Morning Chirps: IceHogs stay undefeated, Lardis gets first pro goal

What a fun Sunday we have in Chicago with the Bears and Blackhawks both in action! We’ll preview tonight’s game with the Anaheim Ducks later this morning. You’ll want to check back in after the final horn for some Postgame Musings. Until then, get caught up with the happenings around the National Hockey League.

Blackhawks Chirps

• Jeff Blashill mixed up his lines a bit at yesterday's practice. Part of the reasoning was to reward two play drivers, and another part was that Jason Dickinson was absent. We’ll see how they look at morning skate and get you updated.

• Joey Anderson joined the Blackhawks at practice and was then placed on waivers. If/when he clears, he will be sent down to the Rockford IceHogs.

• Speaking of the IceHogs, they got some good news yesterday ahead of their game, as defensemen Nolan Allan and Kevin Korchinski were cleared from concussion protocol.

• The IceHogs spoiled the Chicago Wolves' home opener with a 3-2 overtime win to improve to 4-0-0 on the season. Three of their four wins, including both this weekend, have come in overtime. Paul Ludwinski scored his first goal of the period to tie the game just 17 seconds after the Wolves took a 1-0 lead. Nick Lardis scored his first professional goal off a feed from Oliver Moore in the second period. Lardis then set up Dominic Toninato for the game-winner in overtime. Stanislav Berezhnoy stopped 38 of 39 shots.

• On this date in 1950, a record-breaking autumn heat wave forced the Blackhawks to postpone their game against the Detroit Red Wings because the ice at the Chicago Stadium would not stay frozen.

• In 1957, Montreal Canadiens legend Maurice Richard became the first 500-goal scorer in NHL history during a 3-1 win over the Blackhawks. When he retired in 1960, he was the all-time goals leader with 544. He’s fallen to 33rd in the 65 years since.

• In 1974, Grant Mulvey scored his first career NHL goal to lead the Blackhawks to a 3-1 victory over the St. Louis Blues. At 18 years, one month, and two days old, he was the youngest player to score a goal in a regular-season game since World War II.

• In 1980, the Blackhawks retired Stan Mikita’s No. 21. His number was the first to be retired by the team. After the ceremony, Tom Lysiak scored a hat trick and led the Blackhawks with five points in an 8-4 drubbing of the Washington Capitals.

• Blackhawks Birthday Roll Call, Oct. 19: Don Ward and Dale Tallon.

NHL Chirps

• Shane Pinto is off to a white hot start to the season with seven goals in his first six games. According to Bruce Garrioch, contract extension talks will resume soon after they stalled during the summer. He’s in the final year of his deal and will be a restricted free agent at the end of the season.

• Mitch Marner scored his first two goals with the Vegas Golden Knights as they rolled to a 6-1 win over the Calgary Flames. Mark Stone had two goals and two assists, giving him a league-leading 10 helpers on the season. However, he left the game late in the third period after falling awkwardly to the ice.

• Meanwhile, Marner’s former team, the Toronto Maple Leafs, can never seem to avoid the drama. Goaltender Anthony Stolarz had some pointed comments following their 4-3 overtime loss to the Seattle Kraken.

The Winnipeg Jets won their fourth straight game by beating the Nashville Predators 4-1. Mark Scheifele’s first-period goal gave him 813 career points, passing his former teammate, Blake Wheeler, as the franchise’s all-time leading scorer.

• NHL Birthday Roll Call, Oct. 19: Roy Worters, Zdeno Ciger, Boyd Gordon, and Cal Peterson.