Chicago Sports

Friday, December 30, 2022

NON CONFERENCE

Monroe (WI) at Freeport, 3:30

BLOOMINGTON / NORMAL

Small Schools

Rockford Lutheran vs. Bloomington Catholic, 10:30

St. Joseph-Ogden vs. University High (Normal), 5:1

Large Schools

Wheaton-Warr. South vs. Mesa (AZ), 1:30

Sacred Heart-Griffin vs. Romeoville, 8:45

CARTHAGE COLLEGE (WI)

Zion-Benton vs. Milwaukee Science (WI), 4:30

CENTRALIA

Cahokia vs. Dyett, 11:30

Hillwood (TN) vs. Confluence (MO), 1:00

Kipp (MO) vs. Champaign Central, 10:00

Payton vs. Glenwood, 10:00

Wekiva (FL) vs. Mt. Vernon, 8:30a

Belleville West vs. Carmel, 8:30a

Marist vs. Evanston, 12:30

Ritter (MO) vs. Centralia, 2:00

13th Place, 6:00

Consolation Championship, 6:00

5th Place, 4:30

3rd Place, 7:30

Championship, 9:00

COLLINSVILLE

Mundelein vs. Althoff, 11:30

Rockford East vs. Belleville East, 6:00

DE KALB

Ogden vs. Hononegah, 9:00a

Belvidere vs. McHenry, 10:30

Dundee-Crown vs. Marshall, 12:00

Manley vs. Plainfield East, 1:30

Lincoln-Way West vs. Naperville Central, 3:00

DeKalb vs. Phillips, 4:30

Huntley vs. Guilford, 6:00

Geneva vs. East Moline, 7:30

EFFINGHAM / TEUTOPOLIS

at Effingham

Belvidere vs. Knoxville, 10:00

Dixon vs. Newton, 11:30

Charleston vs. Mattoon, 10:00

Lutheran North (MO) vs. Highland, 4:30

Oak Lawn vs. Effingham, 11:30

Brooks vs. Centennial, 3:00

St. Anthony vs. Pleasant Plains, 6:00

Teutopolis vs. Lincoln-Way East, 7:30

ELGIN

Westminster Christian vs. Round Lake, 9:00a

Bowen vs. Elgin Academy, 10:30

West Chicago vs. Mather, 12:00

King vs. Aurora Central, 3:15

Lake View vs. Raby, 1:45

Waukegan vs. Chicago Christian, 4:45

Walther Christian vs. Kennedy, 6:30

Shepard vs. Elgin, 8:00

ERIE-PROPHETSTOWN

Beecher vs. Newman, 7:30

GOLDEN GATE (FL)

