Morning Chirps: Nick Lardis Keeps Scoring, 4 Nations Ratings Keep Soaring

Sunday was a long day with no NHL hockey, but we’ve made it! They played hockey in Ontario, and two Blackhawks prospects found the back of the net. Meanwhile, the 4 Nations Face-off has been a massive success for the league.

Blackhawks Chirps

• I’ve been updating you on Blackhawk’s prospects worldwide. I started on Saturday with the Ontario Hockey League prospects and continued yesterday with the NCAA prospects.
• Speaking of prospects, Nick Lardis extended his goal-scoring streak to 15 games with his 56^th tally of the season in the Brantford Bulldogs 5-4 win over Niagara on Sunday.

• Jack Pridham had a two-point day on Sunday, with his 18^th goal of the season and an assist in the Kitchener Rangers 5-1 victory against the Ottawa 67’s.

• On this date in 1987, Bob Murray set a franchise record for defensemen by playing in his 860^th game. He spent his entire NHL career with the Blackhawks, playing in 1,008 games. Duncan Keith (1,192) and Brent Seabrook (1,114) are the only defensemen to play more games than Murray in Chicago.
• On Feb. 17, 2018, Patrick Kane recorded his 500^th career assist in a 7-1 win over the Washington Capitals, becoming the fifth player in team history to score 300 goals and have 500 assists.
• Happy 37^th birthday to former Blackhawks forward Michael Frolik, who scored this memorable penalty shot against the Detroit Red Wings during the 2013 run to the Stanley Cup.

• Holy jumpin’! It’s former Blackhawks goaltender and current analyst Darren Pang’s 61^st birthday. Happy birthday, Panger!

4 Nations Chirps

• Clearly, the league was worried about how the 4 Nations Face-off would draw with slow ticket sales and a lack of overall buzz for the tournament. However, the television ratings in the United States have been outstanding. ESPN reported that 4.4 million viewers watched Saturday’s game between the United States and Canada. That is a 369% increase versus the NHL on ABC’s average this season. It was also the most-view non-Stanley Cup Final hockey telecast since 2019.
• Matthew Tkachuk has been a valuable member of Team USA, but he missed most of Saturday’s third period with an injury. Head coach Mike Sullivan met the media on Sunday and said Tkachuk is “continuing to be evaluated.” With a spot in Thursday’s championship already clinched, there is no reason to push him against Sweden tonight.
• My friend and former NHL video coach Steve Peters is breaking down every United States goal from the tournament! Be sure to subscribe to Inside the Coaches’ Room while you’re there. You won’t regret it!

NHL Chirps

• Hall of Famer Pavel Bure recently criticized the Vancouver Canucks handling of J.T. Miller, calling it a “failure of management.”
• The Montreal Canadiens recently got some encouraging news as defensive prospect David Reinbacher is nearing a return from a left-knee injury. Marc Dumont of Montreal Hockey Now has all the details of the former first-round pick’s recovery.
• Larry Brooks of the New York Post believes the New York Rangers should look into trading Alexis Lafreniere to the Anaheim Ducks for Trevor Zegras. He feels that neither 23-year-old has met expectations and could use a change of scenery. If either player is available, you’d think Kyle Davidson would at least make a phone call.
• Stefan Rosner of The Hockey News reported that the Edmonton Oilers and Vegas Golden Knights are among the Western Conference teams interested in acquiring center Jean-Gabriel Pageau from the New York Islanders. The first few games after the 4 Nations break could decide whether the Islanders are buyers or sellers at the trade deadline.