After taking both games, the Avs not only moved to 5–3 on the season, but they scored 10 goals,  with numerous depth players playing their best hockey thus far. Secondary scoring has finally arrived in Denver.

Avs fire without the top line

Of those 10 goals, Mikko Rantanen scored one, while both Nathan MacKinnon and Gabriel Landeskog were kept off the scoresheet. Two goals came from defensemen, with the remaining seven all being scored by depth forwards—the players fans were hoping would step up soon.

Brandon Saad put just one point on the board in his first six games with the Avs, a disappointing start for someone expected to add a little more offense to the team. But he scored two goals against San Jose, and also had two assists, giving him a far more respectable five points over eight games.

Nazem Kadri is another player who has received a little bit of criticism for his start, with just two points from the opening six games. An assist in the first game against the Sharks helped Kadri to his best game of the season so far, but that was eclipsed in the second, with a three-point night (two goals, one assist). Kadri now has six points through eight outings.

Nazem Kadri (2-1—3) factored on all three unanswered goals and Philipp Grubauer made 21 saves on 21 shots as the @Avalanche outscored the Sharks by a 10-3 margin across their two straight meetings. #NHLStats pic.twitter.com/QU6QshtBNQ

— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) January 29, 2021

Despite missing time already this season, Andre Burakovsky now has six points in five games, with three goals and three assists. He bagged two assists in the first game, while adding a goal in the second, to continue his bright start to the season. Burakovsky has been one of a small number of shining lights away from the top line.

Other important notes included first points of the season for Valeri Nichushkin, bagging a goal and an assist in the 7–3 win on Tuesday. Tyson Jost and Kiefer Sherwood also notched assists—their first points of the season—in the first game.

Injuries necessitate more secondary scoring

The Avs are going to be without Matt Calvert and Pierre-Edouard Bellemare for quite some time it seems, and that is going to put more pressure on the second and third lines to deliver.

Kiefer Sherwood has stepped into a role on the fourth line in place of Calvert and performed well so far, certainly not making any mistakes. Someone will have to fill in for Bellemare and the favorite to do that is Logan O’Connor, who will add grit and penalty killing ability, but may not add much in terms of scoring.

It would be no surprise to see the fourth line move into a full shutdown role, especially on the road in Minnesota this weekend, so scoring will have to come from the top three lines if the Avs are to continue their winning run.

Comment below.

The post RECAP: Avalanche of secondary scoring in Colorado sweep of Sharks appeared first on The Rink.

C + A + A = Top Line #GoAvsGo pic.twitter.com/D0q0yzXSiK

— x – Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) January 16, 2021

They have played together for years and they have an undeniable chemistry. They are also an offensive powerhouse together and apart, with a collective 1,212 points across the three of them. 

Instead of going with that top line, Head Coach Jared Bednar chose the combination he had been testing throughout training camp with Andre Burakovsky taking Landeskog’s spot and Landeskog added to the second line with Nazem Kadri and newcomer Brandon Saad. 

Burakovsky had a decent showing in an otherwise dismal game. He scored the only Avalanche goal of the contest on the second unit’s power play, but was a -1. 

Burky with first goal of the season! *tips cap*

Now let's see a few more!#GoAvsGo pic.twitter.com/ewH4HZTUYL

— x – Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) January 14, 2021

In the first game against the Blues, the line of Landeskog-Kadri-Saad was a collective -10, and did not tally a single point. 

Saad is currently a -4 and has not yet registered a point. This is not a reason to panic just two games into the season. Saad missed the first part of training camp, and is adjusting to a new team. If 10 games pass and he is still pointless? Maybe cause for concern, but, he might just need time to acclimated. It is still early. 

Landeskog’s performance in the first game against the Blues was the interesting showing. The Avalanche captain was -3, took a tripping penalty against Tyler Bozak and looked a bit sloppy. Like Saad, he was also out of training camp early on, but Landeskog has been with the Avalanche organization for his 10th year. 

After that game, Bednar was quick to say during practice on Thursday that he would be reuniting the famous top line to the collective “THANK YOU” of Avalanche fans. 

A couple changes on the top two lines for the #Avs, per coach Jared Bednar:

Landeskog-MacKinnon-Rantanen
Saad-Kadri-Burakovsky

Bednar said he wanted to move Saad to the left so he's using his forehand more, and Landeskog moved back to the MacKinnon line.

— Peter Baugh (@Peter_Baugh) January 14, 2021

In the second game, Landeskog scored two goals, one being his 200th, and Kadri scored a goal. But they were not on a line together. The top line of Landeskog-MacKinnon-Rantanen was reunited, and each of them scored at least a goal in that blowout 8–0 victory. 

