How much did we miss Adam Burish?

An assist AND a fight on his first shift.

Well that didn’t take long.

Fans barely knew he had stepped on the ice before his presence was felt in the box score. Adam Burish, playing in his first regular season game after tearing an ACL in the preseason, came flying off the bench for his first shift in over five months. He skated straight to the back of the net, got his stick on the puck, and pushed a gorgeous wrap-around pass to Patrick Sharp in front of the net for the first goal of the game.

Only 2:34 had come off the clock when the goal was scored, and Burish hadn’t yet been on the ice for ten seconds this season.

At 2:54, Burish brought the other part of his game that fans had missed. Just 20 seconds after notching his first assist of the season, Burish drew his first penalty of the season. And, of course, it was a five minute major for fighting Richard Clune.

When the term “energy player” or “impact player” is used, fans need look no further than Burish for a definition. After throwing, and receiving, a few punches, Burish skated away from Clune with a smile on his face, pumping his fists with obvious excitement. This was the player Hawks fans had fallen in love with over the past couple years, and his emotion on the ice set the tone early.

The Hawks skated through a physical first period that ended with a 1-0 lead favoring Chicago. However, as has become all too familiar for Hawks fans recently, the second period was a different story.

Just under five minutes into the second, Dustin Brown beat Antti Niemi to tie the game. Only 61 seconds after the Brown goal, Jonathan Toews was called for a goalie interference penalty that can be best described as garbage. Toews was not only pushed into Kings’ netminder Jonathan Quick, but Quick extended his right leg to ease himself into Toews. Everyone on the ice, and in the stands at the United Center, thought the penalty was going to be on Los Angeles. It was not. And, as has been the trend for the Hawks in recent second periods, their opponent made them pay. Anze Kopitar scored at the mid point of the power play to give LA the 2-1 lead.

This would become a crucial point in the game, and perhaps the Blackhawks’ season. The recent stretch of poor second periods, punctuated by Sunday’s debacle against Detroit, has seen the flood gates open wide when the Hawks started struggling. When the Hawks lost the momentum, it snowballed in favor of the opponents until the game was either out of reach or the period ended.

Wednesday night saw a different result from the Hawks.

A strong shift from John Madden, Kris Versteeg and Andrew Ladd paid off with Versteeg finding the back of the net to tie the game only 95 seconds after the Kings took the lead. After Versteeg tied the game, the Hawks’ defense settled down and the flow of the action was significantly more controlled through the end of the second. Despite an early flurry and Niemi allowing two tough goals, he rebounded well.

The third period saw 17 minutes of solid checking and back-and-forth action from both teams. Both Niemi and Quick fought off tough shots in traffic to keep their respective teams in the game. After a hard hit into the boards, Dustin Brown decided he wanted to dance with Troy Brouwer. Just as Burish had done early in the first period, Brouwer landed a couple solid blows to win the fight. The hope was that the Hawks’ offense would respond.

Wayne Simmonds helped the Hawks out by taking his second dumb penalty of the game with only 1:23 remaining on a potential breakaway, but the first 83 seconds of the power play expired with the regulation game clock with the score still tied at 2-2. In regulation, Niemi stopped 27 of 29 shots while Quick had a busier night, keeping 38 of 40 regulation shots out of the net. Considering the Kings only allowed 11 shots on net in their previous game, the offensive play from the Hawks was solid; the effort from Quick was exceptional.

In the overtime, on a terrible Los Angeles turnover, Sharp got a one-on-one chance with Quick in open ice and was victorious. His second goal of the game clinched a 3-2 win for the Hawks in a game that should carry a lot of significance for the Hawks.

First, the Hawks had their regular lapse in effort in the second period, but didn’t let the game get away from them.

Secondly, they FINALLY had a netminder battle with another quality goaltender in a playoff matchup and play well. Quick was great for Los Angeles, but Niemi’s effort must be noted. He was strong for all 60 minutes against a very good Kings team, and Hawks fans should hope this propels him into a stretch of solid play that extends into the postseason.

Third, the Hawks saw contributions from all over the ice. Patrick Kane had the second assist on Sharp’s first period goal, extending his point streak to nine game. But Troy Brouwer was credited with six hits, Duncan Keith blocked three shots, Brent Sopel returned to the lineup and skated effectively and the Versteeg-Madden-Ladd line again made an impact.  Niklas Hjalmarsson was also a physical force on the ice.

The Hawks are now off until a Saturday matinee in Philadelphia against the Flyers. That game, which will be broadcast on WGN in Chicago, begins at noon Central.

