Strome trying to make most of new opportunity
In, in, out, out.
In, in, out.
In, in, in ...
Yes indeed, it's been quite the roller-coaster season thus far for Dylan Strome.
After sitting out the first five games as a healthy scratch, the veteran forward became the human equivalent of a Super Ball as he has bounced in, out and all around the Blackhawks' lineup over the past three weeks.
Now, with Derek King replacing the fired Jeremy Colliton, it's up to Strome to prove to his new coach that he should be playing every game from here on out.
"Here's his new chapter and we'll see what he does with it," King said.
Strome's Hawks career was humming along nicely as he racked up 29 goals and 60 assists in 116 games from 2018-20. Last season, he had 9 goals and 8 assists in 40 games but missed significant time with a concussion and was then scratched in four of the final nine contests.
Colliton experimented with Strome on the wing quite a bit over the last two years, with mixed results.
For whatever reason - whether it was inconsistent performances, an ever-changing role or bad timing with injuries - Strome seemed unable to crawl out of Colliton's doghouse.
"It's not fun," he said. "You come to the rink every day not knowing if you're gonna be playing - it's not easy to do."
One of the tougher days was October 27, when the Hawks were preparing to host Toronto. After finally cracking the lineup against Vancouver on October 21 and then registering an assist against Detroit on October 24, Strome thought he would be in the lineup against the Maple Leafs.
Until his phone lit up with some bad news.
"Got a text about 3:30 saying I wasn't playing because Tazer was back in (after being in COVID protocol)," Strome said. "Things like that (hurt) where you get frustrated (because) you felt like you were playing good."
While life around the rink has been difficult, Strome gets a much-needed lift when he arrives home. A baby's smile will do that to a young dad. As will a dog's wagging tail.
"The dog's a big one," Strome said with a wide grin. "You come in and he's just so happy to see you. He doesn't know what's going on. He's happy 24/7. ...
"It kind of makes you forget about hockey for a little bit and then you worry about it the next day."
Strome has centered the third line the past two games, both victories.
He won 7 of 9 faceoffs against the Penguins and also was strong carrying the puck into the offensive zone on one power-play opportunity. Seconds later, Kirby Dach set up Adam Gaudette for a prime scoring chance.
We'll see if Strome stay in the lineup long term, especially with Tyler Johnson and Henrik Borgstrom on the verge of returning. Strome's playmaking ability is one thing he can hat on; now he just needs to show King he can be relied upon all over the ice.
"He's a good player, he makes things happen," King said. "It's a trust factor: They have to trust me and I have to trust them. And right now we're just teetering on a few guys (on whether or not) I can trust them in certain areas. ...
"The big thing with a player like that where you've got high-end skill (is) you've just got to work. ... Not that he doesn't work, but you've got to work a little smarter. Again, it's that trust thing between a coach and a player and we'll get there."