It absolutely made sense to break up the Landeskog-MacKinnon-Rantanen line ahead of the season—it allows depth scoring down the front and gives that second line a bit more toughness. 

Plus, back in November of 2019, there was a month-long stretch where both Landeskog and Rantanen were out with injuries. In a shortened season in such a hectic time, there is a need for flexibility when you have to factor injuries and COVID-19 protocol. If those three can only score together, that is going to be a problem.

With new players, it takes time to get adjusted to a new system. So as those players get adjusted and the chemistry grows, then it might be time to switch things up. More line changes and different combinations are likely to be tested as the season continues, as different lines might work against different teams. 

“I’m certainly going to stick with (Landeskog, MacKinnon and Rantanen on the top line) here for a few games,” Bednar said after practice on Sunday. “Sometimes, I think we’re better with them apart and sometimes we’re better with them together.”

The post Colorado Avalanche top line reunited after dismal start appeared first on The Rink.

One of the big offseason trades was the Brandon Saad for Nikita Zadorov deal between the Chicago Blackhawks and the Colorado Avalanche, and people have been quick to bicker over who won the trade. 

Personally, I like to think it takes a while for a trade to be fully evaluated. Sometimes players need time to flourish in their new environments. What seems like an obvious win for one team could potentially never materialize. Team chemistry, despite the name, is not an exact science; who knows what could happen once all the players involved hit the ice? 

Saad has fallen off from his previous heights, but if there's anywhere to rehabilitate a player's game, it's Colorado. Having Chicago retain $1M helps though, as does the cheap price. Nikita Zadorov isn't great, but can probably help Chicago's weak team defence. pic.twitter.com/zRVRwy53QP

— dom (@domluszczyszyn) October 10, 2020

So before these two division rivals play each other (whenever that will be), I wanted to delve into the story of this trade—and maybe see if it is possible to crown a winner before we return to play.

As an Avalanche fan, I wanted to be concise and thorough, so I’d like to thank fellow The Rink writer Juliana Nikac for giving me some perspective on the Blackhawks. 

Let’s get into the context, because trades do not happen out of thin air. 

Chicago Blackhawks: A rebuild

Before the new millennium began, the Chicago Blackhawks had won three Stanley Cups, the least of the Original Six teams (that honor now belongs to the New York Rangers). But then, a strong, young core, led by Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane, gave them another three Stanley Cups in the span of six seasons.

The Blackhawks organization was one of a few that dominated this past decade—but that has not been the case the past few years. Especially with the benefit of hindsight, the organization is on a downward trend.

(Information courtesy of Hockey Reference)

In 2018 and 2019, the Blackhawks did not qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs, while this year they were able to beat the Edmonton Oilers in the play-in round. But, their overall regular season record was 32–30–8. They were the last in the Central Division, and lost in the first round to the Vegas Golden Knights in five games. 

After the Saad-Zadorov trade, Blackhawks players were vocal in expressing their concerns about the direction the organization is heading.

According to The Athletic, a source close to the team said, “They’re pissed. The core guys have had enough.” 

(Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews are among the core players remaining with the Chicago Blackhawks. Photograph courtesy of Gene J. Puskar)

Jonathan Toews, three-time Stanley Cup champion, clarified, “I’ve never been told that we were going through a rebuild. That has never been communicated to me, for that matter. A lot of this comes as a shock because it’s a completely different direction than we expected.” 

You have to wonder why the plan was not discussed with the team’s leaders, and I am sure people have their own conspiracy theories. I am not an NHL player or general manager (probably for the best), but I feel like there needs to be open communication in situations like these—it is hard to blame Toews for being frustrated. 

Once that article came out, the Blackhawks shared an open letter to fans stating, “We’re committed to developing young players and rebuilding our roster. We want more than another window to win; we want to reach the summit again and stay there — an effort that will require a stockpile of emerging talent to complement our top players.” 

A message to Blackhawks fans. pic.twitter.com/7wBXrJPDQ1

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) October 20, 2020

Even with their veterans, the Blackhawks are one of the youngest teams in the league, with several players under age 25. Their oldest veteran is Duncan Keith at 37, and his future with the team is not written in stone—and Chicago would get even younger should they trade him.

The Blackhawks seem to have a plan, and we still have plenty of time to see if it will pay off for them.

