Blackhawks' Boqvist still getting into shape; surprised he tested positive
Adam Boqvist did not play against Columbus on Saturday as he continues to get back into playing shape after contracting COVID-19.
It was the 10th straight game Boqvist missed.
The second-year defenseman was surprised when he tested positive, noting he wore a mask and didn't go anywhere except his home, the United Center and Fifth Third Arena.
"Just lost my taste and smell," said Boqvist, who has been skating for about a week. "Two weeks to not see (teammates) and be by yourself is hard. But I was able to watch games and learn and see other players and other teams and learn from them."
Coach Jeremy Colliton gave no guidance as to when Boqvist might return to game action. Boqvist said he's has "a little bit of taste back" but still can't smell.
"It's kind of weird," he said. "You want to see if you smell good or if your cologne is good. Hopefully it's back soon, but I'm just happy to be out of the quarantine."
Boqvist had to undergo heart and blood tests while recovering. He was relieved when those came back OK, understanding that complications from COVID hit everyone differently.
Minnesota's Marco Rossi is a good example. The 19-year-old Wild defenseman returned to Austria to recover after a physical flagged something wrong months after he supposedly recovered.
"That's sad for him," Boqvist said. "He's a good player and I saw him at World Juniors. ...
"I wanted to feel good, and I didn't feel that bad so I was just happy for that. You know COVID, it's nothing to joke around with because it could be very bad."
That hurts:
Asked if Thursday's gut-wrenching 6-5 loss to Columbus was the worst of his hockey career, Dylan Strome said: "No. I've had some tough losses. That doesn't come close."
His list began with the Erie Otters' 4-3 loss to Windsor in the 2017 Memorial Cup. The Otters led 2-1 and 3-2, but they fell behind early in the third period.
According to hockeywriters.com, in the waning moments Alex DeBrincat beat Windsor's goalie, but the puck hit the inside of the far post. The hockeywriters article then said: "The image of Dylan Strome on his knees with anguish in his face said all you needed to know about how crushing this defeat was. This was their last opportunity to make good on their all-in."
Strome also listed the 2017 World Juniors and 2019 World Championships among his worst defeats.
"I've had a lot of losses in the finals," Strome said.
Slap shots:
The Hawks took Ryan Carpenter out of COVID protocol and placed defenseman Connor Murphy (hip) on injured reserve. ... Patrick Kane ranked fourth in total points (20) through Friday's games. He trailed only Connor McDavid (28), Leon Draisaitl (26) and Mitch Marner (21). ... Alex DeBrincat scored 7 goals in his first 11 games this season. It took him 29 games to reach that mark in 2019-20. ... Heading into Saturday, Dominik Kubalik had 12 points, 10 of which came on the power play. Last season just 8 of his 46 points came on the PP.