Ladd shaking off slow start, looking to build on momentum
When Blackhawks general manager Dale Tallon traded Tuomo Ruutu for Andrew Ladd in February, he believed he was getting a player with a better long-term upside.
Ladd was the fourth pick in the 2004 draft, a gritty and skilled left winger who, for whatever reasons, didn't develop quickly enough for the Carolina Hurricanes.
The Hawks see Ladd as a player who can contribute 20 to 25 goals as a third-liner. After a sluggish start, Ladd is coming off three strong games, his best being Monday night when he had 2 goals and an assist in the Hawks' 6-2 win over Colorado.
Ladd had 3 goals over the weekend after getting just 1 assist in the first nine games.
"He's a young kid," Hawks coach Joel Quenneville said. "When I first saw him, I thought he was like 24 or 25. He's 22 years old. It's like it's one more guy who is younger than I anticipated, but he's got some good size, he's got speed, he's got a good read of the game, good feel for the game."
Center Dave Bolland's line with Ladd on the left side and Dustin Byfuglien on the right has been very good for weeks, even though they entered last weekend without a goal among them.
Quenneville has developed a confidence in the trio and has been matching them against the other team's top line.
"They're doing the little things that lead to either production or to shutting down a pretty good line," Quenneville said.
"They're playing really well," teammate Patrick Sharp said of the Bolland line. "They get the tough job of checking the other team's top line every night. When they chip in (with goals), that's huge for our team. It takes a little pressure off special teams and the top two lines."
Ladd and his linemates never pressed when the puck wasn't going into the net for them, and instead focused on the other things they were doing well.
"We're being really patient with the puck and getting some quality chances," Ladd said. "The first little bit was obviously a little frustrating. We weren't getting much done offensively, so to see some pucks go in the net and create some offense is nice.
"We've just got to keep doing the same things and capitalize on our chances. We have confidence now, and confidence is a huge thing. Any time you can keep building on that it's more fun to come to the rink."
Quenneville sees his third line offering a little bit of everything.
"They're not an easy line to play against," Quenneville said. "They have some size and there's some skill to enhance that as well. When they get responsibilities like they have against top lines and they win the confrontation, I like our chances."