Colorado Avalanche: Post-rebuild

The Colorado Avalanche had a whirlwind of a decade from 2010–2020. They went from being one of the worst teams in 2016 to a legitimate Stanley Cup contender in 2020. In fact, according to Sports Betting Dime, the Avalanche are tied with the Vegas Golden Knights with the highest odds to win the Stanley Cup in 2021 at +750.

Now, obviously, betting and statistics do not always dictate Cup runs—but with the moves the Avalanche have made in the past couple of offseasons to bolster their depth and draft quality young players, they are going to be a hard team to beat. 

In the past couple days the Colorado Avalanche..

1. Replaced Nikita Zadorov with Devon Toews

2. Added Brandon Saad

3. Retained Andre Burakovsky, Ryan Graves and Valeri Nichushkin

4. Didn’t use any top prospects, firsts, or future financial flexibility to do so

— Dimitri Filipovic (@DimFilipovic) October 12, 2020

Joe Sakic, General Manager of the Avalanche, has made some big trades over the years. He traded former top player Matt Duchene to the Ottawa Senators in a three-way deal with the Nashville Predators. Sakic also traded veteran defensemen Tyson Barrie, rookie forward Alexander Kerfoot and a 2020 sixth-round pick to the Toronto Maple Leafs in exchange for veteran forward Nazem Kadri, AHL defenseman Calle Rosen and a 2020 third-round pick. And he orchestrated a seemingly quiet trade with the New York Rangers by acquiring Ryan Graves and sending Chris Bigras to the Big Apple.

Initially, his trades generated some criticism and worry from fans, but today, he’s seen as a top NHL GM.

The Saad for Panarin trade

(Artemi Panarin was traded for Brandon Saad in the summer of 2017. Photograph courtesy of the NHL)

This is not the first time Saad has been involved in a controversial trade. After helping the Blackhawks win their 2015 Stanley Cup, Saad was traded to the Columbus Blue Jackets that offseason in exchange for Jeremy Morin, Marko Daňo, Artem Anisimov, Corey Tropp and a fourth-round draft pick in 2016.

Meanwhile, the Blackhawks signed Artemi Panarin from the KHL. In his rookie season, “The Bread Man” won the Calder Trophy and scored over 30 goals, managing the same milestone in his sophomore season while finding great chemistry with MVP Patrick Kane. 

Then, in the 2017 offseason, Saad was reacquired by the Blackhawks in a trade where they also received Anton Forsberg and a 2018 fifth-round draft pick from Columbus. The Blue Jackets received Panarin, Tyler Motte and a 2017 sixth-round pick. 

The salary cap was definitely a factor there, given the fact that Panarin later signed with the New York Rangers with a cap hit of $11.6 million after initially taking a team-friendly deal with the Blackhawks. After the 2017 Columbus trade, Panarin let it be known that the move surprised him, and the trade is arguably one of the least popular deals ever in the eyes of many Blackhawks fans. 

Juliana spoke in defense of the move, saying the Blackhawks were never going to be able to afford Panarin.

“It made a lot more sense just to get Brandon Saad back,” Nikac said. “He was manageable for $6 million per year for the next three or four years. You didn’t have to worry about re-signing him in free agency come 2019. He was just available to you, you knew what he was.”

With all that out of the way, let’s get into the Saad-Zadorov trade.

What the Avalanche get with Saad

(Brandon Saad could prove to be a valuable acquisition for the Colorado Avalanche. Photograph courtesy of the Colorado Avalanche)

Saad has two Stanley Cups under his belt, winning with the Blackhawks in 2013 and 2015. He is a consistent 20-goal scorer, probably a solid addition to any second or third line for the offense. He has been named to the All Star Game, and was also in the Lady Byng discussions in his career due to only reaching an average of 14 penalty minutes per season. In the shortened 2019–20 season, he scored five game-winning goals, the most on the Blackhawks’ roster.

While talking to Juliana, I found the fans were rather mixed on Saad, which surprised me, as his record on paper speaks to a fairly reliable player. 

“Since that deal, Saad has had really bad luck, just putting it frankly,” Nikac said. “He tries his best, he always does. … (The puck) never seems to go in for him.”

Brandon Saad vs. the breakaway, a rivalry as old as time. pic.twitter.com/Ny4sDcTvKS

— Corey Sznajder (@ShutdownLine) November 4, 2020

When I asked Juliana to clarify, because hitting 21 goals this season is still impressive, she said Saad typically was not scoring those goals when it mattered most.

“People got really frustrated with him because it was never when they wanted it,” Nikac said. “It was never in those special moments with a minute left in the game or on the power play.”

That is understandable. As a fan, you want a player to come through for you and your team. 

