There are underdog stories and then there’s Ryan Donato. Let’s be frank, the way things looked entering into Chicago Blackhawks training camp, the eighth-year forward likely was riding the bubble. Free agents veterans were coming in. Prospects were pushing up. Even Donato put his odds at 50-50. But he wasn’t going to waste time worrying about it. “It’ll eat you alive,” he said. Look at him now. Donato leads the Hawks with seven goals, a 30.4% shooting percentage (minimum 10 shots) and a plus-5 rating. He’s riding a five-game point streak. “He’s on fire right now,” Connor Bedard said after practice at Fifth Third Arena on Tuesday. “It’s fun. Such a hard worker. You guys obviously don’t see behind the scenes, off the ice, but just like how much time and effort he puts into everything.” Anaheim Ducks goaltender Lukas Dostal stops a shot by Chicago Blackhawks center Ryan Donato as Anaheim Ducks defenseman Radko Gudas defends on Sunday, Nov. 3, 2024, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill) Donato thought back to the odds he faced, and remarked, “It’s tough. You do a lot of good work and sometimes it doesn’t go your way. I always say it goes back to my faith and just working hard. “And right now it’s going in.” For the last two games, Donato has played on the top line with Bedard, a reward for his start and a tactic to see if the net-front grinder might generate more chances for Bedard. Coach Luke Richardson said Saturday that Donato is the type to “just rebound, scrapping away, guys knocking him down, he’s still scoring a goal.” “He just causes a lot of chaos out there with forechecking and being physical and always moving his feet,” Bedard said Tuesday. “So it gives myself and (left wing Philipp Kurashev) a little more quiet ice.” Donato said of Bedard, “He’s obviously very easy to work with. He’s going to get you the puck in certain spots, and he’s a lot of fun to play with.” Donato said his job doesn’t change much from when he was a third-liner. “I’m going to try and pound pucks, I’m going to forecheck, try and create pucks that he (Bedard) can get, and hopefully get him some more possessions.” Donato’s getting just a little taste of the attention Bedard sees practically every day. When Donato entered the locker room after practice Tuesday, the media rushed to his stall. Was he expecting this all along? “I put in a lot of work this summer,” he said. “I came in with no expectations, right? I came in with the expectation that I was going to just work my hardest and give it my best. That’s all you can really do. “Everything else kind of finds a way to seem to figure itself out in that way.” Richardson has insisted he’s not surprised by Donato’s run. “He took it upon himself to work on his skating and fitness in the summer, and knew that was an area that he could improve on,” he said. “Because he is a really tenacious guy and can shoot a puck, he doesn’t need to really work on that. “Just getting himself more opportunities to do it, I think, was the goal. … We saw it in training camp, (he) deserved to start the year.” Being a Swiss Army knife in the forward helped Donato’s cause. Last season he manned the penalty kill, and he’s getting some power-play time this season. “He’s a guy that can move around, and he’s 100% fine with it. ‘Yes, coach, whatever you need.’ That’s the answer you get,” Richardson said Donato said his position doesn’t matter to him, he’s playing the same way. “It’s obviously been fun this year, but I still think I have a lot more to give,” he said. Patrick Kane returns to the United Center, Part 2. Detroit Red Wings right wing Patrick Kane skates on the ice during a video tribute in the first period against the Chicago Blackhawks at the United Center on Sunday, Feb. 25, 2024, in Chicago. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune) When the Hawks host the Detroit Red Wings on Wednesday, it will be the second time Kane has donned an enemy uniform in the United Center. The Wings won 3-2 on Feb. 25, but the game itself was overshadowed by several ovations for the former Hawks, who won three championships in Chicago. And to pour salt in the wound, Kane scored the overtime game-winner, assisted by fellow former Hawk Alex DeBrincat. Richardson expects a similar welcome from Hawks fans, but “I don’t think you’re going to control that.” Related Articles Chicago Blackhawks | 7 takeaways from the Chicago Blackhawks’ 2nd straight road win, including a sizzling Arvid Söderblom Chicago Blackhawks | ‘That was a nice goal’: Ryan Donato plays huge role in the Chicago Blackhawks’ 4-3 shootout win against the LA Kings Chicago Blackhawks | 5 takeaways from the Chicago Blackhawks’ 3-2 loss that ‘we think we could win and should have’ Chicago Blackhawks | Connor Bedard is frustrated — ‘when you lose, you’re not going to be happy’ — but he’s confident in the Chicago Blackhawks’ path Chicago Blackhawks | Column: Only time will tell if the ‘bridge-year’ Blackhawks have established a foundation for winning in Chicago Even players and staff may want to show their appreciation, too, though Richardson wants to be able to say, “‘Nice try,’ instead of, ‘Nice game, great game.’ “But he’s a great leader that did a lot of things on the ice. I’ve heard lots of things off the ice that people don’t even know about. I think that’s a great legacy to have,” he said. Last season’s game also stood out because it was legacy versus heir apparent, and the image of Bedard giving Kane a bump along the boards is seared into the cerebellum. Asked if he’s got more hits queued up for Kane, Bedard laughed, “Probably not. … It’s definitely not either of our games, so I don’t think you’ll see either of us really hitting anyone too hard.” Bedard understands the heightened attention this clash of generations brings, but he’s downplaying it like most marquee matchups he’s faced. “It’s cool when you look at it, but when you’re playing hockey, you’re playing hockey, doesn’t really matter who you’re playing against,” Bedard said. “You never really have that starstruck feeling or whatever. “But I think for the city and for the fans, obviously, excited that he’s coming.” Alex Vlasic isn’t married to a defensive partner Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Alex Vlasic takes a shot on goal in the first period against the Buffalo Sabres at the United Center on Oct. 19, 2024. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune) Over the first seven games, Vlasic spent a lot of time opposite Seth Jones, his primary partner last season. In the last six games, he has been paired mostly with Connor Murphy. So with Vlasic showing more offense this season, playing with a stay-at-home defenseman like Murphy should unlock that side even more, right? “Not necessarily,” he said. “They’re both great defensemen. “Playing with Jonesy, he can do it all obviously and he’s going to be jumping up in the play sometimes, but Murph has been unreal for us this year on both ends of the ice.” Still, Vlasic has an assist in three of the last four games and five of the last seven, while not sacrificing defense. “He thinks like me in the D-zone,” Vlasic said of Murphy. “We try to kill plays quickly and transition north. We’ve been doing a good job creating offense from the blue line, just trying to get shots on net. “He’s been doing a great job of that, so he makes it easy on me.”