Morning Chirps: Ryan Donato Rumors, Nick Lardis Sets Record, 4 Nations Face-off Injuries

The Chicago Blackhawks dropped a tough 6-5 shootout loss to the St. Louis Blues last night. They head into the two-week break for the 4 Nations Face-off playing some of their better hockey of the season. The Rockford IceHogs were swept out of the Lone Star State, while trade rumors start to intensify across the NHL.

Blackhawks Chirps

• During the “Headlines” segment on Sportsnet last night, top insider Elliotte Friedman mentioned that a “few” of the Canadian teams are looking at Ryan Donato. He specifically mentioned the Edmonton Oilers, stating that his affordability is making him an attractive trade target. Check out Friday’s postgame article for some thoughts on Donato’s future with the team.
• You’re not going to believe this, but Nick Lardis scored again, extending his goal streak to 13 games. His 52^nd goal of the season set a Brantford Bulldogs franchise record for the most in one season. Marek Vanacker scored a power-play goal in a 3-2 loss to the Windsor Spitfires.

• On this date in 1973, Dennis Hull scored twice in a 4-3 win over the Atlanta Flames to give him 200 career goals.

IceHogs Chirps

• The IceHogs lost 4-3 to the Texas Stars, dropping both games of their weekend series. Rockford scored all three goals in the first period, with Samuel Savioe, Joey Anderson, and Andreas Athanasiou finding the back of the net.

• Artyom Levshunov recorded two assists to bring his season total to 12. Wyatt Kaiser also had a helper in the losing effort. The IceHogs will return to the BMO Center for three home games this week. The Milwaukee Admirals come to town on Tuesday, the Chicago Wolves stop by on Friday, and the week wraps up by hosting the Springfield Thunderbirds.

NHL Chirps

• The Blues will be an interesting team before the March 7 trade deadline. While they are mathematically in the running for the postseason, they will likely be sellers. Nick Kypreos of Sportsnet thinks general manager Doug Armstrong could be looking to move Pavel Buchnevich, Jordan Kyrou, or Brayden Schenn. Armstrong is not one for a complete rebuild but isn’t afraid to retool as he did by trading Ryan O’Reilly and Vladimir Tarasenko in recent years.
• Kypreos also threw out the name of Mikko Rantanen, who was traded from the Colorado Avalanche to the Carolina Hurricanes just over two weeks ago. He wrote that Rantanen could hit the trade block again if he and the Hurricanes don’t agree to a new contract before the deadline.
• The New York Islanders announced that star forward Mathew Barzal underwent a “minor procedure” to repair an injured kneecap. He could be out for at least six weeks, but the team says he is out “indefinitely.”
• It was a newsworthy day in Pittsburgh as the Penguins placed Jesse Puljujärvi on waivers for the purpose of terminating his contract. Sidney Crosby missed his second straight game on Saturday, but head coach Mike Sullivan gave an encouraging update on his captain’s status. He said Crosby skated on Saturday and still might play in the 4 Nations Face-off for Canada.
• Speaking of the 4 Nations Face-off, Los Angeles Kings defenseman Drew Doughty was named as Alex Pietrangelo’s replacement on Team Canada. Vancouver Canucks star blueliner missed his fourth straight game last night. The reigning Norris Trophy winner’s status for Team USA is still uncertain. His decision should come soon, as the United States will need to find a replacement in short order.