Morning Chirps: Bedard getting some Hart love, Oettinger pays tribute to Belfour

The Chicago Blackhawks are scheduled to practice today following their fifth straight loss last night. They will host Joel Quenneville and the Anaheim Ducks before heading out on a four-game West Coast road trip. Let’s get you caught up after a hectic day in the National Hockey League.

Blackhawks Chirps

• The Blackhawks' second-period woes continued in last night’s loss to the Nashville Predators. The poor middle frames are a pattern at this point of the season, and that needs to change as soon as possible.

• Check out the CHGO Blackhawks Postgame Show for a further breakdown of the game from yours truly and company.

• Earlier in the week, the NHL.com staff voted on the Jack Adams Award, with Jeff Blashill getting some consideration as the league’s top coach. Now, they have voted for the Hart Trophy, which is given out every season to the NHL’s most valuable player. To no surprise, Colorado Avalanche superstar Nathan MacKinnon led the way with 70 points. Who finished in second with 40 points? None other than Connor Bedard!

• The Rockford IceHogs earned a point last in a 3-2 overtime loss to the Milwaukee Admirals. They outshot the reigning Central Division champs 39-23, but goaltender Matthew Murray was on his game. Veterans Jamie Engelbert and Brett Seney had the two goals. Nick Lardis and Nolan Allan had the assists on Seney’s tally. In an interesting turn of events, Kevin Korchinski was announced in the starting lineup, but was a very late scratch. There has been no update on the reason why. Tonight’s rematch in Milwaukee has been moved to Sunday due to the snowstorm expected this afternoon.

• On this date in 1968, Tony Esposito made his NHL debut for the Montreal Canadiens. He came in to relieve Rogie Vachon and was hung with the loss after giving up two goals to the Oakland Seals. He played the first 13 games of his Hall of Fame career with the Habs before he was claimed off waivers by the Blackhawks the following offseason.

• Three decades later, in 1998, the Blackhawks won their 2000th game in franchise history by beating the Edmonton Oilers 3-2. A pair of defensemen, Chris Chelios and Dave Manson, scored in the first period before Tony Amonte added the game-winning goal in the middle frame.

• Blackhawks Birthday Roll Call, Nov. 29: Alex Kaleta and Ian Cushenan.

NHL Chirps

• The Anaheim Ducks are next on the Blackhawks’ schedule, as they come to town on Sunday. They will be without goaltender Lukas Dostol for the next 2-3 weeks due to an upper-body injury. Ville Husso got the start on Friday, as they beat the Los Angeles Kings 5-4 in a shootout thanks to a sick goal by Mason McTavish. There is a good chance our old friend Petr Mrazek will start at the United Center tomorrow.

• On Friday morning, Utah Mammoth head coach revealed that Clayton Keller’s father, Bryan, died suddenly in his sleep. He suited up and played with his teammates against the Dallas Stars last night.

• Speaking of that game in Dallas, the Stars wore their “99” alternate jerseys, paying homage to the 1999 Stanley Cup championship team. Goaltender Jake Ottinger wore a special mask in tribute to Eddie Belfour, featuring otters instead of eagles. Well done!

• The Minnesota Wild placed their captain, Marcus Foligno, on injured reserve with a lower-body injury suffered against the Blackhawks on Wednesday. Former Blackhawks Ryan Hartman returned from an upper-body injury and picked up an assist in their 3-2 shootout win over the Colorado Avalanche. Minnesota has now won seven games in a row. The Wild had an Ojibwe-language broadcast for Native American Heritage Day, and it featured this great call!

• Brady Tkachuk returned to the Ottawa Senators yesterday. He has been out of action with a thumb injury suffered in the third game of the season. The return of their captain seemed to spark the Senators early, but they could not hang on in a 4-3 loss to the St. Louis Blues. Tkachuk had an assist, eight shots on goal, and three hits in his return.

• New York Islanders’ forward Kyle Palmeri had one of the craziest assists you’ll ever see during a 4-3 shootout loss to the Philadelphia Flyers. During the second period, he fell awkwardly after hitting Jamie Drysdale. While trying to get off the ice, he stripped Emil Andrae of the puck, setting up Emil Heineman’s goal. Palmeri got the bench and went right to the locker room. He did not return to the game, but that was one heck of a way to exit.

• NHL Birthday Roll Call, Nov 29: Jack Walker, Georges Mantha, Bob Berry, Yvon Labre, Neal Broten, Brad May, Pavol Demitra, Tanner Glass, Matt Irwin, Jared Spurgeon, Andrej Sustr, and Nolan Foote.