Blackhawks’ Raanta gains valuable experience

Blackhawks rookie goalie Antti Raanta likely will be headed to Rockford soon, but he’ll always have the memory of facing and beating Alex Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals 5-4 in a shootout Friday in his first NHL game.

“I knew there was going to be superstars against us, but of course the start of the game wasn’t what I wanted,” Raanta said. “The last 2½ periods were pretty good.

“I didn’t want to let (in) 4 goals, but I think I learned a lot in this game and know what it’s going to take to get to the NHL and what you have to do in the games, so it’s a good learning (experience).”

Hawks coach Joel Quenneville thought Raanta got better as the game went on.

“It was nice to see him get the win as well for us,” Quenneville said. “There were a couple goals that were tick-tack-toe empty netters, but I thought he did what he had to do.”

Bollig on a tear:

Brandon Bollig, who didn’t score a goal in 25 games with the Hawks last season, has 2 in the last two preseason games.

“We don’t want to think of him as an offensive guy for us, but certainly we like the responsibility that he brings us defensively, so it’s a nice combo,” Joel Quenneville said. “It’s nice to see him have some production.”

Bollig knows his first job is to play well defensively and protect his teammates.

No official cuts:

The Hawks made no formal announcement Saturday about cuts, but 2013 first-round draft pick Ryan Hartman tweeted about how he was back in Plymouth for the OHL season.

Teuvo Teravainen, the Hawks’ 2012 first-round pick, told reporters after Thursday’s game that he was headed back to Finland on Friday.