Johnny Oduya on playing Hawks: ‘Like battling your brothers’

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Johnny Oduya (left) chases a puck alongside Patrick Kane during a game in Dallas on Dec. 22. (Getty Images)

DALLAS — The first time Johnny Oduya faced the Blackhawks as an ex-Blackhawk, it was darn near disorienting. As he headed back to the bench in a white Dallas Stars sweater, he almost found himself gravitating toward the familiar red sweaters on the other bench.

“It was kind of weird, catching yourself almost looking to change for the other team,” Oduya said.

It’s not that weird anymore. Saturday’s game at American Airlines Center is already the seventh time Oduya has faced his old team since he was traded in the summer of 2015. And while he still has friends on the Hawks, the numbers are dwindling. Only eight players who played in Oduya’s final game with the Hawks — Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final against Tampa Bay — were in the Hawks lineup on Saturday.

Some of the unfamiliar faces for Oduya are old pals for Stephen Johns, a longtime Hawks prospect who was dealt to Dallas along with Patrick Sharp last summer (Oduya signed as a free agent). Johns played with Vinnie Hinostroza at Notre Dame, and a few other current Hawks in Rockford.

Johns, a second-round pick for the Hawks in 2010, never cracked the lineup in Chicago, but is becoming a fixture on the Dallas blue line. He played 14 games last season, and played in eight of Dallas’ first 10 games this season. He already has two goals and an assist.

Johns had dinner with Hinostroza and Ryan Hartman Friday night.

“Two of my good buddies,” Johns said. “But they won’t be my friends tonight.”

Indeed, while it might not be “weird” anymore to face the Hawks, it’s still a special game for former Hawks throughout the league.

“A lot of friends and people on the other side, which usually makes for a better battle and makes you want to win more,” Oduya said. “It’s kind of like battling your brothers when you’re a kid. It’s easier to get up for games like these than maybe some of the other ones.”

Patrick Sharp, missed his seventh straight game Saturday while dealing with concussion symptoms. He’s been skating on his own recently, however, and Oduya said he believes his longtime teammate will be back soon.

Quick draw

Artem Anisimov entered Saturday’s action leading the entire league in goals (seven) and points (15). And after an awful start, his faceoff numbers are coming around, too. After a 4-of-19 effort against Calgary on Oct. 24, Anisimov had won just 35 of his first 100 faceoffs. In the next four games, he had won 27-of-52 draws, including an excellent 9-of-12 night against those same Flames last Monday.

“He’s showing some improvement,” Joel Quenneville said. “I think as a team we have to get better. Certain guys on certain nights have off nights, but I think across the board we want to start with the puck, and we haven’t had it enough this year, and we’re chasing it a little bit more off of faceoffs. The onus isn’t just on the faceoff guys. We’ve got to have help [from wingers. Patrick Kane] had a big night the other night.”

Roster moves

The Hawks activated forward Andrew Desjardins from injured reserve on Saturday, and moved defenseman Trevor van Riemsdyk to IR. Desjardins is expected to make his season debut Sunday in the return match against the Stars at the United Center. He was hurt blocking a shot in the preseason finale at St. Louis on Oct. 8. Van Riemsdyk, who suffered an apparent shoulder injury at Columbus on Oct. 21, is still on his original 4-to-6-week timetable.

Email: mlazerus@suntimes.com

Twitter: @marklazerus

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