Morning Chirps: Blackhawks' prospects snubbed by Team Canada, Blues dodge a bullet

The Chicago Blackhawks will have the day off today, but you could argue that they had the whole weekend off. They will be back on the practice rink tomorrow morning as they get back to work before hosting the New York Rangers on Wednesday night.

Blackhawks Chirps

• Is it time to panic after back-to-back embarrassing losses? No, but there are plenty of reasons to be concerned. As I wrote last night, the answers will have to come from within the locker room. This is the first real adversity this team has faced under Jeff Blashill, so let’s see how they handle it.

• I sat in with my pals at the CHGO Blackhawks Postgame Show as we put a bow on a banner day in Chicago sports.

• Yes, the last two games have been brutal and disappointing, but in the big picture, this team is trending in the right direction. Justin Lynch writes that it started behind the bench with Jeff Blashill and his staff.

• The Athletic’s Scott Wheeler reported on the Team Canada invites for the upcoming World Junior Championships. He says Marek Vanacker and Sacha Boisvert did not receive invites. Boisvert not getting one isn’t a big surprise, as he has been in and out of the Boston University lineup with injuries. However, not inviting the Ontario Hockey League’s leading goal scorer is a choice.

• On this date in 1968, the Hull brothers led the Blackhawks to a 7-4 win over the Boston Bruins. Older brother, Bobby, scored the 23rd hat trick of his career, while Dennis added a pair of goals of his own.

• In 1991, the Blackhawks beat the Minnesota North Stars 7-2. Larmer, playing in his 750th consecutive game, had a five-point night with three goals and two assists. This was the third straight game in which a Blackhawk player netted a hat trick. Jeremy Roenick scored his 100th career goal to add to the offense.

• Blackhawks Birthday Roll Call, Dec. 8: Matt Ellison and Matias Janmark.

NHL Chirps

• It looked like the St. Louis Blues dodged a bullet when it came to Jordan Kyrou’s injury. He left in the first period of Saturday’s game against the Ottawa Senators with an apparent left leg injury. On Sunday, head coach Jim Montgomery considered Kyrou as day-to-day and said he’s “doing ok.” The Blackhawks will be in St. Louis on Friday.

• The Dallas Stars have been dealing with a bad stretch of injuries, recently losing Tyler Seguin, Thomas Harley, and Lian Bischel. They got some reinforcements last night with the return of forward Matt Duchene and defenseman Nils Lundqvist. Neither found the scoresheet in Sunday’s 3-2 shootout win over the Pittsburgh Penguins.

• If you watched Sunday Night Football instead of the Blackhawks game last night, first, you made the right call. You also saw a great ad for the upcoming Winter Olympics featuring John Hamm and members of Team USA. Here it is for those of you who didn’t see it on NBC.

• NHL Birthday Roll Call, Dec. 8: Marty Barry, Red Berenson, Ted Irvine, Darrin Shannon, Drew Doughty, Thatcher Demko, and Joshua Dunne.