Hawks' Nylander looks to build momentum after big night
Give Alex Nylander time and he can do special things.
Things that result in impressive, highlight-reel goals. Things that turn solid NHL goaltenders into pretzels. Things that result in easy goals for his linemates.
The young forward proved as much in a 15-second span that truly wowed 21,000-plus at the United Center during the Blackhawks' 6-2 victory over Anaheim on Tuesday.
Nylander's first "wow moment" came when he picked up a loose puck up at center ice and found himself on a 2-on-1 opportunity with Jonathan Toews. Instead of trying to hit Toews for a one-timer - as many young players are apt to do - the 22-year-old showed impressive patience and just kept gliding toward the net.
Just as he got past the left faceoff dot, Nylander had made up his mind: He was going in for the kill. After a bit of stickhandling, Nylander flipped a backhanded shot past goalie John Gibson, who had come too far out of the net.
"(Toews) was little bit open," Nylander said, "but then I saw an open lane to the net - like a mini-breakaway - so I took it and scored."
That gave the Hawks a 3-1 lead, but Nylander wasn't done yet.
On the very next shift - after Dylan Strome did a good job keeping the puck alive deep in the offensive zone - Nylander zipped toward a loose puck, deftly backhanded a pass to Patrick Kane, and Kane easily beat Gibson to make it 4-1.
These are the type of plays that remind you what kind of incredible talent Nylander possesses.
"The way I was playing in the beginning, in the first 15 games, was awesome," said Nylander, whose favorite moment with the Hawks was when he scored in the season opener against Philadelphia in Prague. "Now I'm coming back to that. I think I've been playing really well. I just need to keep going."
Exactly. And while this one game was a nice snapshot of Nylander's potential, it's also important to remember that in the previous six games he'd taken a mere 3 shots on goal and was averaging just 8.5 minutes of ice time.
GM Stan Bowman admitted last week that leaving Nylander (9G, 14A) in a top-six role for so long early on probably wasn't the best idea because the pressure to produce was just too great.
"He's playing some of his best hockey (now)," Bowman said. "He's got the ability to make plays and buy time and space with the puck and he can shoot the puck.
"We've seen flashes of it, but it's not the full picture yet. So hopefully we can see him build on becoming not just an NHL player but an offensive NHL player. That's what we'd like him to take that next step at some point."
All true. But, just as when he was acquired for Henri Jokiharju in the off-season, there are still questions about Nylander's compete level and ice awareness.
For instance, he could do a better job of:
• Pouncing on loose pucks right after a faceoff.
• Winning 50-50 battles along the boards.
• Understanding his responsibilities in all zones when he doesn't have the puck.
These are the little things the former first-round pick is still working on. And if can eventually put it all together, there's no telling how high his ceiling might be.
"Every situation - you've got to treat it with respect," said Colliton, who has played Nylander with Strome and Kane for the past three games. "It's life or death, whether you come out with the puck or whether you make a strong play with it. Find your check in coverage - all those little things.
"The thing about this league is if you make a mistake, often it's in the back of your net. So everything's really magnified and for a lot of the young players it's just learning how to have that mental focus for 15 shifts every night.
"And it's a challenge."
Scouting report
Hawks vs. Edmonton Oilers, 7:30 p.m. at United Center
TV: NBCSCH; Radio: WGN 720-AM
The skinny: After facing the offensively challenged Ducks, the Hawks are about to go up against one of the toughest teams in the league in the 36-23-8 Edmonton Oilers. Leon Draisaitl (43G, 65A) and Connor McDavid (32G, 63A) are the top two scorers in the NHL, and they're a big reason why Edmonton is 16-6-4 in its last 26 games. Draisaitl scored 4 goals in an 8-3 victory over Nashville on Monday, and he has 25 points (14 goals) in the last 13 games. He is on pace for 132 points, which would be the highest total by any player since 1992-93. "(We need to) make sure that we have bodies around them to make them feel crowded and not be able to make some of the open plays that they're open to," said Hawks defenseman Connor Murphy. … Edmonton is 13-for-37 (35.1 percent) on the power play over the last 13 games. The Hawks have allowed 3 or more PP chances in 14 of the last 17 games. … The Oilers won the last meeting between the two teams, 5-3 on Feb. 11.
Next: Detroit Red Wings, 7:30 p.m. Friday at Little Caesars Arena
- John Dietz