Blackhawks' Wyatt Kaiser now using his speed to escape trouble, not create it

PHILADELPHIA — The jury is still out on whether Blackhawks forward Lukas Reichel's unexpected Rockford stint this season will make a significant difference on his long-term progression, but it seems increasingly conclusive that Hawks defenseman Wyatt Kaiser's unexpected Rockford stint did indeed help him.

Kaiser has, in March, much more closely resembled his impressive October form than his slumping November form. He made his sixth consecutive NHL appearance Saturday against the Flyers after logging 31 games in the AHL.

"He has been using his skating, much like at the end of last season and at the beginning of this year," coach Luke Richardson said. "[He's] confident in his ability to kill plays."

In Hawks' uneventful loss to the Senators on Thursday, there wasn't much to observe, but a couple stellar defensive plays by Kaiser stood out among the few bright spots.

Halfway through the third period, Kaiser thwarted a dangerous-looking Senators rush by perfectly timing a poke-check that dispossessed Shane Pinto (as Pinto tried to drag the puck into the slot). And earlier on, late in the second period, he raced back to deny Brady Tkachuk on what initially appeared to be a clear-cut breakaway.

"[He] snuffed it out with his speed," Richardson said. "He’s been doing that without running all over the place. I think he started chasing a little bit before he went down to the minors, and going down to Rockford really helped him settle his game down. [He can] use that skating ability to get out of trouble — or help his teammates — instead of getting into it. It’s been impressive."

Said Kaiser: "When you're playing, you're just playing. I don't think you're really working on things. But in practice and away from the rink, I've been focusing on trying to sustain some good habits."

Calorie counter

Most NHL players claim they don't pay attention to their stats (much less their analytics), but Kaiser does keep track of a different category of numbers: his fitness data.

"It just helps me get a baseline instead of just thinking, 'Ah, I felt good today,' or, 'I didn't feel good,'" Kaiser said. "It just gives you an idea."

He was one of the last Hawks to leave the ice after team practice Friday in the Philadelphia suburbs, and his reasoning when asked why is indicative of his mindset.

"Realistically, I just wanted to get the heart rate up, get to a certain amount of calories, hit certain zones and keep the legs and body feeling good," he said. "And then [also] keep my hands going, assess the play, keep my head up [and have a] good stick."

Ghost goalies

The Senators' inexplicable inability to score on the Hawks' empty net — hitting the left post on one wide-open attempt and the right post on another — raises an interesting question. Which teams have the best "ghost goalie" — the invisible force that redirects opponents' shot attempts toward an empty net wide of the cage?

It turns out the answer is the Sabres, against whom opponents have scored on only 29% of their empty-net attempts (12 of 42), followed by the Penguins and Stars.

The Hawks rank 12th; their opponents have scored on 43% of their empty-net attempts (13 of 30). The Bruins have the worst ghost goalie; opponents have scored on 80% of attempts against them (eight of 10).

Note: Defenseman Nikita Zaitsev missed Saturday's game due to the nagging upper-body injury and illness that also knocked him out after the first period Thursday. Jarred Tinordi made a rare appearance in his stead.