Part of the frustration also seems to be that he scored more goals in his two years on the Columbus Blue Jackets, getting 31 one season and 24 the next. Juliana did partially lay the focus on the Blue Jackets being a stronger organization at this point, while the Blackhawks were already pivoting toward a rebuild. But Chicago fans wanted that production again, and there is still a lot of time until we find out what Saad may achieve in Colorado.

Saad only just recently turned 28. I doubt he is going to crumble next season. I am personally really excited to see how he fits into the Colorado organization. He could play on the second line with Andre Burakovsky and Kadri, or maybe even Gabriel Landeskog if he is moved to that line. Saad-Kadri-Landeskog would be very hard to play against.

What the Blackhawks get with Zadorov

(Chicago Blackhawks General Manager Stan Bowman is excited with what the team is getting in Nikita Zadorov. Photograph courtesy of @nhlportrait)

Nikita Zadorov is big and he is young. 

At 6-foot-6 and 235 pounds, he is 25 years old. In the 2019–20 season, the three biggest players on the Blackhawks were all 6-foot-4 and the heaviest was Corey Crawford at 216 pounds. Zadorov was also the biggest on the Avalanche roster, and he laid the most hits by a large margin (175 to Graves’ 112).

Typically, Zadorov utilizes his ample size—sometimes less so than his brain. His critics will say he has sloppy turnovers (and he does sometimes), but I do not think he is an overall bad player. Not only is he solid in five-on-five situations, he is sort of a throwback to the bigger, heavier style of defenseman who flourished in the league 10–15 years ago. And in that regard, he could be a nice addition to a smallish Chicago blue line.

There are advantages to Zadorov’s game. Avs fans will recall a game between the Avalanche and the Blue Jackets, where he was able to gain puck possession by knocking down Nathan Gerbe, leading to a Kadri goal that tied the game. 

Zadorov is also a great locker room guy: a big personality, willing to chirp and have fun. And he was adored by fans of all ages—a positive to have on your team. 

But there were definitely moments while watching him that a fan could become frustrated. Zadorov takes a lot of penalties, and, as previously mentioned, can be a bit sloppy with the puck. As the Avalanche grew more cohesive with their goals and system under head coach Jared Bednar and Sakic, it became clear that Zadorov’s style no longer gelled with their vision. A trade was inevitable.

As Chicago goes through a rebuild, I do not think Zadorov will be a bad fit there—especially when Chicago is presently a small and soft team.

Like many Avalanche fans, I hope Zadorov fits in well in Chicago. 

We had the guys draw a name of a teammate and tell us what they're thankful for about him.

Except all the names in the basket were Nikita Zadorov.

#HappyThanksgiving #GoAvsGo https://t.co/kx7vVysqj3

— x – Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) November 28, 2019

What the Avalanche get with Gilbert

(Dennis Gilbert was also part of the Brandon Saad-Nikita Zadorov trade. Photograph courtesy of the Colorado Eagles)

When I first heard the Avalanche acquired Dennis Gilbert, I was confused because I recognized the name, but I do not follow the Blackhawks. Then I remembered.

Gilbert fought Avs captain Gabriel Landeskog during one of the division games in December of the regular season.

Juliana said she thought Zadorov and Gilbert were more of the equitable parts in the trade based on their playing styles. However, Zadorov has significantly more experience, with over 350 NHL games under his belt.

Gilbert’s career in the NHL has been sparse. He has played in a total of 22 NHL games with 38 penalty minutes and a -9 rating, but he has shown some offensive skill on top of his abilities as a defender, with the way he jumped into play for his first NHL goal.

With the Avs’ deep blue line, Gilbert is probably going to be a strong player for the organization’s AHL team, the Colorado Eagles. But, if Colorado’s bad injury luck carries over into the 2020–21 season, Gilbert would likely get called up and see some NHL ice time.

What the Blackhawks get with Lindholm

The Chicago Blackhawks were finally able to land Anton Lindholm after having had their eye on him for a few years. (Photograph courtesy of the NHL)

Anton Lindholm, like Gilbert, is typically an AHL player. He started his career in the NHL with the Avalanche with 48 appearances in the 2017–18 season, but he quickly found more time with the Eagles. In 45 appearances this past AHL season, he had one goal and two assists as a defenseman. 

“(Lindholm) doesn’t bring a lot of offense to the table, but he is a strong skater and he is, in my opinion, vastly underrated as a defenseman,” said Marie Sexton, who covers the Eagles for The Rink.

So who won?

Right now, the bulk of opinion on this trade—among both Chicago and Colorado fans—seems to be that the Avalanche won the trade.

