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A perfect fit: Campoli keeps Hawks moving ahead

As far as trade deadline pickups go, defenseman Chris Campoli has been everything the Blackhawks could have hoped for — and more.

Campoli has been a godsend on a Hawks blue line hit hard by injuries with Jordan Hendry out for the season and Brian Campbell sidelined indefinitely with a foot problem.

A puck-moving defenseman with speed who isn’t afraid to carry it deep into the attack zone and play with an edge, Campoli has 3 assists and is plus-4 in seven games since being acquired from Ottawa for Ryan Potulny and a second-round draft pick.

“I could easily have 3 or 4 goals here already right around the net, but I can’t seem to finish it off,” Campoli joked. “The one thing is guys find you here, and it’s a great feeling to be on this team.”

Hawks coach Joel Quenneville knew Campoli would be a good fit considering the skill set he brings, but the defenseman’s all-around game has been an eye opener for those who didn’t get a chance to watch him a lot in Ottawa.

“We’re happy with him,” Quenneville said. “He really gives us a defenseman that can play minutes, can play both sides, can add some offense to our defense core, and is reliable defensively.

“He reads and sees situations, defends well and wants to go get pucks in corners. I just think as he becomes more accustomed to his surroundings he’s going to add that to his game.”

Campoli enjoys the fact Quenneville gives all his defensemen the green light to carry the puck and join in the offensive attack. And he especially likes that the Hawks have the puck a lot more than the Senators did.

“My role is different,” Campoli said. “In Ottawa they’d tell me to go, but it’s tough to go sometimes when you don’t have the puck and we’re chasing the puck.

“We’re a puck-possession team here and we want to play with the puck. This system suits more my style of game for sure. Playing with some of the guys here, it fits more my mold as a player than maybe some of the guys I was paired up with in Ottawa.”

As far as fitting into the dressing room, which can be tricky for a player acquired so late in the season, it couldn’t be working out any better.

“The group has welcomed me with open arms,” he said.

“His personality fits right into our locker room,” Patrick Sharp said. “I can only speak from my experience that being traded is tough, and it took me a while to get adjusted to a new team.

“For him to come in at this time of year when games are really important and be an impact both on and off the ice is big for our team. We’re happy to have him.”

Campoli has found it easier to be thrown right into the playoff fire.

“The adapting for me was more just playing with different defense partners and communicating with them,” Campoli said. “That’s been easy for the most part. They’ve really good about talking.

“It just became a really negative environment with the team not winning in Ottawa. I guess I’m fortunate to move onto a great situation that I’m excited about personally. This is a great group that has a great chance to win.”

Ÿ Follow Tim’s Hawks reports via Twitter @TimSassone, and join the conversation with Blackhawks fans on his Between the Circles blog at dailyherald.com.

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Chris Campoli courtesy Chicago Blackhawks