Still wearing a Panthers mask and pads, goalie Spencer Knight didn’t have to wait long to see how much his hockey life has changed.
Instead of playing behind a team built to win another Stanley Cup, Knight spent the first 20 minutes of his Blackhawks debut Monday getting pelted by the Kings, thanks to the Hawks’ sloppiness. But other than giving up a goal by Anze Kopitar, Knight stopped 16 shots in the first period.
Two days after being trade from the Panthers to the Hawks for disgruntled defenseman Seth Jones, Knight finished with 41 saves to lead his new team to a 5-1 victory in front of an announced crowd of 16,254 at the United Center. Not only did Knight get the victory, but he made a strong first impression with his skill and poise amid a significant switch in his career.
‘‘Obviously, this is the first time he got traded, and I thought he really showed some resilience,’’ interim coach Anders Sorensen said. ‘‘Just so composed.’’
Now that his first game with the Hawks is out of the way, Knight can get settled in and used to his new surroundings.
‘‘No matter how smoothly things go, the first week or so is going to feel like chaos,’’ Knight said. ‘‘That’s just the way it is. I think I’ve learned to embrace that. I’ve been through a lot of difficult challenges in my life, and this is another step in the journey.’’
The Hawks, who beat the Ducks 6-3 on Saturday, have won consecutive games for the first time since winning three in a row Dec. 15-19.