Loyola vs. Fort Myers (FL), 11:30

IC CATHOLIC / WESTMONT

at IC Catholic

UC-Woodlawn vs. Alcott, 9:00a

Elmwood vs. Reavis, 10:30

South Shore vs. Eisenhower, 12:00

Latin vs. St. Edward, 4:30

Westmont vs. Fenger, 1:30

Glenbard South vs. Catalyst-Maria, 3:00

Christ the King vs. Evergreen Park, 6:00

Taft vs. IC Catholic, 7:30

JACOBS

Streamwood vs. Elk Grove, 9:00a

Jefferson vs. Marian Central, 10:30

Johnsburg vs. Grant, 12:00

Jacobs vs. South Elgin, 1:30

Cary-Grove vs. Larkin, 3:00

Bartlett vs. Prairie Ridge, 4:30

Barrington vs. HoffmanEstates, 6:00

Grayslake Central vs. Crystal Lake South, 7:30

LITTLE VILLAGE

Clemente vs. Little Village, 11:00

MAINE EAST

Argo vs. Richards (Chgo)/Sullivan, 9:00

Bulls Prep vs. Richards (Chgo)/Sullivan, 10:30

Jones vs. Crane, 12:00

Sandburg vs. Metea Valley, 4:30

Vernon Hills vs. Addison Trail, 1:30

Westinghouse vs. Ridgewood, 3:00

Leyden vs. Providence, 6:00

Niles West vs. Maine East, 7:30

PLANO

Morris vs. Newark, 9:00a

Mendota vs. Hinckley-Big Rock, 10:30

Lisle vs. Plano, 12:15

Sandwich vs. Coal City, 3:15

Ottawa vs. Streator, 1:45

Yorkville Christian vs. Northridge, 5:00

Kaneland vs. Notre Dame (Peoria), 6:30

Marmion vs. Burlington Central, 8:00

PONTIAC

Warren vs. West Aurora, 8:00a

Bloom vs. Lockport, 9:30a

New Trier vs. Pontiac, 11:00

Benet vs. Joliet West, 2:30

Curie vs. Simeon, 1:00

Consolation Championship, 4:00

5th Place, 6:00

3rd Place, 7:30

Championship, 9:00

RICH

Tinley Park vs. Thornridge, 9:00a

Thornton vs. Longwood, 10:30

Bremen vs. St. Francisde Sales, 12:00

Thornton Fr. South vs. Noll (IN), 5:00

Francis Parker vs. Agricultural Science, 1:30

Thornwood vs. De La Salle, 3:30

Hyde Park vs. Rich, 6:30

Perspectives-Lead vs. Hillcrest, 8:00

WHEELING

Prosser vs. Wheeling, 9:00a

Maine West vs. Antioch, 10:30

Buffalo Grove vs. Englewood STEM, 2:00

St. Viator vs. Niles North, 5:30

Hampshire vs. Prospect, 12:15

Deerfield vs. Notre Dame, 3:45

Neuqua Valley vs. Fremd, 7:15

Libertyville vs. Glenbrook North, 8:45

YORK

Wheaton North vs. St. Laurence, 3:00

St. Ignatius vs. Bolingbrook, 4:30

Lyons vs. Rolling Meadows, 6:00

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A person was killed and another was seriously wounded when their car flipped over and caught fire early Thursday on the Kennedy Expressway.

The car was traveling south on the expressway when it crashed near the Addison Street ramp about 2 a.m., Illinois State Police said.

One person was pronounced dead at the scene and another was taken to a hospital with serious injuries, state police said.

No other injuries were reported.

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ST. LOUIS — As a lengthy Blackhawks practice finally wound down Wednesday, Tyler Johnson approached Luke Richardson during a break in drills.

Johnson, the veteran forward, and Richardson, the always all-ears-open coach, each gestured around at different spots in the offensive zone for a minute, then reached a common understanding and returned to their usual duties.

Richardson disclosed later that Johnson wasn’t just asking for clarification on a certain play, as one might’ve assumed. He was actually suggesting a new play.

“We were just discussing some of our ‘O’-zone options, trying to make it automatic so we can get ahead of the other team a little quicker,” Richardson said. “He threw his two cents in on a play we could maybe add to that, and I agreed. We actually practiced it once early in the season, but things kind of go in rotation…so we’ll probably add it in.

“I always like the players to discuss if we agree, disagree, or have thoughts on things to do better. They’re the guys out there playing and really feel what might be open and what might not be, so I like to have input.”

It’s somewhat rare for a player to take that kind of initiative, but it’s impressive that Johnson — a smart hockey mind with the experience (627 career NHL games) and track record (two Stanley Cups with the Lightning) to back up his ideas — did so. It demonstrates just how committed he is to trying to improve the team in spite of its overwhelmingly terrible record and lack of short-term ambition.

His string of bad luck with injuries, which cost him 56 games last season and 22 games so far this season, has made him appreciate more every day he’s healthy on the ice — and more committed to making impacts each of those days.

“It’s always tough when you don’t get the results,” Johnson said Wednesday. “But the one thing I’ll say is that, when I wasn’t playing, that was a lot harder not being able to contribute at all. Now, we can still build on things and work on things and talk about things. It just feels like at least we’re trying to work together, compared to fighting against each other.”

