Blackhawks notes
The health report on second-line center Dave Bolland isn’t encouraging. ‘‘He hasn’t made any progress,’’ coach Joel Quenneville reported Monday after the morning skate. Bolland missed his third game and has been off the ice for four consecutive days with back problems. He’s still listed as day-to-day, but Quenneville said Bolland is on ‘‘a slower program — just more rest right now.’’
With Jonathan Toews and Ben Eager back in the lineup, Jordan Hendry was no longer needed as a fill-in winger on the fourth line. Normally a defenseman, Hendry was the Hawks’ lone healthy scratch. He had played in the previous seven games.
The crowd of 20,293 extended the Hawks’ string of sellouts at the United Center to 61, including the postseason.
The Hawks entered the game leading the NHL with a 10.5 shot differential (33.2 shots per game against 22.7 allowed). Since 2005-06, one team, the 2007-08 Detroit Red Wings (10.9), had a better shot differential over an entire season.
The Hawks and Kings entered the game ranked 1-2 in the NHL in shots allowed. The Kings had allowed 26.1 per game.
Even with Toews missing six games, the Hawks ranked second in faceoff winning percentage (53.8) entering Monday. Toews ranked fourth at 61.1 and John Madden ninth at 56.6. Colin Fraser got his percentage over 50 by winning 9 of 10 draws in the shootout loss Friday at Colorado.
Marian Hossa’s Hawks’ debut is still about three weeks away, but the best-paid player in franchise history is making an impact during his recovery from shoulder surgery. ‘‘He enhances the skill level and the pace of our practices,’’ Quenneville said.
Before the game, the Hawks hosted an equipment drive to benefit Inner City Education Program and AHAI Diversity Hockey, with Chicago Steel players and their coach, ex-Hawk Steve Poapst, collecting the gear. The Steel will host a similar drive Nov. 20 at The Edge in Bensenville before a game against Waterloo.
The Rockford IceHogs, the Hawks’ top farm team, endured an American Hockey League-record seven-game road winless streak before winning at Abbotsford on Saturday. Now the IceHogs, who played 12 of their first 17 games on enemy ice, play six in a row at the Rockford MetroCentre, beginning on Friday against Texas.
Corey Crawford, who was edged out by Antti Niemi as the Hawks’ backup goaltender in training camp, has a challenge at Rockford. Backup Joe Fallon has a dazzling .963 save percentage over his last three games.