ANAHEIM — When Erik Gustafsson came into training camp, he looked like a new man. His confidence was high, and both he and the Blackhawks expected him to take on a larger role this season, which he's done.
Gustafsson has seen his ice-time spike to 21:46 from the 18:33 it was a year ago and 15:27 during his rookie campaign. He's playing top-four minutes, is a regular on the power play and is put in any offensive situation — whether it's an offensive zone draw or late in the game when the Blackhawks are trailing — to maximize his best abilities.