To call Johnson healthy at the moment is actually an exaggeration. He has played the last three games, yes, but he’s still dealing with pain in his left ankle. It’s not close to 100% and it won’t be for a while, potentially the rest of the season.

“[It] depends day by day,” he said. “It’s one of those things where you just have to go through it. But I’m doing alright.”

In spite of that handicap, he has been arguably the Hawks’ best forward this season, albeit in only 12 games to date.

He’s averaging 2.06 points per 60 minutes in five-on-five play, which not only leads the team but dwarfs second-place Phillipp Kurashev’s pace of 1.29. Surprisingly, Max Domi ranks third at 1.22 and Patrick Kane — with a large chunk of his team-leading point total coming on the power play — fourth at 1.15.

Johnson also leads the team in individual five-on-five scoring-chance generation, producing 10.3 per 60 minutes. Kane ranks second at 7.5, followed by Andreas Athanasiou at 7.4. And Johnson isn’t giving it back defensively as much as his teammates, either. His on-ice scoring-chance ratio of 45.0% leads team forwards, with Jujhar Khaira in second place at 43.8%.

Richardson has noticed that solid play. Last week, he inserted Johnson onto the first line with Kane and Domi, and they’ve shown promise.

“[Johnson is] the first guy in on the forecheck, and he finishes his check every time,” Richardson said. “He’s not the biggest guy, but he plays big. … [He also brings] maybe a touch more defensive consciousness out there. But we need him to have the ability to play with those guys, and he does.”

Former Hawks coach Jeremy Colliton had Johnson and Kane stapled together throughout 2021 training camp but then abruptly abandoned the idea, meaning they’d played only 15 total five-on-five minutes together before this recent move.

There’s clear logic behind putting them together, though. Johnson previously had success in Tampa alongside Nikita Kucherov, whose playing style he has often compared to Kane’s. He knows how to operate opposite a winger who needs the puck on his stick that much, which can be tricky for those unfamiliar.

“[Kane is] so good at finding guys, finding lanes, making plays,” Johnson said. “He doesn’t necessarily need someone attached to him at the hip, trying to win those battles and make those plays for him.

“I like to think a little more north-south than those guys. My game is more driving, creating space, open lanes and trying to find those areas. So we could work pretty well together.”

Perhaps they’ll work well enough together to even translate the new play Johnson suggested Wednesday into a goal at some point.

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ST. LOUIS — The Blackhawks have scored one or zero goals in eight of their last 11 games.

That’s a lot of numbers, but they tell a simple story: the Hawks barely score. And in a hard-fought but fruitless 3-1 loss Thursday against the Blues, that story held true once again.

“We’re getting some decent chances around the net,” Seth Jones said. “I don’t know if we’re running into hot goalies or what the case is. You [have to] think something’s going to give if we continue to stay the course.

“Mistakes are that much more magnified when we’re not putting the puck in the net.”

That they are, and one particular mistake Thursday was magnified so much it might as well have been in a biology lab.

That was Boris Katchouk’s inexplicable, blind, slow, backhand pass in the second period, which sent the puck from below the Hawks’ goal line to the middle of the slot with no teammate around. Blues defenseman Calle Rosen intercepted it like it was intended for him and ripped a shot past Hawks goalie Alex Stalock for what turned out to be the game-winning goal.

Hawks coach Luke Richardson had “not much” to say to Katchouk after the play, but Richardson tried his best to support the fourth-line grinder in his postgame comments.

“The players on the bench were really good, rallying around him and telling him to have a good shift the next time,” he said. “It’s hard to shake those off as a player, but you have to. He had a really good penalty kill at the end of the game…and he almost sprung himself for a break. That’s a good sign of a player overcoming a tough break and bad decision.”

Stalock remained stellar in his usual chaotic way — his 26 saves (on 28 shots) were actually a season low, exemplifying how well he has played — and the Hawks were cleaner and more efficient in all three zones against the Blues than against the Hurricanes.

