The Blackhawks held an optional practice in Bensenville on Thursday as they prepare to play host to the New Jersey Devils on Friday night at the United Center.
While many players did off-ice workouts, 10 of them did take the ice to get some work in, including: Patrick Kane, Brian Campbell, Colin Fraser, Patrick Sharp, Kris Versteeg, Dustin Byfuglien, Niklas Hjalmarsson, Ben Eager, Nikolai Khabibulin and Corey Crawford.
"Probably half the guys went out and skated," Hawks coach Joel Quenneville said. "It's one of those days that we haven't had many all year. The timing is right."
Crawford was with the Hawks instead of the Rockford IceHogs of the American Hockey League while the health of fellow goaltender Cristobal Huet was undergoing an "assessment" according to Quenneville.
"We'll see how he presents [Friday]," Quenneville said of Huet. "It should be short."
Nikolai Khabibulin will get the start in goal against the Devils.
Quenneville said veteran defenseman Matt Walker (upper body), "felt way better today. We'll get a better idea [of his return] when we get him on the ice."
Eager will serve the final game of his three-game suspension Friday and is expected to return to the lineup Sunday when the Hawks host the Vancouver Canucks in a critical Western Conference contest.
------------------------------
Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Brian Campbell working hard to turn his game around
Veteran commits to improvement
The Blackhawks held an optional practice Thursday, and it's no surprise Brian Campbell was one of the 10 participants on the ice.
The veteran defenseman has been working tirelessly on skates and in the video room as he tries to turn his game around.
After a rough seven-game stretch earlier this month in which Campbell recorded a minus-11 rating while the Hawks went 1-5-1, the 29-year-old seems to have righted the ship, and the team has gone right along with him with two consecutive victories.
"I feel like I'm skating a lot better," Campbell said. "A lot of it for me is when I get the puck I have to be moving my feet, and I don't think I was doing that as much."I've watched probably the last eight or nine games the next day on video. I've been doing that with [assistant coach] Marc Bergevin, and that's really helped me."
Campbell is tied for ninth in the NHL among defensemen with 46 points, and his 39 assists is tied for fourth among blueliners. He also logs nearly 23 minutes of ice time per game.
"I've got the green light to do anything we want," Campbell said. "I don't think I've hampered my defensive play, and I want to continue that."
Hawks coach Joel Quenneville, who recently paired Campbell with rookie Niklas Hjalmarsson, said Campbell has "picked it up" the last few games.
"He really provides an element for our team," Quenneville said. "He's a very important player. Defensively, he kills plays in our own end. He starts our attack. Everybody is looking for that type of guy."
Of the new tandem, Quenneville said: "That pair has worked well. [Campbell] on the right side has more confidence, more pace in his game, and offensively he's been more assertive and skating better. Defensively, he's been more reliable. It's been a good fit for both."
Also providing Campbell a lift was a recent shipment of new sticks after the company that made the sticks he has used the last five seasons stopped making his preferred model.
"I got used to [the new ones] finally and I feel really good handling the puck right now," he said.
A new defensive partner and new sticks may be helping, but it's Campbell's extra work that has been the biggest factor.
"I have to keep working hard and doing the same things, and then you figure out what gets you to where you want to be," he said. "If I can keep doing those things, I should be successful."
While many players did off-ice workouts, 10 of them did take the ice to get some work in, including: Patrick Kane, Brian Campbell, Colin Fraser, Patrick Sharp, Kris Versteeg, Dustin Byfuglien, Niklas Hjalmarsson, Ben Eager, Nikolai Khabibulin and Corey Crawford.
"Probably half the guys went out and skated," Hawks coach Joel Quenneville said. "It's one of those days that we haven't had many all year. The timing is right."
Crawford was with the Hawks instead of the Rockford IceHogs of the American Hockey League while the health of fellow goaltender Cristobal Huet was undergoing an "assessment" according to Quenneville.
"We'll see how he presents [Friday]," Quenneville said of Huet. "It should be short."
Nikolai Khabibulin will get the start in goal against the Devils.
Quenneville said veteran defenseman Matt Walker (upper body), "felt way better today. We'll get a better idea [of his return] when we get him on the ice."
Eager will serve the final game of his three-game suspension Friday and is expected to return to the lineup Sunday when the Hawks host the Vancouver Canucks in a critical Western Conference contest.
------------------------------
Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Brian Campbell working hard to turn his game around
Veteran commits to improvement
The Blackhawks held an optional practice Thursday, and it's no surprise Brian Campbell was one of the 10 participants on the ice.
The veteran defenseman has been working tirelessly on skates and in the video room as he tries to turn his game around.
After a rough seven-game stretch earlier this month in which Campbell recorded a minus-11 rating while the Hawks went 1-5-1, the 29-year-old seems to have righted the ship, and the team has gone right along with him with two consecutive victories.
"I feel like I'm skating a lot better," Campbell said. "A lot of it for me is when I get the puck I have to be moving my feet, and I don't think I was doing that as much."I've watched probably the last eight or nine games the next day on video. I've been doing that with [assistant coach] Marc Bergevin, and that's really helped me."
Campbell is tied for ninth in the NHL among defensemen with 46 points, and his 39 assists is tied for fourth among blueliners. He also logs nearly 23 minutes of ice time per game.
"I've got the green light to do anything we want," Campbell said. "I don't think I've hampered my defensive play, and I want to continue that."
Hawks coach Joel Quenneville, who recently paired Campbell with rookie Niklas Hjalmarsson, said Campbell has "picked it up" the last few games.
"He really provides an element for our team," Quenneville said. "He's a very important player. Defensively, he kills plays in our own end. He starts our attack. Everybody is looking for that type of guy."
Of the new tandem, Quenneville said: "That pair has worked well. [Campbell] on the right side has more confidence, more pace in his game, and offensively he's been more assertive and skating better. Defensively, he's been more reliable. It's been a good fit for both."
Also providing Campbell a lift was a recent shipment of new sticks after the company that made the sticks he has used the last five seasons stopped making his preferred model.
"I got used to [the new ones] finally and I feel really good handling the puck right now," he said.
A new defensive partner and new sticks may be helping, but it's Campbell's extra work that has been the biggest factor.
"I have to keep working hard and doing the same things, and then you figure out what gets you to where you want to be," he said. "If I can keep doing those things, I should be successful."
