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Chicago Blackhawks' defense a crowded strength

Every baseball fan worth his or her salt knows the story of Wally Pipp.

Yankees first baseman from the 1920s. Gets benched one day because of a headache. Some guy named Lou Gehrig takes his place.

And the rest is history.

It's not fair to say the same situation is happening on the Chicago Blackhawks, but the fact is two healthy defensemen - Jan Rutta and Cody Franson - suddenly are on the outside looking in after suffering upper-body injuries.

Franson and Rutta will be scratched Thursday in Dallas because their replacements - Jordan Oesterle and Michal Kempny - excelled in their absence.

"It's very frustrating," said Franson, who was a staple on the back end after being scratched in nine of the first 11 games. "You go through everything to get in the lineup and try to work your way up the lineup and earn that trust from the coaching staff. A fluke injury like that can cause you to miss some time and have everything change for you."

Still, if you think Franson or Rutta are angry, bitter or resentful as the team attempts to win its sixth straight, think again.

"I don't think that way. The guys that played those two games did a really good job," Rutta said, referring to victories over Winnipeg and Dallas. "It was a huge 2 wins for the team, and that's all that matters."

Said Franson, who has missed four games: "I'm very happy guys went in there and did as well as they did. It's a huge, huge run for us going into the break."

The fact that the Hawks have these difficult decisions to make speaks volumes to their defensive depth, something that was the biggest question mark entering the season.

Now, it's a huge strength, and we've seen that a few injuries won't necessarily send the Hawks careening in the wrong direction. This kind of competition is exciting for the Hawks, and they're certainly happy it's not the other way around - with coach Joel Quenneville having to choose the least painful option.

In the bigger picture, this stretch may help general manager Stan Bowman make some decisions down the road when it comes to these four players.

• Kempny, the 27-year-old Czech native, will be an unrestricted free agent in the summer. He has a huge shot and plenty of offensive skills, but he has been a healthy scratch a whopping 50 times in just under 1½ seasons. Is this finally when he shows Quenneville that he can be consistently trusted in his own zone?

• Rutta. Also a Czech native, the 27-year-old has been a pleasant surprise in his first NHL season and is one of the Hawks' best penalty killers. He also will be a UFA, and it will be interesting to see if the Hawks can afford him.

• Franson. The imposing veteran signed a one-year deal and is with his fourth organization since 2014-15. He loves Chicago and would love to stick around. He has a big shot, is responsible defensively and is no slouch on the power play. But does Bowman want to commit another year or two to a 30-year-old at the possible expense of other up-and-comers?

• Oesterle. Here is where the Hawks may just have a diamond in the rough. Every chance Oesterle has had - and there haven't been many - he has shown poise, speed, intelligence and a wicked shot. The 25-year-old is signed for one more year at just $650,000.

If Oesterle continues to prove himself, it could make Bowman's decisions on one or two of the players listed above a whole lot easier.

• Follow John on Twitter @johndietzdh

Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Jan Rutta, left, of the Czech Republic, uncorks a shot as Colorado Avalanche left wing Matt Nieto defends in the second period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, Oct. 28, 2017, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Scouting report

Blackhawks vs. Dallas Stars at American Airlines Center, 7:30 p.m. Thursday

TV: NBCSCH

Radio: WGN 720-AM

The skinny: Dallas is just 3-4-2 since beating the Hawks in back-to-back games on Nov. 30 and Dec. 2. The Hawks did pick up 2 points, losing to the Stars in overtime and a shootout. … Dallas lost its last game to Washington, 4-3 in overtime, thanks in large part to Brett Connolly's goal with 2:26 left in regulation. The Stars had just taken a 3-2 lead 101 seconds earlier. Coach Ken Hitchcock answered just one postgame question, saying: "The third goal shouldn't have gone in. We got beat on the boards three times. Puck was in the net because of it. We had earned the right to finish the game off strong. Game over." … The Hawks are riding a five-game winning streak. Their longest streak last season was seven games, which they accomplished twice.

Next: New Jersey Devils at Prudential Center, 6 p.m. Saturday

- John Dietz

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