Morning Chirps: Lardis stays red hot, Rantanen can't stop hitting guys from behind

The Chicago Blackhawks are back at the United Center tonight. They have their most formidable challenge of the season as the Colorado Avalanche comes calling with their one regulation loss on the season. We’ll have a full game preview and postgame wrap tonight, so be sure to check back throughout the day.

Blackhawks Chirps

• Some feel the Blackhawks’ black jerseys represent the worst era of team history, and question why they are celebrating it. Todd Welter writes why bringing them back after 16 years is the right move.

• We are probably a little over a month away from Team USA announcing its Winter Olympics roster, and Justin Lynch makes the case for Spencer Knight.

• The second episode of Always an Original dropped on Saturday. “The Madhouse” looks at the Chicago Stadium, the building where I fell in love with the game.

• The Rockford IceHogs lost 5-2 to the Texas Stars last night to split their weekend series in The Lone Star State. Nick Lardis had his second straight two-goal game to provide all the offense. He has nine goals and 18 points in 17 games. Kevin Korchinski picked up the primary assist on his first goal. Aidan Thompson, who scored in overtime on Friday, had the primary assist on Lardis’ second goal. The IceHogs will be back in action on Wednesday night, hosting the Chicago Wolves.

• Roman Kantserov had a primary assist and the shootout winner in Mettlaurg’s 4-3 victory on Saturday.

• Julius Sumpf has been red hot for Providence College of late. He scored a goal in their 5-1 win over UMass. The 2025 fourth-round pick has two goals and six points on the season. Both goals and two of his four assists have come in his last four games.

• This was one of Adam Gajan’s 38 saves in Saturday's 2-1 overtime loss to Colorado College. In 16 games for the University of Minnesota-Duluth, he is 12-4-0 with a 1.78 goals-against average, a .925 save percentage, and two shutouts

• Blackhawks Birthday Roll Call: Nov. 23: Darrel Anholt.

NHL Chirps

• The Tampa Bay Lightning beat the Washington Capitals 5-3 last night, but it came with a cost. Star forwards Nikita Kucherov and Brayden Point left the game with injuries in the second period. Head coach Jon Cooper did not have an update on their condition following the game.

• The Avalanche will be without Gavin Brindley tonight and for the foreseeable future. He is considered week-to-week with a lower-body injury.

• Former Blackhawks forward Vinnie Hinostroza found a spot on the Minnesota Wild’s bottom-six. However, he will be out for “a while,” according to head coach John Hynes, after suffering a serious lower-body injury against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Friday.

• Dallas Stars forward Mikko Rantanen can’t stop hitting guys from behind. Last night, he drilled Matt Coronato right between the numbers and into the boards. He received a five-minute major and a game misconduct for the hit. Thankfully, Coronato eventually returned to the game.

• NHL Birthday Roll Call, Nov. 23: Simon Nolet, Bruan Glynn, Saku Koivu, Matt Johnson, Colby Armstrong, Nicklas Backstrom, Garnet Hathaway, Gabriel Landeskog, and Walker Duehr.