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Teuvo Teravainen Needed The Offensive Outburst He Had In Blackhawks Win Over Penguins
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- Teuvo Teravainen Needed The Offensive Outburst He Had In Blackhawks Win Over Penguins
The Chicago Blackhawks didn't have Teuvo Teravainen in the lineup to open the season. An injury to Andrew Mangiapane right off the bat forced him in, and now he might be someone who doesn't come out after the way he's played.
There have been flaws in Teravainen's game, but his performance against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Tuesday night proved why he might be someone who helps them win more than others. There is a lot of offensive talent there, and that's a skill that the overall team is still working on in its development.
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Teravainen had 2 goals and 1 assist in the 5-3 Chicago victory and was named to be the number one star in the game. This is a performance that may get him in games for the rest of the season.
In the locker room after the game, Teravainen was honest about his overall evaluation of his spot on the team, including his line with Tyler Bertuzzi and Anton Frondell:
"Just try to keep it simple," Teravainen said. "Our forecheck is really good. That's how we scored the first goal. We play responsible, which is good."
When it comes to keeping his place in the lineup, Teravainen knows that he isn't the young prospect anymore, but he takes things "day-by-day". He did say that it feels really good to have a performance like that after the way the year started for him.
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Confidence is half the battle when it comes to being an NHL player. After being a healthy scratch early, the confidence might have been shaken for Teravainen, but it seems to be all the way back following a three-point night against a good team in a win.
"He's played better and better as he's come back into the lineup," Blashill said of Teravainen after the game. "I think confidence matters; as you start to feel it a little bit, it helps. I think he's been skating well. He was playing well, and then he got hurt, but I think overall, he's been playing really good hockey."
With a star like Connor Bedard in the lineup, a guy like Teravainen just needs to provide some depth scoring and be solid defensively. His line with Anton Frondell and Tyler Bertuzzi was magnificent in the win over Pittsburgh, and it is a trio that's going to be relied on to bring it in all three zones going forward.
Having a young elite prospect like Anton Frondell there between two proven veterans gives everybody a chance to be better. Not only did they provide an offensive punch against the Penguins, but they also played a lot against Sidney Crosby.
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"He's got a good ability to check for offense, and he's still just growing and learning," Blashill said of Frondell following the win. "He's just at the cusp of what he's going to be, and he's still a really young kid, so for him to [be good again tonight vs Crosby] is pretty impressive."
It's been a while since Teravainen played with a center like that. There are going to be some learning moments ahead for Frondell, but it's clear they've unlocked something with this line. For the sake of Teravainen, it came at the perfect time.
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