When Katchouk makes that kind of error and the offensive finishing remains nonexistent, however, it’s nearly impossible for the Hawks to win.

“We had some pretty good looks,” Richardson said. “It didn’t go in as much as we’d like, but they’re there. When they’re not there, that’s when everybody gets really concerned.”

Lafferty avoids absence

Forward Sam Lafferty missed morning skate Thursday with an illness and was deemed a game-time decision, but by warmups, he was back on the third line with Jason Dickinson and Andreas Athanasiou. That was a relief for the Hawks; that trio has been arguably their best lately.

Richardson said Jujhar Khaira and MacKenzie Entwistle, who were both scratched, are also dealing with nagging minor injuries.

Mitchell scratched twice

On defense, meanwhile, Ian Mitchell has been scratched in favor of veterans Jack Johnson and Caleb Jones in consecutive games. That’s a curious decision, considering Johnson and Jones basically are who they are at this point, but Mitchell’s NHL upside has yet to be nailed down.

Richardson stumbled through an attempted explanation Wednesday, saying the Hawks scratched Mitchell on Tuesday because they wanted “good skaters” against the speedy Hurricanes. Mitchell was scratched Thursday so the Hawks would match up better against the “big, heavy” Blues.

Mitchell had played relatively well before the holiday break, scoring two points and averaging 18:03 of ice time in his last three games. But the Hawks don’t seem interested in giving the soon-to-be 24-year-old a steady NHL role.

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PONTIAC–Carlos Harris stepped up right when his team needed him most on Thursday.

“That’s his job,” Curie coach Mike Oliver said. “I challenged him. He wants to be the guy driving the bus so he has to step up and score in the big situations. Luckily he did tonight.”

Harris finished with 19 points in the Condors’ 50-44 win against New Trier in the quarterfinals of the 91st Pontiac Holiday Tournament.

The junior guard scored nine points in an 11-0 third quarter run that saw Curie take control of the game. Harris left with an injured knee with 2:24 to play and the Condors leading New Trier 45-39. Curie had to see the game out without him.

“I was worried,” Oliver said. “But we have guys that have been there before and they tend to step up.”

Chikasi Ofoma scored eight points and grabbed six rebounds and Jeremy Harrington added seven points for the Condors (10-3).

Jake Fiegen led the Trevians (13-2) with 21 points and Ian Brown scored nine.

Harris was on crutches after the game but Oliver said he was hopeful it was just a sprain.

Benet 49, Bloom 43Joliet West 57, Lockport 33

Simeon vs. Pontiac, 7:30

Bloomington (State Farm)

Sacred Heart-Griffin 58, Wheaton-Warrenville South 41: The defending Class 3A state champs pulled away in the third quarter. Jake Hamilton scored 21 and Zack Hawkinson added 19. Braylen Meredith led the Tigers with 15 points.

Romeoville 59, Mesa AZ 39: A really nice win for the Spartans against the team that knocked Brother Rice out of the tournament. Junior Meyoh Swansey scored 19 and senior Troy Cicero Jr. added 13. Romeoville will be underdogs in the title game.

Hinsdale Central championship

Oswego East vs. Hinsdale Central, 8:30

Pekin championship

Mount Carmel 74, Moline 61: It’s back-to-back titles for the Caravan. Angelo Ciaravino scored 20, his brother Anthony scored 18 and so did DeAndre Craig. Moline, which has a pair of Iowa recruits, impressed observers over the summer and had a lofty spot in the Class 4A AP rankings. This is a big win for the Catholic League after Brother Rice and St. Ignatius both fell short of holiday titles.

