The Chicago Blackhawks hit the ice Tuesday morning, riding high off a convincing win over the San Jose Sharks the night before. With just one game left before the Olympic break - a road tilt against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Wednesday - the focus at practice was fine-tuning, not overhauling.
The big headline? Nick Foligno was back on the ice, albeit in a limited role.
He skated as an extra forward after missing the last couple of games with an undisclosed injury. Head coach Jeff Blashill expects him to be ready to go against Columbus - a meaningful return, considering Foligno’s long history with the Blue Jackets, including his time as captain.
That one will mean something to him.
Sam Lafferty was the other extra forward at practice, rotating in and out alongside Foligno on the fourth line. The rest of the forward group remained largely intact from the Sharks game, with one notable exception: Ryan Greene and Oliver Moore flipped spots.
Moore, who brings a burst of speed and a high motor, has been bumped up to the second line alongside Teuvo Teravainen and Andre Burakovsky. Greene, meanwhile, slides down to the fourth line with Colton Dach and Landon Slaggert.
This isn’t a demotion - more of a tactical shuffle. Both players have the versatility to handle different roles, and Blashill is clearly experimenting to find the right chemistry heading into the break.
The move could also be a spark plug for Burakovsky, who’s been in a bit of a funk lately. Pairing him with Moore injects more pace and creativity into that line, and if Moore’s energy can help get Burakovsky going, that’s a win for everyone.
Here’s how the forward lines shaped up:
- Frank Nazar - Connor Bedard - Tyler Bertuzzi
- Teuvo Teravainen - Oliver Moore - Andre Burakovsky
- Ryan Donato - Jason Dickinson - Ilya Mikheyev
- Colton Dach - Ryan Greene - Landon Slaggert
- Extras: Sam Lafferty / Nick Foligno
On the back end, the defensive pairings remained steady:
- Alex Vlasic - Louis Crevier
- Wyatt Kaiser - Sam Rinzel
- Matt Grzelcyk - Connor Murphy
- Artyom Levshunov (rotating in)
In net, Arvid Söderblom handled the workload at practice, as Spencer Knight was given a maintenance day. No cause for concern there - just a bit of rest for the young netminder, who’s been steadily emerging as a key piece in the Hawks’ rebuild.
With one more game before the Olympic pause, the Blackhawks are looking to build momentum. They’ve got a mix of youth and experience, and Blashill is clearly using this time to experiment with combinations that might click. The Moore-Greene switch is subtle, but it could pay dividends - especially if it helps unlock Burakovsky’s offensive game.
And with Foligno likely back in the lineup Wednesday, there’s an emotional layer to the matchup in Columbus. Expect a fired-up veteran looking to make an impact in a building where he once wore the “C.”