Blackhawks trying to push Reichel past slow start

Blackhawks coach Luke Richardson has done everything in his power to get Lukas Reichel going this season.

After Reichel failed to assert himself as a second-line center, Richardson moved his talented forward to the top line with Connor Bedard.

Surely, things would click there.

Nope.

So, Richardson pushed another button - this time giving Reichel a chance on the top power-play unit.

Surely, this promotion would solve things.

Initially, there was hope as Reichel scored on his first PP chance. But after that? Crickets.

Finally, Richardson had enough and made Reichel a healthy scratch at Minnesota on Sunday.

"I was definitely a little shocked at first," Reichel said before the Hawks' 4-3 shootout loss to Nashville at the United Center on Tuesday. "But they talked to me a little bit (about) what I've got to do better and that's what I'm trying to do tonight."

While coaches often sit a struggling regular for one game, then thrust him back into the lineup, Richardson made it clear that wasn't the case here. He asked Reichel point blank: Do you need more time to watch?

"I (told) him: I don't want to just put your number on the board to be back in after one game," Richardson said. "Do you really want to go after it or do you need more time to visualize and recheck and reset?

"He said, 'Oh no, I'm ready.'

"I said, 'It might not be perfect. You might not get three goals, but let's see some determination, some of that skating ability and he seems determined to do that."

Richardson eased Reichel back in by placing him on the fourth line with Ryan Donato and MacKenzie Entwistle. You'll rarely find a highly skilled player in that spot, but Richardson wants Reichel to prove himself before granting him a larger role.

"Everybody has to check in this league, so you have to check forward and back," Richardson said. "Is a style of line he'd probably fit long term? Maybe no, but he has to show some determination and get in consistent battles and win some pucks.

"This is a good starting point for him."

After an extremely quiet first two periods in which Reichel didn't attempt a shot and was called for a hooking penalty, the 21-year-old nearly gave the Hawks a 4-3 lead with 13:57 remaining. After taking a pass from Alex Vlasic, Reichel maneuvered around D-man Jeremy Lauzon and backhanded a shot that flipped up and over the shoulder of goalie Juuse Saros.

The puck bounced across the crease, however, and stayed out of the net.

The most disappointing thing for the Hawks is that they took their time with Reichel, making sure he was ready for the rigors of the pro game. Reichel played 111 games the last two seasons with Rockford, scoring 41 goals and dishing out 67 assists. He was also given a taste of the NHL and notched 6 goals and 6 assists in 19 games at the end of last season.

After a strong training camp and preseason, his coaches and teammates were pumped to see what the 21-year-old could accomplish.

But instead of dominating with his high-end speed, stickhandling and shot, Reichel has struggled to do much of anything right.

The lack of positive results has surprised many, but Richardson and veteran Nick Foligno were both encouraged by what they saw Tuesday.

"I know he cares and I think he's just trying to find his way," Foligno said. "And, listen, … when I was his age I was still trying to figure out a helluva lot. ...

"I actually thought tonight his battles were excellent. Sometimes that's what it takes. Just standing over the puck and realizing you're not going to get bumped off if you really want it that bad. You could see it from him today. He was tenacious. …

"So we care a lot about him and his development, and he wants to be a big part of this. And he will be a big part of this. Sometimes there's growing pains, and for every guy they're a little different.

"He's gonna find his way in here because we know he's a great player."