Returning from the Injured Reserved list and playing in his first game since suffering a hand injury against the Tampa Bay Lightning on October 24th, the 36 year old center logged nearly thirteen minutes of ice time paired on the Hawks' second line as a left winger teamed with Brandon Pirri and Patrick Kane.
Chicago defeated the Edmonton Oilers 5-1, and with the win have eclipsed the Anaheim Ducks for the best record in the National Hockey League at 17-4-4, giving them a total of 38 points.
The Blackhawks were still short handed despite the return of Handzus, forward Marian Hossa missing the game to attend to a family matter while fellow forward Bryan Bickell sat out his third straight game because of a lower-body injury.
Handzus had been activated and rejoined the team on Saturday, but did not play in the Blackhawks' 2-1 victory, coach Joel Quenneville opting to bring him back in Edmonton, where the team was playing it's fourth in a streak of seven straight on the road, winning three straight after dropping the first game of the season-long roadie at Colorado.
“Last year when he joined our team, we used him in a bunch of different ways,” Quenneville said of acquiring Handzus from the San Jose Sharks at last season's trade deadline. “He plays center, kills penalties, he’s very reliable and we’re comfortable with him in many different places.”
So now Quenneville can be even more comfortable going forward with a pivotal piece of his offense back in place - and with Chicago already having the best record in the league, that's bad news for the rest of the NHL.
http://sportsinjuryalert.com/blackhawks-handzus-returns-bickell-still-on-shelf/
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