Morning Chirps: OHL prospects keep rolling, Panarin debuts for Kings

The Chicago Blackhawks will play their first game in 22 days tonight against the Nashville Predators. It’s the first game in a four-game road trip to start the post-Olympics schedule. We’ll have a full day of coverage for you, per usual, with a game preview and postgame analysis. Until then, get ready for the return of Blackhawks hockey with your Morning Chirps.

Blackhawks Chirps

• Teuvo Teravainen was back at the Blackhawks Ice Center yesterday. Although he didn’t bring his bronze medal, he was happy to get back to work with his teammates. Check out all the updates from Wednesday’s practice.

• Jack Pridham scored his 37th goal of the season and recorded an assist in the Kitchener Rangers’ 5-4 win against the Guelph Storm. He is riding a four-game point streak and now has 24 multi-point games this season, including two in a row.

• Pridham remains four goals behind Marek Vanacker for the Ontario Hockey League lead, as he scored his 41st goal of the season, the game-winner, in the Brantford Bulldogs’ 5-4 victory over the Brampton Steelheads. St. Louis Blues prospect David Jiricek scored twice to set the Brantford franchise record for most goals in a season by a defenseman with 15.

• On this date in 1947, Doug and Max Bentley combined for 10 points in the Blackhawks’ 9-7 win over the New York Rangers. Doug had four goals and two assists, while Max had a helper to go along with his hat trick.

• Two decades later, in 1967, the Montreal Canadiens needed a lot of help just to get to the Chicago Stadium for their game against the Blackhawks. After their charter bus failed to arrive at the team hotel, they needed a fleet of taxis and police vehicles to get to the rink on time. The two Original 6 rivals skated to a 2-2 tie.

• Blackhawks Birthday Roll Call, Feb. 26: Jarrod Skalde.

NHL Chirps

• Of all the injuries to happen at the Olympics, the most high-profile and impactful one had to be to future Hall of Famer Sidney Crosby. The Pittsburgh Penguins announced on Wednesday that their captain will be out for four weeks with a lower-body injury. They enter tonight's game against the New Jersey Devils in second place in the Metro Division, but only have a three-point cushion for a playoff spot.

• The Eastern Conference’s top team, the Tampa Bay Lightning, picked up right where they left off with a 4-2 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs. Brayden Point had two goals and an assist in his first game since Jan. 12. Nikita Kucherov became the second-fastest player born outside of North America to reach 700 career assists. They won the game without Jon Cooper behind the bench, as he missed last night's game due to the passing of his father. He will miss Tampa’s game tonight, as well.

• Artemi Panarin picked up two assists in his debut with the Los Angeles Kings, a 6-4 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights. He’s recorded a point in his debut for four different franchises now, including the Blackhawks. Erik Gustafsson, Evander Kane, and Anthony Duclair have done it five times. Ray Whitney has the all-time record with eight different teams.

• NHL Birthday Roll Call, Feb. 26: Joe Mullen, Mike Wilson, P.J. Axelsson, Marty Reasoner, Mikael Granlund, Barclay Goodrow, Jacob Trouba, Ben Jones, Alex Turcotte, Victor Soderstrom, and Logan Stankoven.