On this post we’ll keep you updated on all the latest player movement around the NHL as the trade deadline approaches. With only two-plus days to make deals before the mid-afternoon deadline on Wednesday, March 3, teams could be burning out their phone’s batteries in the coming days.

Here’s what’s officially gone down:

The Pittsburgh Penguins acquired defenseman Jordan Leopold from the Florida Panthers for a 2010 2nd round draft pick. Leopold, 29, has 18 points (seven goals, 11 assists), is -7 and is averaging 22:26 on the ice  in 61 games this year. His name had been linked to a number of trade scenarios, including a trade that would send goalie Tomas Vokoun to the Blackhawks. He is, however, headed to Pittsburgh.

Center Matt Stajan has agreed to terms with Calgary Flames on four-year extension worth about $3.5 million per year. He is going to be an unrestricted free agent on July 1. Stajan was acquired before the Olympics in the trade sending Dion Phaneuf to Toronto.

The St. Louis Blues’ AHL affiliate traded goaltender Hannu Toivonen and defenseman Danny Richmond to the Chicago Blackhawks‘ Rockford affiliate for goaltender Joe Fallon. All players will remain in the AHL. Fallon was recently recalled by the Blackhawks when Antti Niemi had the flu, but did not appear in any game action. Richmond, 25, has 15 assists, 16 points and 135 penalty minutes in 54 games in Peoria. He is a Buffalo Grove, IL native who was part of the Hawks’ organization between 2005-08.

The Dallas Stars signed forward Steve Ott to a four-year extension with $2.95 million per season. Ott, 27, has 23 points (11 goals, 12 assists) and is -13 with 100 PIM in 51 games this season. Of the 23 players in the NHL with 100+ PIM, Ott is only one of three who have scored more than 10 goals.

The Edmonton Oilers traded defenseman Denis Grebeshkov, 26, to the Nashville Predators for a 2010 2nd round draft pick. Grebeshkov has 19 points (six goals, 13 assists) and is -16 in 47 games this season. The Preds have been rumored to be shopping D Dan Hamhuis; Grebeshkov might be his replacement.

The Atlanta Thrashers acquired forward Evgeny Artyukhin from the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for minor league defenseman Nathan Oystrick and a conditional draft pick in 2011. Artyukhin, 26, is a UFA after this season and adds size at forward that Atlanta GM Don Waddell has openly coveted.

On Tuesday morning, the Atlanta Thrashers agreed to an NHL contract with defenseman Chris Chelios. The Atlanta Thrashers were founded in 1999; Chelios was a rookie in the NHL in 1983-84. At 48-years-old, Chelios brings… experience… to Atlanta.

The Minnesota Wild are expected to announce a contract extension with defenseman Marek Zidlicky that’s good for three years at $4 million per season. Zidlicky, 33, has 36 points (five goals, 31 assists) and is -2 in 60 games this season.

The Anaheim Ducks acquired a 4th-round pick in either 2010/2011 from the Boston Bruins in exchange for defenseman Steven Kampfer, who is currently playing at the University of Michigan. Again, not a major deal for either team, but it moves another defenseman to Boston’s organizational depth that could make another deal (or two) possible.

The New York Islanders traded defenseman Andy Sutton to the Ottawa Senators for a 2nd round pick (that was acquired from the San Jose Sharks). Sutton was scratched from the Islanders’ game on Tuesday night against Chicago.

The Pittsburgh Penguins made the first major deal at the deadline, adding left wing Alexei Ponikarovsky from Toronto for prospect Luca Caputi and veteran Martin Skoula. Skoula was included in the deal to create enough cap space in Pittsburgh for Ponikarovsky to clear. Caputi, also a left wing, was the third-ranked prospect in the Pittsburgh system.

The St. Louis Blues have acquired right wing Matt D’Agostini from Montreal for forward prospect Aaron Palushaj. D’Agostini, 23, has two goals, two assists and is -12 in 40 games for the Canadians this year. Palushaj, 20, was the third-ranked prospect in the St. Louis organization.

The Boston Bruins have sent defenseman Derek Morris to the Phoenix Coyotes for a 4th round pick in the 2011 draft. Morris, 31, has three goals and 22 assists, is averaging exactly 22 minutes per game, and is -2 this season.

The Toronto Maple Leafs will never see Martin Skoula in uniform. Skoula, who was acquired as part of the Ponikarovski trade on Tuesday night, is headed to the New Jersey Devils on Wednesday morning. Toronto will receive a 5th round pick in the 2010 draft.

The Boston Bruins acquired defenseman Denis Seidenberg and defenseman prospect Matt Bartkowski from Florida for forwards Craig Weller and Byron Bitz and a 2nd round pick. Seidenberg will likely replace Derek Morris in Boston’s rotation.

