Quenneville sits Rutta in Chicago Blackhawks' loss to Oilers
Chicago Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville made two lineup changes for Sunday's game against Edmonton at the United Center, the most significant of which was to sit defenseman Jan Rutta.
Rutta, who signed a one-year, $2.25 million extension last March, has had a disappointing start to the season, and it came to a head in St. Louis on Saturday when he sat out the final 29½ minutes of a 7-3 loss.
Rutta wasn't on the ice for any of St. Louis' goals, but his tripping penalty at 2:50 of the second period kept the momentum firmly in the Blues' favor just 71 seconds after Vladimir Tarasenko put the Hawks in a 3-2 hole.
Brandon Davidson played for Rutta in the 2-1 overtime loss against the Oilers and was paired with Brandon Manning.
The blue line could be helped if Gustav Forsling or Carl Dahlstrom was called up from Rockford, but the Hawks' roster is maxed out at 23, meaning a move like that is unlikely in the near future.
"The area we do have to get better in is defensively," Quenneville said. "Our team game can improve in that area. Not just the defense, (but) our forwards helping out as well. …
"Those kids (Forsling and Dahlstrom), they both played here and they both had good stretches at times."
Rutta had 6 goals and 14 assists in 57 games last season. He has no goals and 3 assists in 11 games this season.
Scary stat:
Marcus Kruger has taken 6 penalties in the last five games.
One came midway through the second period against Edmonton on Sunday. The Hawks were fortunate to come away unscathed as Connor McDavid hit the left post, and Cam Ward barely stopped a Ryan Nugent-Hopkins shot that was redirected.
"Tonight you could argue about that one," said coach Joel Quenneville, "but he can't take penalties."
Kruger already has 14 penalty minutes in 12 games; his 82-game average over his career is just 36.
Slap shots:
Only Al Secord has scored more goals than Patrick Kane (11) in an October in Blackhawks history. Secord had 12 in 1982. … Brent Seabrook, who scored a first-period goal against Edmonton on Sunday, needs 3 more for 100 in his career. … In his first game of the year, goalie Anton Forsberg made 25 saves for Rockford in a 2-1 loss to Cleveland on Saturday. Forsberg was assigned to the IceHogs after clearing waivers last week. … IceHogs D-man Carl Dahlstrom (groin) and forward Matthew Highmore (shoulder) were injured during a 2-1 shootout loss to Manitoba on Sunday. There is no timetable for their return.