Proviso West championship

Young vs. Kenwood, 7:00

Rich (Big Dipper) semifinals

Perspectives-Lead vs. Hyde Park, 6:30

Rich vs. Hillcrest, 8:00

Wheeling semifinals

Libertyville vs. Neuqua Valley, 7:15

Fremd vs. Glenbrook North, 8:45

York semifinals

Lyons 66, St. Ignatius 47: Nik Polonowski scored 19, Connor Carroll had 18 and Jackson Niego added 14. The Lions’ ball movement was really impressive. Tom Sloan’s squad just looked very cohesive and the rebounded well in the second half. I watched this one on the great York Sports Network stream. Richard Barron led the Wolfpack with 24 points.

Rolling Meadows vs. Bolingbrook, 8:00

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The Cubs finalized a $6.5 million, two-year contract with Gold Glove-winning catcher Tucker Barnhart on Thursday.

Barnhart, who turns 32 on Jan. 7, is expected to back up Yan Gomes. Willson Contreras was the starting catcher for the Cubs last season, but he signed a five-year, $87.5 million contract with the Cardinals in free agency.

Barnhart returns to the National League Central after struggling in his only season with Detroit. He spent his first eight seasons with the Reds, winning Gold Gloves in 2017 and 2020. He’s the third Gold Glove winner to sign with the Cubs this offseason.

All-Star shortstop Dansby Swanson, who won his first Gold Glove last season with the Braves, signed a seven-year, $177 million contract. The Cubs also brought in Gold Glove-winning center fielder Cody Bellinger on a one-year, $17.5 million deal.

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Have the Cubs done enough this offseason to be contenders in 2023?

Heading into the offseason the Cubs were expected to be major players in the loaded free-agent pool. Fast forward to post-winter meetings and as we analyze what the Cubs have done so far there are seriously mixed feelings. Some would argue that the Cubs have done enough with Swanson as their big fish and bringing in Taillon, Smyly, Bellinger, and Barnhart. That what the Cubs already had on the roster plus these additions are enough to contend for a division title in 2023.

On the other hand, there are grumblings around the North Side that Jed Hoyer and the rest of his staff have not done enough. With the aforementioned loaded free-agent pool fans are a little disgruntled that the Cubs did not come away with an Aaron Judge or a DeGrom or even Trea Turner. Apparently the moves the Cubs have made this offseason are not splashy enough for some fans’ appetites.

The Cubs could still make a big move at this year’s deadline

Do not fear Cubs fans more help could potentially be on the way and in a big way. ESPN’s Joon Lee recently reported that the Red Sox and Star Third basemen Rafael Devers are “galaxies apart” in negotiations. With Devers contract expiring at the end of next season he is now in a similar situation as ex-teammate Xander Bogaerts who recently left Boston and inked a long-term deal with the Padres.

With this news about Devers and Boston’s brass in mind, CBS sports recently asked its writers where they think Rafael Devers will begin the 2023 season, finish the season, and where he will play in 2024. One Writer, Matt Snyder, predicted that the Cubs will trade for Devers at some point during the 2023 season and then sign him to a long-term deal.

I’M GOING TO ASSUME THE RED SOX ARE NOT CONTENDERS IN JULY OF THIS SEASON AND THAT THE CUBS ARE FIGHTING FOR SECOND PLACE — BARELY ABOVE .500 OR EVEN JUST AT .500 — WITH THE BREWERS BEHIND THE CARDINALS IN A LACKLUSTER NL CENTRAL. DEVERS’ PRIME FITS WITH THE CUBS’ WINDOW AND A MIDDLE-ORDER LEFTY WHO PLAYS THIRD BASE IS A PERFECT FIT. THEY SHOULD HAVE THE PROSPECT PACKAGE BY THEN TO PULL OFF A DEAL FOR DEVERS. ALL THAT’S LEFT IS BEING AGGRESSIVE ENOUGH WITH AN EXTENSION OFFER TO GET A DEAL DONE BEFORE FREE AGENCY, AS THEY DON’T HAVE MUCH MONEY TIED UP IN FUTURE CONTRACTS OTHER THAN DANSBY SWANSON AND SEIYA SUZUKI.

