the last four, all on the new-look second line. His natural ability to score works well with two offensive-minded players like Nazar and Bertuzzi.
“He’s been really good,” Bertuzzi said of Lardis. “He battles hard. For a smaller guy, he’s physical. He gets in on the forecheck, and he can score goals. I’ve been enjoying playing with him.”
The wonder was whether Lardis’ major junior/minor-league scoring ability would translate to the NHL, and it seems it has. That’s a major positive for the Blackhawks when they go to evaluate their team during the off-season.
Lardis has 8 goals in 32 NHL games played, which is a 20-goal pace over an 82-game slate. That would be an incredible total for a rookie once selected in the third round. With more development to his game, plus time with better players, the tools are there for him to reach next-level goal-scoring heights.
Advertisement
Having a great shot is the key to Nick Lardis’ goal-scoring, but he is proving he will add to his totals each year by being a smart player. His goal against the Rangers was an example of him getting to a goal-scoring area to take advantage of the work being done by his linemates.
With Connor Bedard, Anton Frondell, Frank Nazar, and Oliver Moore, amongst others, ready to drive the bus in the coming years, Lardis is proving that he can be any one of their linemates who can score in bunches because of their playmaking.
Image
Visit The Hockey News Chicago Blackhawks team site to stay up to date on the latest news, game-day coverage, player features, and more.
Advertisement
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.
Read the full article here