The Anaheim Ducks have acquired defenseman Aaron Ward from the Carolina Hurricanes for goalie Justin Pogge and a 4th round pick. The Ducks send Nick Boynton to Chicago on Tuesday, but Ward figures to factor into Anaheim’s top-four.

The Edmonton Oilers claimed forward Ryan Jones off waivers from the Nashville Predators. Jones, 25, has seven goals and four assists in 41 games this season for Nashville.

The Washington Capitals acquired forward Scott Walker from the Carolina Hurricanes for a 7th round pick. The Capitals have been trying to add depth to their blue line for some time, and the veteran Walker accomplishes that goal at a relatively small price.

The St. Louis Blues have dealt center Jan Stastny to the Vancouver Canucks for Cedric Labrie. Stastny, 27, has one goal in just four games for the Blues this season. How, and where, he’ll fit with Vancouver is to be determined.

The Colorado Avalanche have dealt Wojtek Wolski to the Phoenix Coyotes for Peter Mueller and Kevin Porter. Wolski, 24, has 17 goals and 30 assists and is +15 in 61 games this season. Mueller, 21, has four goals and 13 assists in 54 games this season, and will be a restricted free agent after the season.

The Vancouer Canucks have traded defenseman Mathieu Schneider to the Phoenix Coyotes for Sean Zimmerman and a 6th round pick. Schneider, 40, has five points in 17 games for the Canucks this season and is likely a rental to fill their defense.

The Tampa Bay Lightning have dealt center Jeff Halpern to the Los Angeles Kings for Teddy Purcell and a 3rd round pick. Halpern, 33, has nine goals and eight assists in 51 games for the Lightning this year and, more importantly, is an unrestricted free agent after the season. Purcell, 24, has three goals and three assists in 41 games this year.

The Washington Capitals have acquired center Eric Belanger from the Minnesota Wild for a 2nd round pick. Belanger, 32, has 13 goals and 22 assists in 60 games in Minnesota this season. How he impacts the lines in Washington will be an evolving situation.

The Anaheim Ducks have added backup netminder Curtis McElhinney from the Calgary Flames for Vesa Toskala. Before the Olympics, the Ducks signed Jonas Hiller to an extension and dealt Jean-Sebastian Giguere to Toronto. Toskala has already taken away Miika Kiprusoff’s job once in his career…

The Buffalo Sabres have added forward Raffi Torres to play in front of Ryan Miller down the stretch. Torres, 28, has 19 goals and 12 assists in 60 games this season with the Columbus Blue Jackets. Columbus will receive Nathan Paetcsh and 2nd round pick.

The Sabres, after adding Torres, have traded Clarke MacArthur to the Atlanta Thrashers. MacArthur, 24, has 13 goals and 13 assists and is -14 in 60 games so far this season. His spot in Buffalo will be filled by Torres, and he’ll try to fill the void left by Ilya Kovalchuck in Atlanta.

The Washington Capitals added more defense, trading for Milan Jurcina. Jurcina, 26, has one goal and six assists this season in 44 games for the Columbus Blue Jackets. The Caps have added both Jurcina and Walker now before the deadline.

The Toronto Maple Leafs beat the deadline, sending forward Lee Stempniak to the Phoenix Coyotes. Stempniak, 27, had 14 goals and 16 assists, and was -10 in 60 games for Toronto this year. Toronto acquired 4th and 7th round picks.

Carolina traded Joe Corvo to the Washington Capitals for a 2nd round pick, prospect and Brian Pothier. Corvo is the second defenseman added to the mix for the Caps in one day. He had four goals and eight assists in 34 games for Carolina.

The Vancouver Canucks acquired defenseman Andrew Alberts. Alberts, 28, has two goals and eight assists in 62 games this season in Carolina. He will replace Mathieu Schneider in the Canucks’ blue line rotation. Carolina received a 3rd round pick for Alberts.

Los Angeles acquired Fredrik Modin from Columbus. Modin, 35, had two goals and four assists and was -3 in 24 games for the Blue Jackets this season. This was the second deal for the Kings at the deadline, while Columbus unloaded a number of players.

The Anaheim Ducks acquired Joey MacDonald from the Toronto Maple Leafs for a 7th round pick. MacDonald, 30, was a reserve in Toronto who only played in six games for the Leafs this season. The Ducks added a number of netminders around the deadlines, both before and now after the Olympics, this year.

The Florida Panthers acquired defenseman Mathieu Roy for prospect Matt Rust. Roy, 26, had ten assists in 31 games for the Columbus Blue Jackets this season, and will likely replace Denis Seidenberg in the Panthers’ rotation.

