Taylor Hall returned to the Blackhawks’ lineup Saturday after another injury held him out of the past two games.
AP Photo/George Walker IV
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — After two months full of injuries, forward Taylor Hall hopes Saturday marks the beginning of a healthier second chapter in his first season with the Blackhawks.
‘‘It has been a weird start to my year with being out for games three separate times,’’ Hall said. ‘‘But [I’m] just working through some things, trying to get better as the nights go on and trying to find a way to show what kind of player I am. Once I get [to] playing a few games in a row, I think I’ll be OK.’’
The left leg/knee injury Hall suffered Nov. 9 against the Lightning initially looked a lot more severe than something that ultimately cost him only two games. In that sense, he is fortunate.
Still, the former NHL MVP has had very little opportunity to settle into a rhythm, given he also missed four games in October with a shoulder issue. He said he felt ‘‘pretty good’’ Saturday, just not quite in perfect ‘‘game form.’’
Slotted on the second-line left wing next to center Lukas Reichel, Hall logged 16 minutes, 39 seconds of ice time, during which he had five shots on goal — tied with defenseman Seth Jones for the team lead and his most in his first nine games with the Hawks.
‘‘He’s strong on the puck,’’ coach Luke Richardson said. ‘‘He’s just going to get better. That was his first game back in, and we’ve seen that he continues to get stronger every game he plays.’’
Johnson thankful for role
Back in training camp, depth forward Reese Johnson’s willingness to make an earnest pitch about why he should make the Hawks’ roster was admirable.
The fact he shunned the usual clichés about controlling what one can control and actually described why he thought his on-ice improvement and effect on the team’s off-ice culture were valuable simultaneously demonstrated his confidence and lack of ego.
So far, the Hawks’ roster decisions have indicated they agree with him. Not only is Johnson still with the team — and not only has he dressed in more than half its games (eight of 15) — but his average ice time when he plays is up nearly a minute from last season (11:01 to 11:51).
‘‘I’m definitely happy with being a Blackhawk still,’’ Johnson said Friday. ‘‘Every day in this league is a privilege, so I try to not get complacent.’’
Physicality remains the backbone of his game, but he has focused on using it in more constructive ways — trying to force turnovers or create pressure on the forecheck — rather than simply racking up empty-calorie hits.
‘‘It’s not always just running around and hammering guys,’’ he said. ‘‘That’s part of the game [for] maybe a shift or two here and there to swing the momentum, but . . . you want to have the puck and hold on to the puck. That’s honestly one thing I always want to get better at. To stay in the league for a long time with my role, that’s going to be a huge part.’’
Lankinen’s revenge
Goalie Kevin Lankinen was stellar Saturday for the Predators, saving 29 of 31 shots to earn the victory in his first game against the Hawks since they let him walk as a restricted free agent in 2022.
Lankinen has thrived in general — albeit in a small workload — since becoming Juuse Saros’ backup with the Predators. He has a .915 save percentage and a plus-0.4 goals saved above average in 23 appearances since the start of last season.