With Boston being in the AL East and not exactly in a great position to contend this upcoming year the Sox could look to deal Devers. Look at how history has treated the Red Sox in years past. Mookie Betts was traded to LA, Xander Bogaerts just left to San Diego. Im sure they would be able to fetch a massive return for the 26 year old superstar in Devers it would be a debacle for them not to make a deal and have Devers walk for nothing.

What could a potential deal for Rafael Devers look like for the Cubs?

Being that Devers is only 26 years old and an absolute stud, trading for the two time all star and career .296 hitter most likely will come at a hefty price. That being said if the Cubs are able to swing a deal for Devers and are able to lock him up long term it would be completely worth it.

Striking a deal for Devers will be tricky for Jed Hoyers. The Sox will no doubt want one if not two of the Cubs top prospects. Thats where things get interesting. It all depends on timing. Cubs top prospect Alex Canario just recently had ankle surgery and is slated for a mid season return. Brennen Davis was just recently shut down in the AFL with a back injury which could be nothing but still.

The Sox will most likely want MLB ready talent for Devers and that is where Canario and Davis come into play. Say Canario or Davis aren’t ready or performing well by the time the deadlines comes around. The Sox could ask for PCA or another top 10 prospect other than Canario or Davis. Only time will tell.

There could be another interesting twist to the potential Devers trade saga. The Red Sox dumping Chris Sale and his contract on another team to lessen the return for Devers. It has been an up and down roller coaster the past few seasons for Sale with him just not being able to shake the injury bug. With that being said the Sox could potentially include Sale in any Devers deal to free up some money. One potential trade according to another insider including Sale could look something like this.

The full deal would be: Rafael Devers and Chris Sale (Red Sox retain $7.5m in 2023 and $2.5m in 2024) For Chris Morel, Keegan Thompson, and Owen Caissie

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Wide receiver Chase Claypool hears what Bears fans are saying — that he might not be more valuable than the second-round draft pick, currently No. 34, the Bears sent the Steelers for him in November.

“No doubt, that adds to like my motivation this offseason,” he said. “This offseason might be my biggest offseason yet. I’m real excited. …

“We traded away a top second-round pick, very valuable. I smile, because I know it was a great trade for the organization. Right now, however that may look — I don’t want to get roasted for saying something too soon, like I have before. But I feel very confident like the fans, the organization, the team will be happy.”

Claypool returned to practice Thursday, albeit in a limited capacity, for the first time since hurting his right knee Dec. 4 against the Packers. He had been limited in one walk-through since while dealing with what he called a “frustrating” injury. He has a chance to face the Lions on Sunday in Detroit.

“I’m going to do everything I can to play,” he said. “So my expectation for myself is to play. But I also have got to be smart. I’ve just got to make sure that, even though I really want to play, it can’t be like … I’ve just got to make the right decision.”

Claypool said he doesn’t have to prove anything in the Bears’ final two games, but he wants to “go out there and play, and make plays.” He knows he has ground to make up — Claypool has appeared in five games since the Bears traded for him Nov. 1, catching only 12 balls for 111 yards.

It might not look like it, but Claypool said there was a benefit to him starting his Bears career during the season.

“I’m going to get with [quarterback] Justin [Fields] and the receivers in the offseason and we’re going to start building this,” he said. “Not only this season but in the offseason. I’ll be really excited for next season.

“I hope people haven’t counted me out yet, you know? I’ve got a lot to bring to the table.”

More receivers hurt

Equanimeous St. Brown returned to practice in limited fashion for the first time since suffering a concussion in the first quarter of the Eagles game. He remains in the NFL’s concussion protocol, however, and has not yet been cleared to play Sunday. St. Brown declined comment, saying he wasn’t allowed to give interviews while in the protocol.

Fellow receiver Dante Pettis, who has been the Bears’ primary punt returner, sat out practice because of an ankle injury.

