Sunday night, the United Center welcomed the Blackhawks' annual red and white scrimmage, only this time, it was a day shy of 10 months since there was hockey on the ice at the UC . . . and there were no fans in the building.
"Feels like it’s been forever," Hawks forward Matthew Highmore said of returning to the United Center after the scrimmage. "It’s crazy with everything that’s gone on. Felt good to be here for morning skate and to play here. We’re missing the fans. It’s not quite the same, but it’s still our home rink and it was good to be out there."
As Highmore and Chicago's likely fourth line has done so far in the Hawks' training camp, which has had the other sessions at Fifth Third Arena, they shined in game action at the Madhouse on Madison Sunday.
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The Hawks' fourth line of Highmore, David Kampf, and Ryan Carpenter was together in the 2020 postseason bubble, where Highmore collected three goals and an assist, and has remained intact for camp.
Highmore, 24, only had eight points (four goals, four assists) in 49 games with the Hawks across the 2017-18 and 2019-20 regular seasons, but since the playoffs, he's found a way to get to another level and so far he's staying there.
Highmore — a native of Halifax, Nova Scotia — scored two goals for Team White in the scrimmage and Kampf added one to help Team White win 8-2.
"I thought we did a good job of keeping it simple, our communication was good, nice to be able to make short, quick plays. Helped us exit our zone. From there, we were kind of on the same page," Highmore said of the combo's Sunday performance. "Having the continuity, being familiar with those two guys certainly helps."
NHL
Team Red was mostly made up of the Blackhawks' big guns including the Alex DeBrincat--Dylan Strome--Patrick Kane line and the Duncan Keith--Connor Murphy defensive pairing.
One of the ways the fourth line was able to be effective at the scrimmage was on display in the bubble: protecting the puck down low by the opposition's net.
"I thought we did a really good job of protecting it, taking our time to make a play, using the low to highs when it was there and understanding the puck is coming to the net right away," Highmore said. "We can get there, get bodies, get sticks. Just a good job from Carpy and Kampy, they were good at dominating down low and keeping the puck away."
Matthew was passed over twice in the NHL Draft. The Hawks signed him as a free agent on March 2, 2017.
Highmore is under contract with the Blackhawks through the 2021-22 season.