The Chicago Blackhawks have started this NHL season with some very bad goal tending. Colin Delia in 2 games so far has a 0-2-0 record with 5.00 Goals allowed average with .863 save percentage. The veteran Malcolm Subban, who was a part of that Robin Lehner trade to the Golden Knights, has not fared well either. Subban in 2 games is 0-1-1 with 3.95 GAA and .889 Save%. If it was not for the emergence of Kevin Lankinen, the Blackhawks season would have been like the French waving the white flag, season over. Lankinen in 4 games has a record of 2-0-2 with a 2.18 GAA and a stunning .931 save percentage. Lankinen looks like the guy for now. Lankinen is younger and really has no track record in the NHL. The other two guys are hot garbage. Is help on the way? Could the Blackhawks use somebody else backing up Lankinen if he is the guy instead of Delia and Subban? Could that guy be Scott Darling? Darling inked a Professional try out with the Rockford Ice Hogs, the Blackhawks affiliate of the AHL.

Scott Darling is a local yokel from the Chicagoland area, a suburb called Lemont. People remember Scott Darling saved the Blackhawks season in 2014-15 for its third cup of that dynasty. Darling came off the bench and replaced a struggling Corey Crawford in the first round of the playoffs. Darling went 3-1 with a 2.28 GAA with a .936 in 5 appearances in that series versus the Nashville Predators. Crawford got his act together after that and the Blackhawks won the third cup of that dynasty. Darling played his best hockey in three seasons with the Blackhawks. In 75 games Darling was 39-17-9 record with 2.28 GAA and .923 Save %. The Blackhawks could not offer Scott Darling the money the Carolina Hurricanes were offering so Darling and the Blackhawks parted ways. As a Hurricane, Darling was not Scorpion-like. Two seasons his record and stats were not very good. Darling had 15-25-9 record as his goal against average went up to 3.20 with a 8.84 save % in 51 games for the Hurricanes. Darling ended up in Charlotte playing for the Checkers in the AHL at the end of his Hurricane tour. Darling then went over the pond and played in Austria in Europe in 2019-20. For HC Innsbruck, his play did not get better as Covid invaded over there.

Could the 32 year old Darling use the Ice Hogs as his path back to the NHL? If Darling has some gas left in the tank to play at the NHL level, he could be a nice back up to a Kevin Lankien. Subban is only 27 years old and has been mostly a back up in his entire NHL career, still trying to improve his own craft. I watched Subban a few times and I don’t think he is any good. I know the Blackhawks have young goalies at the AHL level that they want to be in the net, and get the experience and playing time to see what they got. Plus to have them ready whenever they need to make the jump from the AHL to the NHL. Darling could be that mentor for Lankien. Darling’s NHL career numbers are actually pretty good overall with 54-42 record with 2.72 GAA and a .908 Save %. Obviously Darling’s better numbers came wearing the Indian head. By wearing the Indian head, Darling’s hometown team could bring his play a level up. Even playing in Rockford, which is in Illinois, Darling still wants to play well in front of his family and friends. Some people don’t succeed playing on their hometown team. Darling has thrived. It would be a nice story if Darling does get back in the net for the Blackhawks at some point this season. The Ice Hogs start their season February 5th so we will wait and see if Darling makes the squad there. If Darling does make the team and suits up for the Blackhawks later this season, the song Oh my Darling will be sung from Lemont to the United Center.