Morning Chirps: Team USA Wins the Border War, IceHogs Sweep Weekend

It was rivalry day at the 4 Nations Face-off, and it did not disappoint. Finland’s 4-3 overtime win over Sweden was the appetizer before the main course: the battle between the Team USA and Canada. The Rockford IceHogs swept their two games on home ice over the weekend as they look to start building momentum down the home stretch.

Blackhawks Chirps

• The Blackhawks have seven recent draft picks in the Ontario Hockey League this season. Our first Blackhawks Prospect Check-In lets you know how they’re doing.
• Make sure you check for updates in our Blackhawks Trade Deadline Hub, so you’re up to date on all the latest speculation and rumors!
• Teuvo Teravainen remains a non-factor for Finland, as they beat Sweden 4-3 in overtime Saturday afternoon. He played a team-low 6:23 and had one shot on goal. He only had one shift in the third period. Through two games on Finland’s fourth line, he has one shot, three shot attempts, a hit, and a giveaway in 16:57 of ice time.
• On this date in 1992, Michel Goulet became the 17^th player in NHL history to score 500 career goals. His milestone came in a 5-5 tie with the Calgary Flames.
• On Feb. 16, 2012, Jonathan Toews scored on a penalty shot just 1:05 into the game against the New York Rangers. The Blackhawks then got goals from Nick Leddy, Patrick Sharp, and Marian Hossa to open up a 4-0 lead at the 9:38 mark of the opening frame. That was all they needed to snap their nine-game losing streak with a 4-2 win. Despite the mid-season skid, the Blackhawks finished the season with 101 points.

IceHogs Chirps

• The IceHogs used their veteran leaders to beat the Springfield Thunderbirds 4-3 Saturday night, as Joey Anderson and Andreas Athanasiou had three-point games. Anderson scored his 100^th professional goal to open the scoring before scoring again in the middle frame. After getting the primary assist on both of Anderson’s goals, Athanasiou scored the game-winning goal with 1:59 left in regulation. It was a good night for the defensemen, as Kevin Korchinski, Artyom Levshunov, and Wyatt Kaiser all had assists.

• In addition to the big win, Bryan Bickell became the fourth player inducted into the IceHogs’ Ring of Honor. Bickell played 227 games for Rockford, scoring 56 goals and 115 points.
• The IceHogs have moved to within six points of the fourth-place Chicago Wolves. They have an eight-point cushion on the Iowa Wild for the last playoff spot in the Central Division. Their next two games are against the Wild; in Des Moines on Monday and back in Rockford on Friday. They will play the Lehigh Valley Phantoms for the first time on Saturday. The busy week concludes at the Wolves on Sunday afternoon.

4 Nations Chirps

• Last night’s game between Team USA and Canada gave hockey fans everything they could have wanted. There were three fights in the first nine seconds, a ton of big hits, and a world-class hockey game won by the United States 3-1. The victory clinched their spot in Thursday’s championship game. Canada, Finland, and Sweden are all tied with two points, so it’s still wide open for the tournament finale.
• Matthew Tkachuk missed most of the third period with what appeared to be a lower-body injury. After the game, he said there was “no concern” about the injury. Since the Americans are already in the championship, they can easily sit Tkachuk for Monday’s game against Sweden.
• Meanwhile, Canada will play for its tournament life in its Monday matinee against Finland. Head coach Jon Cooper was hopeful star defenseman Cale Makar would return to the lineup after he missed last night’s game due to illness.

NHL Chirps

• Jeff Skinner has had a disappointing season for the Edmonton Oilers, with 10 goals and 20 points in 49 games. His struggles have led him to be scratched for six games this season. Despite all this, general manager Stan Bowman told Daniel Nugent-Bowman of The Athletic that he doesn’t envision asking Skinner to waive his no-movement clause. It’s hard to believe Bowman is feeling a salary cap squeeze because an underperforming player has an NMC, right?
• Seattle Kraken forward Jared McCann is not officially on the trade market, according to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Freidman. He added that several teams have been calling about his availability, but he thinks it would take a “sizable” offer to get general manager Ron Francis to trade him. However, the Seattle Times’ Kate Shefte reported that plenty of Kraken could become trade bait, including Brandon Tanev and Yanni Gourde.