On 70th NHL shot on goal, Chicago Blackhawks' Sikura finally finds back of net

It's no secret that many pro athletes are superstitious.

Down to the tiniest detail, they'll stick to their pregame routine, believing any deviation could spell disaster.

As for the struggling athlete who can't buy a basehit, sink a jump shot or score a goal? They'll often do anything and everything to try to turn the tide.

And that's exactly what Blackhawks forward Dylan Sikura did as his goal drought grew from seven games to 10, 15, 20 and beyond.

"I would switch up my routine every day," Sikura said. "And if I were to score, I would stick with that. Just little things. Like when I walked out (Sunday) there were a bunch of nets there and I put my hands in one of the nets. Just anything."

And guess what?

Sikura's 43-game drought finally ended that night when he pounded a shot into a wide-open net after Erik Gustafsson's blast caromed off the skate of a Detroit Red Wings player. An overjoyed Sikura leapt into Gustafsson's arms and began a celebration that resonated with each and every one of his teammates.

"I blacked out pretty much," said Sikura, who scored on his 70th career shot on goal. "I saw Gus there and he was firing me up. It was a cool moment. Couldn't hold back there."

Said captain Jonathan Toews: "It's a long time coming. I mean he's been close a bunch of times. A lot of guys say when they get their first goal early on, they're like: 'Oh, it's nice to get that first one out of the way' because you don't want it to snowball.

"Poor Sikky. That was one of those things that just kind of built into something that wasn't really there."

Sikura, who isn't sure if he'll keep sticking his hands in a net every game day, was nowhere close to setting a record for longest goal drought to begin a career for a forward. That mark is held by Tony Twist, who scored in his 180th game for the St. Louis Blues. Twist, who logged 1,121 career penalty minutes in a 10-year career, finished with 10 goals in 445 games.

Sikura, quite obviously, hopes he ends up with more than that, but it's difficult to say exactly how he fits into the Hawks' long-term plans.

They selected Sikura in the sixth round of the 2014 draft and allowed him to develop for four years at Northeastern University. He then racked up 17 goals in 46 games with Rockford last season and also played 33 games with the Hawks.

Some believed Sikura would carve out a significant role right out of training camp this season, but he was instead assigned to Rockford where he scored nine times in 22 games. He's getting another chance to prove what he can do at the NHL level due to injuries to Brandon Saad, Andrew Shaw and Drake Caggiula.

Sikura's realistic though and knows he could be sent back to the minors at any moment. It's a tough way to live, and the day-to-day uncertainty can definitely weigh on a player.

"You can ask the (other) guys that do it here - it's not easy," Sikura said. "(You're) kind of walking on broken glass. You feel like you don't know where you're going to be the next day."

The key for Sikura - and other call-ups like Matthew Highmore, John Quenneville, Adam Boqvist and Dennis Gilbert - is to play their games and not worry about making mistakes.

Easier said than done, right?

"You've got to be on your toes, which is good for a lot of guys, but at the same time it can be stressful and tough," Sikura said. "There's a lot of things you've got to deal with as a young player. To overcome that and be an everyday guy it's going to take a little time, and hopefully I can do that here."

Coach Jeremy Colliton likes how Sikura's game is trending and went out of his way to compliment the forward's effort at Calgary on New Year's Eve. And while Sikura believes he has a good relationship with Colliton, he doesn't expect the same one-on-one time he received last season.

"I'm not really a first-year guy anymore," Sikura said. "I've seen how everything goes down and know how it works. Now there's younger guys that need that attention.

"I learned a lot last year and grew a lot as a person and as a pro. Hopefully I can take that into my play."

Dylan Sikura's stats

Season, team GP G A Pts.

2017-18, HAWKS 5 0 3 3

2018-19, HAWKS 33 0 8 8

2018-19, Rockford 46 17 18 35

2019-20, HAWKS 7 1 2 3

2019-20, Rockford 22 9 7 16