CHICAGO — If the Chicago Blackhawks’ 6-4 loss to the Winnipeg Jets on Sunday night was Marc-André Fleury’s last game for the team, it was a bit of a letdown.
The Jets scored four unanswered goals in the second period — the last, by Josh Morrissey, 23 seconds before intermission — to take a 5-2 lead. The period began with Jonathan Toews and Dylan Strome scoring 23 seconds apart for the Hawks, but the Jets’ Jansen Harkins scored the first of two straight goals 39 seconds later.
Taylor Raddysh recorded his first two points as a Hawk in his second game since arriving from the Tampa Bay Lightning in the Brandon Hagel trade. He had the primary assist on Toews’ goal and sank Patrick Kane’s centering pass on a one-timer from the slot in the third period.
Philipp Kurashev continued the Hawks’ third-period push with his fifth goal of the season to make it 5-4.
With less than 2 minutes remaining and Fleury pulled for a sixth attacker, Raddysh had a chance to tie from point-blank range but was rebuffed by Connor Hellebuyck. Blake Wheeler scored the clinching empty-netter 37 seconds later.
Fleury finished with 26 saves.
Before the game, Hawks coach Derek King spoke of his first experience with the trade deadline as an NHL head coach. This year’s deadline is 2 p.m. CDT Monday.
“Obviously learning from it,” King said. “I’ve never really had to deal with it.”
King at least had a day’s notice when the Hawks traded Hagel to the Lightning on Friday for a package that included two first-round picks, and he shuffled the lineup to install new arrivals Raddysh and Boris Katchouk in time for Saturday’s 3-1 loss to the Minnesota Wild.
The Hawks hadn’t made any more moves as of the end of Sunday’s game, but King was on alert before the game in case he had to pull anyone at the last minute.
“It’s a little different because I’ve got my lineup, I’ve got my players (and) I think I know who I want to play — and then it could change in another hour,” he said. “We’ll just have to deal with it if it does.”
Rumors were circulating Sunday that Fleury could be headed to the Wild. Meanwhile, several defensemen have changed teams throughout the league, setting the table for a potential trade of Calvin de Haan.
Hagel and King had a chance to say their goodbyes before Hagel flew to Tampa on Friday night.
“He looked shocked,” King said. “He was getting a little choked up. I’ve got a little bit of history with him, obviously, coaching him down in the American League (with the Rockford IceHogs).
“I just said, ‘Hey, you’ve done a great job. You’ve grown into a good hockey player and you’re going to continue to grow, and hopefully I’m still around the league to watch you do that.’ Just wished him good luck.”
King also had to deal with the shockwaves the trade created through the Hawks locker room.
“Hags was an identity piece for us,” Seth Jones said after Saturday’s game in Minnesota.
“It’s a business,” King said. “You hate losing a guy like Hagel because he was our identity — the way he competed, the way he worked hard day in, day out. He brought it to the rink every day, and that’s the kind of identity we need to have as a team.”
“You’ve heard (former coach) Jeremy (Colliton) say, ‘Game on the line every shift. Every time your leg goes over that board.’ This has to be our identity. Compete every night. Accountable to each other and just work. And he was a big part of that and then you lose that.
“But the kids we brought in are similar to that. I’ve heard good things about them.”
Asked whether the Hagel trade risks buy-in from the locker room, King didn’t dismiss the possibility.
“I haven’t heard any mumblings, but we’ll see as this week goes on,” he said. “After Monday, I’ll address them about it.”
However the dust settles by the trade deadline, this week’s West Coast trip will be an opportunity for an emotional and organizational reset.
“It’s: ‘We’re all here now. Nobody is going anywhere,’” King said of the message to players come Tuesday. “We have so many games left (19 after Sunday), we need to build on what we started building on: A bit of an identity and we need to compete every night.
“This isn’t just, ‘I’m safe and I’m going to play every game.’ You’ve got to earn it.”
