TAMPA, Florida — Dominik Kubalik, shortly after scoring his 27th, 28th and 29th objectives of the season en path to his first profession hat trick, was requested a easy query: what’s clicking so nicely?
“I have no idea,” he responded, laughing, after Thursday’s 5-2 win over the Lightning. “That’s a good question. I would like to know, too!”
“I’m just trying to…be around the net, because lots of goals are just laying there. So that’s where I’m trying to be, and I’ve been lucky.”
As the Hawks stay up for quickly turning the calendar from February, a month by which the losses spiraled and the playoff hopes evaporated and two well-liked teammates had been traded, Thursday’s sport was a uncommon and welcome respite.
They received, regardless of trailing 2-Zero early within the third interval.
And Kubalik, after 4 earlier nights with two objectives, lastly bought his first hat trick — an empty-net clincher off an unselfish Brandon Saad feed.
And Slater Koekkoek, in his 36th look of the season, lastly scored his first purpose — towards the staff that waived him simply final season.
The two heartwarming moments received’t salvage the season, however they’ll at the very least justify some smiles and happiness, a temper that hasn’t been current a lot these days.
“I was kind of in my head [about the hat trick], I’m not going to lie,” Kubalik mentioned. “I was trying to do it as quick as possible and I’m really happy that it happened.”
Koekkoek wasn’t in a dishonest temper, both.
“Yeah, I’d be lying if I said it didn’t [feel good],” he mentioned. “It was a great feeling. And at that point, it was only 3-2, so we had a big job to do and we ended up doing it.”
For Kubalik, private successes have been as fixed as staff successes have been nonexistent. He’s the far-and-away NHL rookie scoring chief, he’s on monitor to move Artemi Panarin for the fourth-best rookie season in Hawks franchise historical past and he’s earned a certainly big payday coming this summer time.
For Koekkoek, although, even constant ice time was arduous to seek out till just lately. That made his breakthrough purpose all of the extra uplifting for the staff.
“Everyone’s happy for him,” Colliton mentioned. “He was in and out — mostly out — for a lot of the year. His game has improved and he’s a big part of the group in there, as far as mentality and just [being] willing to do the dirty work and play for his teammates.”
Lehner calls Hawks tenure ‘tough’
Speaking to Vegas reporters Thursday, Robin Lehner had loads of emotional issues to say about his eventful, short-lived tenure with the Blackhawks.
“I didn’t play much in the beginning or middle-beginning of the season, even if I played really well and had a good camp,” Lehner mentioned. “Eventually I took over and I won like nine out of 10…and we walked up one point behind a playoff spot. Then all of a sudden, I found myself on the bench for no reason. That was tough. Plus, negotiations had totally died out.”
“I thought there was a future there and I did everything to get a future there, and I still couldn’t get a future there,” he added later. “The last couple weeks were tough tough mentally to find [the] motivation needed.”