This and that

o Cody Whitehair, who returned to practice in a limited fashion Wednesday after suffering a knee injury, was a full participant and is on track to play Sunday. So is fellow guard Teven Jenkins, who practiced in full for the second-straight day after hurting his neck against the Eagles.

o Defensive lineman Justin Jones, who was limited with an eye issue Wednesday, returned to full participation. Defensive lineman Sterling Weatherford (illness) and guard Ja’Tyre Carter (back) sat out.

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ST. LOUIS — Blackhawks forward Taylor Raddysh had been caught “too low and too wide” on the play, and he didn’t have to wait long to hear about it.

“Even when it’s a little thing like that, it’s something you need to see to be able to fix,” Raddysh said. “[Coach Luke Richardson] let us know right after the first period.”

The play occurred less than four minutes into the Hawks’ game Tuesday and led to the Hurricanes’ first goal.

The Hawks’ defensive pairing of Connor Murphy and Isaak Phillips failed to pin the Hurricanes’ forwards in a puck battle along the boards below the goal line. That stranded Jonathan Toews, who was correctly hovering and “waiting to try to scoop the puck,” Richardson said. That pin-and-scoop technique to kill plays defensively has been emphasized often lately.

But the breakdown compounded when Raddysh, who should’ve been inside the faceoff circle, instead skated over to the boards and down toward the battle. At that moment, Hurricanes forward Paul Statsny dug the puck out and passed it up the boards — past Raddysh — to defenseman Brent Burns.

Burns saw an open lane to slingshot the puck to the net, and Martin Necas eventually battled it in. Had Raddysh not been too impatient, he would’ve been blocking Burns’ shooting lane.

“We don’t like cutting the wall off,” Richardson animatedly explained. “If [the puck] goes up the wall to the ‘D,’ then you’re in a good spot if you’re off the wall, inside the top of the circle.

“Raddysh is too low and too wide on the boards. We’d rather play more on the inside and let it go up the wall to the ‘D.’ And we can respond to that a lot better, [getting] in shot lanes so they have to make another play to get it to the net.”

Raddysh accepted full ownership of the error.

“It’s a little misread by me,” he said. “I’m coming a little too low on that winger, whereas I’ve got to let him come a little higher. I need to be a little patient on the wall instead of trying to force it and give them an opportunity.”

That play was obviously analyzed during the Hawks’ video session Wednesday. But as Raddysh mentioned, it was also briefly discussed during the first intermission Tuesday, almost immediately after it happened.

That’s because Raddysh actually wasn’t the only Hawks winger in that first period who drifted too wide and low at some point. And the Hawks knew that because video coaches Matt Meacham and Adam Gill review all scoring chances (for and against) with the full staff at every intermission.

Intermissions are only 18 minutes long, and considering the futility of trying to win most nights with this desperately outmatched Hawks roster, it’d be easy to write them off as mere rest breaks. But Richardson and Co. are still trying to make the most of them.

“It takes a minute or two, by the time we get in there, for Matt and ‘Gilly’ to get the scoring chances ,” Richardson said. “And there might be one game specifically where we just kibosh that and [look] right through the neutral zone.

“We just try to go on what we see. Sometimes the video coaches have suggestions and they’ll show us little things on video that we can’t really see from the bench. They have a better view sometimes on the TV.”

Despite the team’s awful record, the aptitude this coaching staff is demonstrating for accurately, clearly and straightforwardly identifying issues and instructing players about them remains an encouraging bright spot. How they handled this particular situation, small as it was, offered further proof.

“They teach it really well for us,” Raddysh said. “It makes it easier when we get…hemmed in there.”

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Patrick Finley and Mark Potash break down a potential new Bears president, what quarterback Justin Fields can prove Sunday against the Lions, and make their picks.

New episodes of “Halas Intrigue” will be published regularly with accompanying stories collected on the podcast’s hub page. You can also listen to “Halas Intrigue” wherever you get your podcasts, including Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Luminary, Spotifyand Stitcher.

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