Lukas Reichel’s power-play goal in the first period of the Blackhawks’ 4-2 loss Thursday to the Lightning mattered significantly more than an average goal.
The 21-year-old forward desperately needed that breakthrough, finally ridding himself of the goose egg in his goal column in the 14th game of the season. His overall stat line — one goal and two assists — still needs work, but at least all three of those points have come in the last five games.
‘‘He was in a good spot there, [and] he had some good speed on the rushes,’’ coach Luke Richardson said. ‘‘But I still want him to shoot the puck more. He had a chance in the second period, [and] he passed it off. He just has to get that out of himself, take charge and shoot those. Good things will happen.’’
As the Hawks seek to keep a long-term perspective on Reichel, who has yet to resemble the young and dangerous offensive weapon who notched 15 points in 23 NHL games last season, it helps to consider the example of Wild forward Marco Rossi.
Shortly before the Hawks drafted Reichel 17th overall in 2020, the Wild picked Rossi ninth overall. And if there’s a man whose path demonstrates that ups and downs are inevitable for prospects — and that those downs aren’t death knells — it’s Rossi.
Rossi lost an entire season because of a life-threatening bout with myocarditis, then entered the NHL last season and tallied one point — one measly assist — in 19 games. But he has thrived this season, even as his team has struggled. He has eight points, including five goals, in 15 games and has become the Wild’s first-line center.
The Hawks would love to see Reichel’s trajectory follow Rossi’s path during the next few months.
‘‘[Lukas is] sticking with the process,’’ forward Jason Dickinson said recently. ‘‘It’s a hard league, especially for a young guy to try to step in and be one of the guys. And I emphasize one of ‘The Guys’ because he’s got a lot to bear on his shoulders for the future.
‘‘It’s hard for a guy stepping in with that expectation and maybe not meeting it right away. But [it’s about] sticking with it and knowing the tide will turn if you keep doing the right things.’’
Richardson has moved Reichel back to center, the position many fans were blaming for his struggles earlier in the season, because of an injury to Andreas Athanasiou. Reichel centered the second line between Tyler Johnson and Taylor Raddysh on Thursday, although Taylor Hall might join him as soon as this weekend.
Richardson’s decision to promote Reichel to the top power-play unit, however, paid immediate dividends.
Occupying the power-play ‘‘bumper’’ role for the first time in his career, Reichel can maneuver around the center of the ice and — when necessary — set up Connor Bedard and Philipp Kurashev on the flanks.
‘‘We need more help in that middle spot, where we have a hard time getting set up when teams pressure so hard off faceoffs and entries,’’ Richardson said. ‘‘Him getting side-to-side will be a good spot for him.’’
Reichel maneuvered around the slot adeptly before his goal, eventually finding a soft spot to tip in a shot-pass by Kurashev. At first, he didn’t realize it was his goal; he cursed in relief once he did.
‘‘We had one good power play,’’ Reichel said later. ‘‘The second one was not good at all. . . . We’ll see how it goes in the next few games.’’
As the game progressed, the Hawks found themselves pinned in their defensive zone without possession for long stretches and finished with a season-low 15 shots on goal, including only two in the third period.
Nonetheless, Reichel was one of their most active players in the neutral and offensive zones. The Hawks hope his improvement takes off exponentially from here.
