Laughing matter: Rasmussen says Bickell OK with theft of goal
By John Dietz
jdietz@dailyherald.com
While Dennis Rasmussen has 2 goals in his first five NHL games, they haven't come in the most conventional ways.
His first was a tip-in of an Andrew Shaw blast in a 4-1 win over Nashville last week. The second came Sunday when he nudged the puck over the goal-line after Bryan Bickell's shot bounced off Vancouver goalie Ryan Miller's glove hand.
Bickell was inches from ending a 32-game goal-scoring drought (including playoffs), until Rasmussen stormed in, forcing Bickell to settle for an assist.
"I just saw the puck and I wasn't sure if it was going in," Rasmussen said. "My instinct just made me put it in. Then right away after, I just kind of apologized to Bickell. He just started laughing and said something like, 'The important thing is we scored a goal.' "
Hawks GM Stan Bowman has been impressed with the 6-3, 205-pound Rasmussen, who is centering the third line with Bickell and Andrew Shaw as his wingers.
Said Bowman: "As a young guy coming in sometimes you're just trying to get through the game and you can be a reliable player for the coaches and it's maybe hard to get on the scoresheet right away.
"But he's been able to do that and hopefully it gives him some confidence and he can keep doing what he's been doing."
Tough decisions:
In addition to questions about the Rob Scuderi-for-Trevor Daley trade that the Blackhawks made Monday, general manager Stan Bowman was asked how close Marko Dano is to staying permanently with the Hawks instead of shuttling back and forth from Rockford to Chicago.
Bowman said it's "a hard question to answer" and also pointed to other IceHogs like Erik Gustafsson, Ryan Hartman and Phillip Danault, players he believes are capable of contributing at the NHL level. Bowman, though, said it can be better for young guys to get more minutes and play a big role in the AHL.
"They're getting a lot of opportunities," Bowman said. "I wouldn't be surprised to see a number of guys filter in and out throughout the year, but as it is right now they're in a good position and they're getting better. They're young - 20, 21 years old and they just need to play."
Slapshots:
Artemi Panarin leads rookies with 29 points and 20 assists. … Artem Anisimov has gone 6 games without recording a point. … After a stretch where he had 18 points in 17 games, Brent Seabrook has just 1 in his last 9. …Niklas Hjalmarsson had 1 assist in the first 14 games. In the last 18, he has a goal and 8 assists.