Teuvo Teravainen didn’t really expect to be scratched Wednesday night in Philadelphia. He was, but the young forward took the benching in stride.
“It was good for me,” Teravainen said. “I just can watch one game and see how everything is going and (learn) from watching.”
Teravainen is scoreless over his last four games entering Friday night’s matchup with the Columbus Blue Jackets. During practice Thursday he was on a line with center Antoine Vermette and Bryan Bickell, who also didn’t play in Philadelphia.
Perhaps coach Joel Quenneville wants Teravainen and Bickell to get back on track together.
“I just think each case is different. I know Bick, we’re just trying to get going and being consistent,” Quenneville said. “I thought Teuvo had two great games and I think after we got back off that dads’ trip … that consistency is what we’re looking for because he was trending so well and then ordinary. He can help us and they can all help us in different ways.”
Teravainen, who has no goals and two assists in eight March games, said he “can do better.”
“Of course I have my expectations of myself and I want to be a good player every time when I get out there,” he said. “The last games I haven’t (been) myself but I know I can play better and just working hard every day to get back playing good.”
And what does he need to do better?
“Just play my game, play what I’m good at,” Teravainen said. “Good things happen when I’m skating and shooting and doing my thing, so I’ve just got to play my game.”
The amount Teravainen’s shooting was a topic of discussion Thursday. Teravainen said he watches video and knows he has to shoot more, and Quenneville said he doesn’t want the rookie to “feel he has to pass the puck.”
“I think he’s got enough instincts offensively himself that, hey, nothing wrong with shooting,” Quenneville said. “Nobody’s going to get mad at you for shooting, and nobody’s going to get mad at you for scoring goals.”
THE NEW GUYS
The Hawks formally announced the signing of Vermont defenseman Michael Paliotta and Colgate junior winger Kyle Baun to two-year contracts.
Baun, a 22-year-old free agent, didn’t practice Thursday but will report to the Hawks and burn the first year of his entry-level contract. The 6-2, 204-pound forward scored 39 goals over the past three seasons at Colgate and was reportedly sought after by numerous other teams.
“It’s exciting for us knowing that we got the guy that everybody was looking for and I think he gives us some size coming into our organization,” Quenneville said. “We’ll see how he can handle it, how the pace is different from college to pros. Pretty exciting prospect.”
The Hawks then announced the signing of Paliotta, a 21-year-old who was a third-round pick in the 2011 draft. It wasn’t immediately clear whether Paliotta would report to the Hawks or AHL Rockford.
THIS AND THAT
Forwards Joakim Nordstrom and Daniel Carcillo missed practice Thursday with upper-body injuries. Quenneville said Nordstrom, who left during the early going of the third period of Wednesday’s game in Philadelphia after a hit from the Flyers’ Nicklas Grossman, will probably be out for about a week. Carcillo is day-to-day.
Corey Crawford will start against the Blue Jackets.
