On Sunday afternoon, the Chicago Blackhawks took on the Philadelphia Flyers at United Center. It was a barn-burner as the Blackhawks defeated the Flyers 7-4 to end a seven game losing streak.
One of the most impressive players during the game was Joe Veleno. This makes it two straight games that he has played well but this one saw him collect a couple of points for the first time in a Blackhawks sweater.
It started with Veleno’s first goal since being acquired by the Blackhawks. He came down the wing and placed a perfect shot into the net to give Chicago a 2-1 lead at the time.
Later on, Veleno added an assist, also his first with the Hawks, on a goal scored by Tyler Bertuzzi. This one gave the Blackhawks a 4-3 lead which eventually led to the aforementioned victory.
Interim head coach Anders Sorensen spoke about Veleno after the game. After talking about how difficult it is to switch systems, and mentioning how different Chicago is from Detroit in terms of style, he made it clear that he likes what he sees from Veleno.
"His last two games [were] really good.” Sorensen said in his media availability. “It started in St. Louis there. We got him on the PK again and he was really aggressive and created some turnovers, made some plays. Him and [Bertuzzi] have found something. They've been playing well together."
This is great praise for Veleno from Sorensen. This isn’t a player coming in to be an offensive star but he has the talent as a former first round pick to contribute every now and again. He’s there to play the right way and help the team in other areas.
This game against the Flyers is a great example of how offense can come if the other areas of your game are strong. His chemistry with Bertuzzi, as coach Sorensen alluded to, has helped him get going in Chicago.
If Veleno can play as he has over the last two games, the Blackhawks will certainly consider him in a bottom-six role going forward. A guy who can kill penalties, play the right way at even strength, and contribute some offense here and there, will be valuable to a team learning to win.
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