Brandon Saad for Artem Anisimov

Artemi Panarin for Brandon Saad

Brandon Saad for Nikita Zadorov

How do you get the worse player 3/3 times?

— BK (@TheBennettK) October 10, 2020

The Avalanche traded a third-pairing defenseman for a second-line winger, with the Blackhawks retaining $1 million of Saad’s salary. In this currently cap-strapped world, it is definitely a tally for the Avalanche.

One noticeably absent aspect of this trade is the lack of draft picks involved. As Juliana explained to me, many fans had expected that a deal of this nature—for a rebuilding team—should have earned Chicago some quality draft picks.

There is a lot up in the air before the teams return to play. Maybe Zadorov will flourish and reach another level in Chicago. Maybe Saad will struggle to score 10 goals this season, showing a dramatic decline. Maybe Gilbert and Lindholm will emerge as great trade pieces, either now or closer to the later trade deadline. Or not.

But for now, with no ice time in the foreseeable future, I still think it is too early to render a final judgement. I want to hear what you all think! Comment down below, or reach out to me on Twitter at @OwynsGrace. An big thanks to Juliana for her help with this piece! 

The post ANALYSIS: Who won the Brandon Saad-Nikita Zadorov trade? appeared first on The Rink.

The-Rink.com co-hosts Jeff Osborn , and John Jaeckel are joined by The Rink writers Andy Campbell and Sean Fitzgerald to talk about the big trade of the day.

• • • Brandon Saad and Dennis Gilbert to Colorado for Nikita Zadorov and Anton Lindholm

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The post Blackhawks Rinkcast – Season 3, Episode 25 – Brandon Saad trade reactions appeared first on The Rink.

Saad was drafted by the Blackhawks in the second round (43rd overall) of the 2011 NHL Entry Draft. He was traded to the Columbus Blue Jackets on June 30, 2015, with defenseman Michael Paliotta and center Alex Broadhurst for forwards Artem Anisimov, Marko Dano, Jeremy Morin, Corey Tropp and a fourth round pick in the 2016 NHL Entry Draft. Saad was re-acquired two seasons later from Columbus in the infamous Artemi Panarin trade on June 23, 2017. Saad has a year remaining on his current contract.

Gilbert is a 2013 third-round draft pick (91st overall) of the Blackhawks and played 21 games with the team this past season.

TRADE ALERT: The #Blackhawks have acquired defensemen Nikita Zadorov and Anton Lindholm from Colorado in exchange for Brandon Saad and defenseman Dennis Gilbert. pic.twitter.com/rUf1xLoPbc

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) October 10, 2020

Coming to the Blackhawks are 25-year-old defenseman Nikita Zadorov and 25-year-old AHL defenseman Anton Lindholm. Zadorov played in 64 games for the Avalanche last season, scoring 13 points (four goals, nine assists) and accruing 65 penalty minutes. Zadorov signed his one-year qualifying offer of $3.2 million just prior to the trade being announced.

Lindholm has played 66 career games with the Avalanche, but has been mostly an AHL-level player. Last season, he played 45 games with the Colorado Eagles and had a paltry three points (one goal, two assists). He carries one more year on his contract with $742,500 owed in salary.

The post BREAKING: Blackhawks trade Saad, Gilbert to Colorado for Zadorov, Lindholm appeared first on The Rink.

Live look at the Tampa Bay Lightning pic.twitter.com/YDCHRxEyBW

— MikeB (@TB_MikeB) February 27, 2020

First period

The game started off with some back and forth, with both teams getting some quality chances in front of each others’ nets before Connor Murphy got called for hooking, which gave the Lightning their first power play of the evening. The Blackhawks killed that off thanks to some good shot blocks and good saves by Crawford. Then, shortly thereafter, the Blackhawks got their first power play of the night on a Yanni Gourde tripping call. Chicago was entirely unsuccessful on the man advantage, not getting many chances on net and giving up another power play to the Lightning on a Patrick Kane hook. That penalty was also killed off, giving way to more even-strength back and forth.

The Blackhawks got another opportunity on the power play with just under seven minutes to go, but once again, the Lightning were able to kill that one off. Sounding like a broken record, the Blackhawks went on the penalty kill right after that when Brandon Saad got his stick up high on Zach Bogosian. The Blackhawks killed that off, and then got their third man advantage of the period on an Alex Killorn trip. The Blackhawks would not score on that power play, but it would carry over to the second period. This period of penalties would end with the same 0–0 tie that we started off with.

