Rockford teammates impressed Regin

Want to feel good about the Blackhawks' future?

Listen to how recently recalled forward Peter Regin describes what the Hawks have waiting in the wings in Rockford.

"It's deep. Very deep," Regin said of the IceHogs' roster. "(Mark) McNeill, (Phillip) Danault ... those are the two guys. Obviously (Joakim) Nordstrom is the leader down there and probably the best player all-around, but those other two have really impressed me. I hadn't seen them before."

That's not all.

On the defensive side, Regin has been wowed by the play of 20-year-old Ville Pokka, who was acquired from the Islanders in the Nick Leddy trade.

"I like him a lot," Regin said of the 32nd overall pick in the 2012 draft. "He's a sneaky, skilled guy. He makes passes at the right time, tries to put people in good spots."

The IceHogs beat Iowa 5-3 on Thursday for their seventh straight victory and are 9-2-0-1 overall.

The replacement:

On Wednesday, Brandon Saad filled in for the injured Patrick Sharp as the model for the unveiling of the Blackhawks' Winter Classic jersey.

A day later at practice, Saad was filling in for Sharp again, this time on the second line alongside Andrew Shaw and Marian Hossa.

Quite a jump up for the young forward who has struggled out of the gate this season.

"We're looking for him to get to that pace where he's a threat in the middle of the ice - get some speed through the neutral zone," coach Joel Quenneville said. "He's got that ability and consistency is what we're looking for.

"It's a good opportunity for him to get going."

WC preview:

Friday's matchup between the Hawks and the Capitals will be the last time the two teams meet until the Winter Classic at Nationals Park on New Year's Day.

"As far as the Winter Classic goes, it could be a great matchup with a lot of talent and a lot of players who can do some special things to get the fans out of their seats," Patrick Kane said.

But first things first as the Hawks right now are just looking to keep the Big Mo going from a 5-0 win Tuesday in Montreal.

"It's an important game for both teams," coach Joel Quenneville said. "We should get some momentum going from our last game.

"We did so many things right so it should be a good stepping stone for us."

Daniel Carcillo update:

"He's progressing. Hopefully he gets on the ice in the next few days," Joel Quenneville said. "He feels good."

He said it:

"When you're scoring goals that much, how could a fan not like him?"

Patrick Kane on Washington's Alex Ovechkin.