The Blackhawks know they’ve found a gem in Dominik Kubalik, but the European import has proven to need a little more refining than initially thought.
After a roaring start to his NHL career, scoring the Hawks’ first United Center goal this season, Kubalik’s performance has regressed lately.
In response, the 24-year-old forward is a healthy scratch for the first time in 15 games on Thursday against the Canucks, with Zack Smith drawing in instead.
“We think his play’s dropped off a little bit,” Jeremy Colliton said. “We want to get him back to where he was playing earlier. Sometimes rest and some feedback can do that.”
Kubalik has three goals, three assists and 37 shots on goal — third on the team — in his first 14 games, but he struggled on the now-concluded California road trip: he was on the ice for 26 scoring chances against versus only 10 for.
A day off will likely help from an endurance standpoint, too. Kubalik has never before played more than 51 games in a single season since turning pro, due to the shorter schedules of the Czech and Swiss leagues. 82 this season would’ve been a big ask.
When he’s skating both with and without the puck, he’s tremendously effective for us,” Colliton said. “So that’s what we’re looking for.”
Shaw frustrated by drought
For all of the excitement and rejoicing that Andrew Shaw’s return to Chicago this summer prompted, No. 65 has not provided as much of an impact as expected.
Entering Thursday, he hadn’t scored since his two-goal outing in the home opener, 13 games ago. Although he finally got on the scoresheet with an assist Tuesday against the Sharks, he acknowledged it has been an exasperating stretch.
“For sure [it’s hard],” he said. “You want to be out there helping the team, but just have to stick to it, keep working, keep competing and get some bounces.”
There’s no doubt Shaw is still Shaw: his annoying, combative on-ice personality has both drawn and committed just as many penalties as expected. But coming off a career-high 47 points last year in Montreal, his supplementary offense remains mysteriously missing.