Second period

The Blackhawks’ power play again failed to generate a goal, although they did get the best shot on Curtis McElhinney they had to that point, but could not do anything with it. The Blackhawks picked up a gift power play shortly after, as the Lightning picked up a too-many-men-on-the-ice call at the 6:20 mark of the period. Chicago seemed to have the mindset of passing instead of shooting the puck on goal, as their pass total was greater than their shots on goal for all four of their power plays to that point.

This period was not very exciting to watch, as there ended up being more turnovers of the puck than actual chances on net for either side. At the 10:42 mark there was, yes, another penalty called (surprise, surprise), this time on Connor Murphy for tripping, giving the Lightning their next man advantage of the game. Tampa Bay failed to convert on that one due to some great saves by Crawford, leaving the game still knotted at a 0–0 tie.

Then, the Lightning finally broke through, as Brayden Point skated around the defense and let go of a wrister from between the circles that got past Crawford and gave Tampa Bay a 1–0 lead. That is how the period would end, with the Lightning outshooting the Blackhawks by a wide margin, and as a result, taking the lead.

Third period

Things started off roughly for the visitors, as the Lightning doubled their lead on a Nikita Kucherov tap-in goal to make the score 2–0 Lightning just 17 seconds into the frame. At the 2:28 mark of the period, Luke Schenn took an interference penalty that gave the Blackhawks another chance to get the powerless play out on the ice. They did not look good again, but surprisingly were able to keep possession in the offensive zone, which led to Saad getting the puck in front and getting the Blackhawks to within one at 2–1.

Just 26 ticks later, Duncan Keith took a big hit to make a play, getting the puck to Patrick Kane who got it to Dominik Kubalik, who scored on his own rebound, tying the game at 2–2. Slater Koekkoek took an interference call after that, giving the Lightning another power play opportunity. The Blackhawks killed that off and a little while later, the very same Koekkoek got the puck out at the point, skated to the middle and wristed the puck through a sea of legs and into the back of the net, giving the Blackhawks a 3–2 lead.

Once again, the Blackhawks got back on the man advantage on a Kucherov slash on Kane. The puck found its way to the rookie sensation once again, and Kubalik slapped a top-shelf bullet past McElhinney to make the score 4–2 Blackhawks.

The Lightning tried to get back into the game by getting an extra attacker, but that gave Kubalik his third goal of the night for the hat trick, making the score 5–2 Blackhawks. The Blackhawks showed some fight throughout the third period until the end, even getting into some extracurriculars toward the end of things, and pulled out the comeback victory after scoring five third-period goals.

Let’s go along the boards and see what was being talked about during tonight’s action.

I think Stan&Co finally acknowledged it's time to start tearing it down. Problem is all the no move clauses and those predisposed to injury… Not going to be an overnight fix. https://t.co/fATdsno9KT

— Rocky Top Out (@rtopout) February 28, 2020

I agree that it definitely is not going to be an overnight fix at all. There is much work to be done in the offseason, and to start with, I would say this front office and coaching staff need to go. They are not doing anything to get this team turned around and moving in a positive direction. Sitting on your trade chips for too long and barely getting two trades that needed to happen done is inexcusable. I also am someone who sees Jeremy Colliton as a good assistant coach in the league, but definitely is not cut out to be a head coach at this point. There is no fight from him, and that clearly shows with the way the team in front of him plays night by night.

Stats/Takeaways from the 2nd period:

• Corey Crawford with 16 saves in that second period to keep the game 1-0. He’s got 26 on the night.
• Duncan Keith’s already up to 20:21 TOI to lead the #Blackhawks.
• Connor Murphy now has 3 penalties in the last 5 periods. #CHIvsTB

— Talkin’ Hawkey (@TalkinHawkey) February 28, 2020

Crawford looked good in this game. He made some good saves on some crazy Lightning shots and did everything he could to keep his team in this game. He controlled rebounds well, and was great at keeping the puck away from the opposition. Murphy…yikes; that is not a pretty stat to see.

Enjoyed the Broadcast, the Outcome = Happy Human #Blackhawks

— Jet7111 (@jet7111) February 28, 2020

As did all Blackhawks fans, my friend. A pleasant surprise in what has been a difficult season to watch.

The Blackhawks are back in action on Saturday against the Florida Panthers. The game will start at 5 p.m. CST on NBC Sports Chicago.

The post Along the Boards: Blackhawks take over in third, beat Lightning 5–2 appeared first on The Rink.

Notably, Adam Boqvist did not dress for the game. Although he was able to practice late in the week after leaving Wednesday’s game early, Head Coach Jeremy Colliton decided to sit the young Swede and allow newly claimed Nick Seeler to make his Blackhawks debut.