The Anaheim Ducks sent Ryan Whitney to Edmonton for Lubomir Visnovsky. Visnovsky, 33, had 1o goals and 22 assists in 57 games for the Oilers this year. Whitney, 27, had four goals and 24 assists in 62 games in Anaheim this season.

The Nashville Predators acquired center Dustin Boyd from the Calgary Flames for a 4th round pick. Boyd, 24, had eight goals and 11 assists in 61 games for the Flames this season.

Most years, the Blackhawks would be thrilled to come home from their annual Circus Trip with nine of a possible 12 points. But after winning the first four games of the trip in overwhelming fashion, only getting one point in the final two games leaves the feeling that the Hawks let something get away.

The Blackhawks tried to bounce back after being shut out in Anaheim, but again struggled to get their offense going. The defense was significantly better than it was on Friday afternoon, but the groove on offense took two periods to appear on Saturday night in Los Angeles.

In the first, the Hawks shut down the Kings just as they did in Chicago a couple weeks ago. The score ended tied at zero, but the Hawks only allowed four shots on Cristobal Huet.

The second period saw more shots getting to both goalies, and the Kings getting on the board first. Wayne Simmonds got the puck past Huet to make the score 1-0 Kings. However, the Hawks killed three penalties in the second period, as they effectively got back to their excellent defense on the penalty kill; the Hawks allowed all three goals in Anaheim with a man advantage, but entered action as the second best penalty killing team in the league.

In the third, Jonathan Toews got the Hawks back onto the scoreboard after over 153 minutes between goals with a nice putback of a rebound in traffic to tie the game. Patrick Kane threw a hard shot at Jonathan Quick that escaped his grasp, and Toews was there to capitalize. Quick had a magnificent game for Los Angeles, saving 32 of 33 shots he faced in the game to earn the win.

The game extended through a lackluster overtime period, and then came the shootout. Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane were Chicago’s first two shooters, and both failed to beat Quick. Anze Kopitar and Jack Johnson scored on Los Angeles’ first two attempts on Huet, and the game ended with the Hawks receiving just one point for the 2-1 loss.

Dustin Byfuglien served two more penalty minutes in the game, while Brian Campbell and Niklas Hjalmarsson also spent time in detention. Duncan Keith had an assist on Toews’ goal to give him ten points in his last ten games.

The loss delays coach Joel Quenneville achieving 500 career victories until the Hawks return home on December 1, when they host Columbus.

Jonathan Toews' impact on Monday's 4-1 win over LA was obvious.

There shouldn’t be any question about Jonathan Toews’ value to the Chicago Blackhawks after Monday night.

It appeared all of the Blackhawks’ ills were cured by the return of their captain, even without Dave Bolland in the lineup, as the Hawks played perhaps their most complete game of the season.

The Los Angeles Kings came in with one of the best offenses in the NHL, and the Hawks had struggled to put points on the board. Specifically, the Blackhawks’ power play had been a sore spot; the Hawks had scored three goals on their last 33 power plays entering Monday’s action.

But Toews returned in a way that felt like a JRR Tolkein script, leading the Hawks to a dominating defensive performance and a steady scoring offense.

Almost everything that could have been considered wrong with the Blackhawks appeared to be fixed on Monday night. The power play, that didn’t exist for a couple weeks, scored on two of three opportunities. The third period, in which the Hawks were the lightest scoring team in the league, saw them score three goals to blow open a 1-1 tie. And Cristobal Huet was spectacular when called upon, stopping 17 of the 18 shots the high-powered Kings offense threw at him.

Troy Brouwer had his best performance of the season, scoring his fourth goal, adding two assists and being credited with six hits in the win. Brouwer and Toews both scored power play goals in the third period as the Hawks extended their lead, and Andrew Ebbett capped the scoring with his first goal with the Blackhawks, redirecting a Brian Campbell shot with what appeared to be his face.

The Blackhawks defense backed up claims that they’re the best in the NHL by holding the prolific Kings to their lowest shot total of the season so far (18). Huet was great in net, handling shots in traffic and after a few sloppy turnovers right in front of him by Duncan Keith and Campbell in the second period.

Chicago had 18 takeaways to the Kings’ seven, and were credited with 25 hits to LA’s 22. Overall the performance from the Blackhawks was nearly complete.

But it all comes back to Toews. In his first action since October 21, he led Chicago forwards in ice time (19:09), won 13 of 20 faceoffs, scored the power play goal and also drew a key penalty late in the third period to help the Hawks put the game away. Despite his absence being caused by a concussions, he didn’t shy away from contact; Toews was also credited with two hit on Monday night.