Morning Chirps: Commesso leaves with injury, Kane ties Modano

The Chicago Blackhawks are enjoying a day off in Pittsburgh with their moms before taking on the Penguins tomorrow night. Meanwhile, a franchise legend made hockey history last night, while a division rival locks up a breakout blueliner, and a top goaltender is lost for the rest of the season.

Blackhawks Chirps

• There was a lot to like about last night’s game against the Minnesota Wild. The first period was great. Connor Bedard’s new line looked fantastic. However, losing in a shootout after leading 3-0 will not leave anyone feeling good. Check out my postgame thoughts, in case you missed them last night.

• The Rockford IceHogs returned to action last night and fell to the Milwaukee Admirals 5-3. Kevin Korchinski picked up two assists to give him 20 on the season. The IceHogs got goals from Dominic Toninato, Rem Pitlick, and Ethan Del Mastro. Rockford was shorthanded to begin the night with Nick Lardis missing the game due to illness, and defenseman Cavan Fitzgerald’s lower-body injury kept him out of the lineup. To make matters worse, goaltender Drew Commesso left the game early in the second period with an upper-body injury and did not return.

• The AHL and IceHogs revealed the jerseys all four divisions will wear at the upcoming All-Star Classic. Nick Lardis and Korchinski will represent the IceHogs at the BMO Center on Feb. 10-11.

• Jason Dickinson is the Blackhawks’ biggest trade chip heading into the March 6 deadline, and Ty Glenn examined three potential landing spots for the veteran forward.

• On this date in 1943, Max Bentley had the first seven-point night in team history. His four goals and three assists led the way in a 10-1 blowout of the New York Rangers. The four goals came in the third period, with his brother Doug setting them all up.

• In 1959, Hall of Famer Ted Lindsay scored his 350th career goal in the Blackhawks 3-1 win over the Rangers.

• Three years later, Glenn Hall recorded his 200th career win and 43rd career win in a 3-0 blanking over the Rangers. Bobby Hullw as the offensive hero by scoring a pair of goals.

• In 2012, Patrick Kane won the Breakaway Challenge of the NHL All-Star SuperSkills Competition in Ottawa. Showtime was more than just a nickname as he won the competition with his Superman goal, with some help from Marian Hossa.

• Blackhawks Birthday Roll Call, Jan. 28: Marty Burke, Paul Shmyr, Sean Williams, Colin Fraser, Daniel Carcillo, and Carl Dahlstrom.

NHL Chirps

• It’s been a season to forget for the Vancouver Canucks. They’ve already traded away superstar defenseman Quinn Hughes, and Elias Pettersson could be the next player to be shipped out of town. Now they will be without their top netminder for the rest of the season. On Tuesday, the team announced that Thatcher Demko is undergoing season-ending hip surgery.

• The NHL’s Department of Player Safety dished out a three-game suspension to Pittsburgh Penguins forward Bryan Rust for his illegal check to the head of Canucks forward Brock Boeser. Tyler Miller Pens Labyrinth says the suspension was a bit harsh considering Rust’s history.

• The Colorado Avalanche signed defenseman Sam Malinski to a four-year, $19 million contract extension. The third-year blueliner has three goals and 24 points in 50 games this season.

• The New York Islanders made a trade with a division rival for the second straight day. After acquiring defenseman Carson Soucy from the Rangers on Monday, they traded Maxum Tsyplakov and two draft picks to the New Jersey Devils for Ondrej Palat on Tuesday.

• The Detroit Red Wings lost 3-1 to the Los Angeles Kings last night, but their lone goal made history. Kane picked up an assist on Alex Debrincat’s goal to tie Mike Modano for the most points scored by an American-born player with 1,374.

• The Buffalo Sabres have been a great story, having climbed from the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings into a postseason spot. They won their fourth straight game by beating the Maple Leafs 7-4 last. Captain Rasmus Dahlin became the fifth defenseman this season to net a hat trick. However, the win came with a cost, as goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen left the game in the first period with a lower-body injury. Head coach Lindy Ruff said he’ll be evaluated by team doctors later today.

• NHL Birthday Roll Call, Jan. 28: Arnie Brown, Paul Henderson, Jack Egers, Colin Campbell, Mark Napier, Stan Smyl, Normand Rochefort, Michal Pivonka, Alex Newhook, Liam Ohgren, and Beckett Sennecke.