The Hawks came out strong to start. After three days off, it was expected they would look well-rested and play hard in the opening period.

Not only did they come out strong, but the Blackhawks also didn’t waste any time finding the back of the net either. Just 15 seconds into the game, after a missed shot, Jonathan Toews found Drake Caggiula who had an excellent look at the net. After being denied, Caggiula slid the puck back to Dominik Kubalik in the slot and he fired home his 22^nd goal of the season.

Did someone order a good start?

This one took just 15 seconds pic.twitter.com/Mtxv4mOVM1

— Blackhawks Talk (@NBCSBlackhawks) February 10, 2020

Not only did the goal give the Hawks the 1–0 lead early, Toews also recorded his 800^th career point in his hometown of Winnipeg.

O CAPTAIN!

With an assist on Kubalik's tally, Jonathan Toews has recorded his 800th @NHL point! #Blackhawks pic.twitter.com/wDohGxbQQH

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) February 10, 2020

#1 #800 for Jonathan Toews pic.twitter.com/oERc9cGq15

— Blackhawks Talk (@NBCSBlackhawks) February 10, 2020

The Captain continues to add to his Hall of Fame worthy career with his 800^th point. He is now the fourth player from the 2006 draft class to record 800 points.

Jonathan Toews is the fourth member of the 2006 draft class to reach 800 career points, joining Nicklas Backstrom (915), Phil Kessel (855) and Claude Giroux (800). #Blackhawks

— Carter Baum (@CarterBaum) February 10, 2020

The Blackhawks continued to push and played a strong first period. Winnipeg definitely looked like a team who played the day before. Although the Hawks had some great chances, Connor Hellebuyck made some great saves to keep the visitors from extending their lead.

Despite the great goaltending of Hellebuyck, the second line for the Hawks capitalized on an opportunity. Nick Seeler fired a shot toward the net, which completely missed the cage. The puck bounced off the boards behind the net and right to Patrick Kane who was waiting on the right wing red line. Kane made a quick move and dished the puck to the front of the net where the red hot Brandon Saad tipped home his 16^th of the year.

Welcome to the @NHLBlackhawks, Nick Seeler!

The newest member of the squad gets an assist in his first game, on Brandon Saad's goal pic.twitter.com/z26mr5Sjx6

— Blackhawks Talk (@NBCSBlackhawks) February 10, 2020

Corey Crawford was also excellent. He made two massive saves in the second half of the period to deny the Jets from getting on the board. The first was a great save on Scheifele in the slot and the other was a robbery on Nikolaj Ehlers, who could only look to the heavens after missing on his back-door opportunity.

CROW. MY. GOSH pic.twitter.com/CSSNIYRXIB

— Blackhawks Talk (@NBCSBlackhawks) February 10, 2020

As the middle frame opened, the momentum did a full 180. The Jets came out as a team with a purpose in the second period, looking to catch up with the visitors.

Although the Blackhawks were on a power play, the Jets got the better of the man advantage situation. Shorthanded, Andrew Copp made a sensational saucer pass to Kyle Connor who effortlessly lifted the shot over Crawford. Connor’s 27^th of the year cut the Hawks’ lead to just one.

Jets get on the board in the 2nd. pic.twitter.com/LgLAdXtSiu

— Blackhawks Talk (@NBCSBlackhawks) February 10, 2020

The rest of the period was much of the same. The Jets had multiple short-handed opportunities against the Hawks, but Crawford continued to bail out his teammates in front of him. The Hawks looked lackadaisical and were badly outplayed by the Jets. However, they somehow managed to escape the period without any additional damage and held on to the lead.

The third period unfortunately spelled doom for the Blackhawks. The Jets scored four unanswered goals in the third period, two being empty netters, to knock off the Hawks 5–2.

The key to the collapse was a lack of pace. The Hawks couldn’t do anything after their sensational first ten minutes. They could not do anything to outplay the Jets and the Jets took full advantage of the Hawks tonight.

Along the boards

The Hawks looked brutal for the last 50 minutes of the game. They had no urgency, no pace, and no energy. If the Hawks continue to play that way, the “p” word is not going to be in the Hawks’ future at this pace.

This season has been concerning for Alex DeBrincat. It was fair to expect a bit of a slide, as Toews and Kane are both on pace for lower numbers than last season, but still will have good numbers. Saad is on pace for over 20 goals and Kubalik may get to 50 points. The largest drop off is Alex DeBrincat. Just see the following:

Some #Blackhawks numbers coming at you……

Alex Debrincat is on pace for a 20 point slide from last season.

