Kurashev continues solid play as Hawks win 4-1 in Philly

When GM Kyle Davidson took a truckload of TNT to the Blackhawks' roster in 2022, he bid adieu to forwards Alex DeBrincat, Dylan Strome, Dominik Kubalik, Brandon Hagel and Kirby Dach.

Among the few veterans left behind was Philipp Kurashev, who was drafted in the fourth round by former GM Stan Bowman in 2018.

Just 23 years old, the Swiss native has shown flashes during his two and a half seasons, but has rarely popped to the point where we sit up and take notice.

That changed - for one night anyway - when Kurashev recorded his first 3-point game during a pulsating 4-3 OT win over Buffalo at the United Center on Tuesday. Kurashev was also credited with 3 take-aways and finished with a plus-3 rating.

"Haven't seen him play like that, a consistent full game ... since early in the year when he was really riding some good confidence out of training camp," coach Luke Richardson said. "He deserves all the points he got. I thought he could've had a few more."

Kurashev continued his solid play during the Hawks' 4-1 victory at Philadelphia on Thursday by scoring an empty-net goal with 41.3 seconds remaining. He was also part of a solid shift that ended with Jonathan Toews tipping in a Seth Jones shot to tie the game at 1-1 midway through the second period.

Reese Johnson (3) made it 2-1 six minutes later, and Tyler Johnson (5) extended the Hawks' lead to 3-1 35 seconds into the third period.

The Hawks, who won a regular-season game at Philly for the first time since 1996, have won five of six and improved to 13-26-4 overall. Jake McCabe had 2 assists and Petr Mrázek made 38 saves.

While still very much an under-the-radar forward, Kurashev has only missed five games since breaking into the league during the COVID-shortened 2021 campaign.

After notching a respectable 8 goals and 8 assists as a rookie, Kurashev managed just 6 goals and 15 assists in 67 games in 2021-22. He surpassed that goal total Thursday with his seventh tally and is averaging 17 minutes per game - fourth among Hawks forwards.

While solid against the Flyers, Kurashev really took his game to another level against Buffalo as he:

• Tipped in a long shot from Jones early in the second period to get the Hawks within 3-2.

• Set up Connor Murphy's first-period goal with a perfect pass that zipped past Sabres forward Casey Mittelstadt.

• Smartly played the puck back to Jones late in the game to set up the game-tying tally.

In all of these examples, Kurashev - who is set to be a restricted free agent in the off-season - did the little things that result in scoring chances. He found little gaps in coverage to make himself available for a pass; he understood where his teammates were or where they were about to be; and he was extremely confident when attacking on the rush.

"Definitely gives you a good feeling for sure," Kurashev said when asked if nights like that make him realize he could contribute even more. "To help the team win with that part of game is fun, and hopefully we can keep it going."

It certainly seems like the ingredients are there for a 15-20 goal/50-point player. Now it's about all about consistency.

"Maybe as a young player (he) has to figure out how to get a little more determined and push a little harder," said Richardson, who has Kurashev on a line with Raddysh and Toews. "Playing with Tazer helps. He's very driven and doesn't really accept anything less.

"So that probably helps push him along. I was happy to see him have real good success (against Buffalo)."

The Hawks next play at St. Louis on Saturday then host Los Angeles on Sunday at 6 p.m.