Colin Blackwell and Connor Bedard shine in the Blackhawks’ best offensive game of the season
The Blackhawks game On Sunday was a tale of two centers. Colin Blackwell and Connor Bedard provided 5 total goals on the day. Blackwell got three goals, including a late empty netter, recording his first career NHL hat trick.
Colin Blackwell finishes off the hatty!
🎩🎩🎩 pic.twitter.com/hiEgFjz7Rk— Spittin' Chiclets (@spittinchiclets) March 11, 2024
A well deserved hat trick for a NHL veteran
Colin Blackwell has waited a long time for this moment. Blackwell, a 30-year-old, and 10 months of the season due to a nagging sports hernia.
Then the Blackhawks nearly traded Blackwell at the deadline. Blackwell talked about his desire to stay in Chicago ahead of the trade deadline. He sounded like a guy who has gone “all in,” on the Blackhawks plan and wants to play a part in that plan.
“For me, this is where I want to be,” Blackwell said. “I’m enjoying the role that I’m playing. Throughout the course of my career, I always end up changing teams when I finally feel comfortable and I feel like I’ve got the coaches’ and players’ trust around me. I feel like I’ve finally gotten that after a year and a half of being here. For me, I don’t want to go anywhere.
“I’m happy where I am. I’m grateful to put on an Original Six franchise sweater every single night. I’m grateful for the opportunity that I have here.
This is somewhere I would like to be and hopefully it’s past the trade deadline as well so this is something that I’ve seen it dating back to last year and seeing what’s hopefully building for the future and that’s something that I’d like to be a part of, so like I said, I’m comfortable here. I like it, and I’m finally feeling that comfort, which is hard to do in this league when you bounce around a little bit.” – Colin Blackwell
Instead of being traded, Blackwell was kept. And today he rewarded the Hawks with an electric offensive performance. Which included scoring three crucial goals to lead the Hawks to a 7-4 win over the Coyotes.
If Blackwell can keep up this hot streak he just started, he could stick around. Blackwell adds a level of physicality that the Blackhawks desperately need right now. And he also just showed that he is quite capable at putting pucks in the back of the net.
Blackwell could agree to a team friendly “prove it,” deal and stick around for another season. Blackwell will be an unrestricted free agent when the season ends. He also provides a solid veteran presence that is priceless fora young team like the Chicago Blackhawks.
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