Chicago Blackhawks Notes: Moms Trip, 2 Wild Trades, Tampa … – bleachernation.com

It’s the Blackhawks’ moms trip and I’m absolutely here for all of the content. The moms/invited guests were at practice on Wednesday before everyone headed to the airport, many of them in sweatshirts that read “Blackhawks Mom” or “Hockey Mom.” I can only imaging them joking about watching their sons practice in an arena as nice as Fifth Third in the middle of the day and getting paid to do it after years of them skating whenever/wherever they could get ice time as kids while their parents kept the caffeine industry in business, all while they chased their dream of being in the NHL.

Tyler Johnson told me this is the first time he’s been on a mom’s trip with any team he’s ever been on, so his mom’s super excited to finally be able to do something like this after watching dad get treated for years. It’s also pretty cool for Johnson that the first game is back in Tampa where his career began.

“They’re winners and they have the killer instinct at the right times and that’s something we have to learn,” Richardson said Wednesday. “You can’t take the foot off the pedal if we have a goal lead or a two-goal lead or four-goal lead on them. They sometimes can play loose, too, but they have the ability to kind fo turn that back on. I don’t think we’re there yet, so we have to make sure we’re on from the start of the game to the finish and play aggressive against them. You have to respect them going into the game but once you’re playing against them, you don’t give them respect by giving them time, space and room, because they’re very dangerous that way.”

He’s a natural center. He plays with confidence and presence that is rare in a player his age, consistently looking to attack and dictate with the puck. He’s also an intelligent off-puck player who understands timing, routes and how to get open and make himself available without the puck in his hands. He’s a plus-level skater. He’s a hardworking player defensively and into battles and races for pucks. He’s got dynamic puck skill that allows him to break down opponents and coverage at speed. He’s a tactile shooter and finisher who can get pucks off in a variety of ways, from a variety of stances, and without needing to tunnel vision for it (plus he has a hard one-timer). He’s consistent in approach. He sees and executes through seams with a lot of crispness. He is sturdy and thick for his age, and absorbs and plays through bumps extremely effectively, staying over pucks and extending sequences through a strong lower half.