Saad takes advantage of third opportunity
Rookie left wing Brandon Saad was reading nothing into the fact he got a chance to play in his third straight preseason game Friday night against Washington at the United Center.
Saad, a second-round draft pick by the Blackhawks last June, has been the most impressive junior prospect in training camp. First-round picks Mark McNeill and Phillipe Danault were sent back to their junior teams after appearing in just one preseason game.
“It’s nice to play,” Saad said. “They haven’t told me too much other than keep it up and work hard. I’m getting to play my first game in Chicago so that’s pretty exciting. I’m just trying to work hard and make plays out there.”
Not only did Saad play Friday, he had his best game yet with a goal and assist in the Hawks’ 3-2 win over the Capitals.
Saad scored the game-winning goal with 3:21 to play on a 2-on-1 with Jonathan Toews.
With a glut of veterans at forward the 18-year-old Saad remains a long shot to make the team. Saad has junior eligibility remaining with Saginaw in the Ontario Hockey League, meaning he cannot be assigned to Rockford.
“We like what we’ve seen,” coach Joel Quenneville said. “Every game he seems to do a lot of right things.
“He seems to be around the puck a lot and protects it and puts it in good areas and has some offense to back it up. In these NHL exhibition games it looks like he belongs. We’ve liked him since Day 1.”
Not over yet:
Even though Ray Emery gave up 4 third-period goals in Thursday’s 4-1 loss at Pittsburgh, the battle for the backup goalie job with Alexander Salak is far from over.
“We had 2 empty-side goals, which we like to say is a cardinal sin,” Joel Quenneville said. “There’s got to be a defenseman or a forward in that area.
“I wasn’t blaming the goalie. It’s a long camp and everyone will get a chance to assess it. I wouldn’t base it on one period.”
Laying down the law:
New NHL senior vice president of player safety Brendan Shanahan isn’t fooling around when it comes to letting everyone in the league know hitting from behind won’t be tolerated. Shanahan suspended Philadelphia’s Jody Shelley five preseason games and five regular-season games for hitting Toronto’s Darryl Boyce from behind in a game on Wednesday.
That was after Shanahan suspended Calgary’s Pierre-Luc Letourneau-Lebland four preseason games and one in the regular season for hitting Vancouver’s Matt Clackson from behind Tuesday.
“It could be a different standard, and when I say ‘different’ it might be a little more tougher on players,” Joel Quenneville said. “They sent the tape out earlier in the year and it’s a point of emphasis going into the season, player safety.”
Roster trimmed:
David Toews was among 11 players assigned to Rockford on Friday.
The others sent to the AHL were forwards Brandon Bollig, Chris DiDomenico, Byron Froese, David Gilbert, Andrew Shaw, Rob Zanette and defensemen Shawn Lalonde, Simon Dabis-Pepin, Ryan Stanton and Ben Youds.