From 41-35-76 to 19-37-56

— Puckin Hostile (@PuckinHostile.bsky.social) (@PuckinHostile) January 30, 2020

That is a large drop-off for a player who just was rewarded a 3 year, $6.4 million AAV deal at the start of the year. A big pickup for the team’s offense would be to get more production out of their young winger.

I continue to be pleasantly surprised by Kirby Dach’s play. He has had a good season, although the offensive numbers aren’t where most would like them to be for a third overall pick. However, guys take time to develop and Dach is developing very nicely. If he continues to develop and get stronger, he’ll be a very good forward for a long time in the NHL.

I’m so excited to see Dach once he starts adding muscle to that huge frame. He’s already solid defensively and shows the offensive flash, just wait until he can start bullying people. #Blackhawks

— Ron Luce (@LuceOnTap) February 10, 2020

One fun note, Seeler was fun to watch tonight. His fight was his highlight of the night, but he played a decent game in his debut.

We like this kid. pic.twitter.com/W8p5qv3Lgm

— Blackhawks Talk (@NBCSBlackhawks) February 10, 2020

The Blackhawks return to play on Tuesday, February 11 as they take on Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers in Edmonton. Puck drop is scheduled for 8:00 p.m. CST.

The post Along the boards: Jets soar, comeback to defeat Blackhawks 5–2 appeared first on The Rink.

The #Oilers are in on Saad but like Toffoli, Saad will have multiple teams interested. His ankle injury is considered relatively minor. Worth keeping an eye on. https://t.co/seNFLfbuzH

— Kurt Leavins (@KurtLeavins) December 30, 2019

Considering that the Blackhawks are currently one of the bottom ten teams in the NHL and last in their division, this kind of talk should come as no surprise to the Chicago faithful. Despite Saad’s ankle injury and subsequent trip to the long term injured reserve list, the Western Conference foes value his modest $6 million cap hit and steady production. Leavins and Spector go on to state that the additional year on his current contract (following this season) has been a bit of a stumbling block instead of being just a typical trade deadline playoff rental.

With both teams having (alleged) depth on their defense, organizationally, this kind of deal might interest Stan Bowman. Saad’s age, experience, and consistent production is just what a playoff bound team could use on the left side.

The 2011 second-round draft pick is in his second stint with the Blackhawks after originally getting traded to the Columbus Blue Jackets in the summer of 2015. He was re-acquired in the much maligned Artemi Panarin trade on June 23, 2017. This season, Saad is fifth on the Blackhawks in scoring with 19 points (11 goals, 8 assists).

The-Rink’s very own John Jaeckel estimates Saad’s trade value to these clubs as potentially returning a mid to late first-round pick, a young player and a solid prospect. Edmonton has some very young defensemen like Evan Bouchard and Philip Broberg, while the Avalanche have a plethora of young promising defensemen such as this year’s first-round draft pick Bowen Byram. Those players may or may not be in available, but Stan Bowman should definitely be inquiring about players of that level of pedigree.

Another player that is undoubtedly available in Edmonton is 2016 fourth overall pick Jesse Puljujärvi who has been holding out from signing with the Oilers and is currently playing in Finland with Oulun Kärpät of Liiga.

What could a Saad-to-Edmonton/Colorado trade fetch for Stan Bowman and the Blackhawks? Register for our message board and comment below!

The post REPORT: Oilers and Avalanche inquiring about Brandon Saad appeared first on The Rink.

The-Rink.com co-hosts “Gatekeeper” and “JJ” call a last-minute audible with Steel feature writer Ray Napientek, following the big injury news of the holiday.

• Brand new review from Jackie Davis
• Brent Seabrook and Calvin de Haan are on LTIR and done for the season.
• What could this mean for Brent Seabrook’s career?
• Where to go now?
• It wouldn’t be a Rinkcast without some goalie talk.
• We wrap with a short Rinkrat PuckBag segment.

Please subscribe, rate this episode, and even write us a review. Reviews will be read on the air.

Also, please help spread the word to more #RinkRats and visit our sponsor www.PUCKHCKY.com. Use the discount code “THERINK” for 10% off all orders.

The Rinkcast is brought to you by the Overtime Podcast Network

The post Blackhawks Rinkcast – Season 3, Episode 8 – Seabrook eulogy appeared first on The Rink.

MEDICAL UPDATES:
• Saad (right ankle) out 3 weeks
• de Haan (right shoulder) & Seabrook (right shoulder) to both undergo surgery, miss remainder of 2019-20 season
• Seabrook also to undergo surgery on each hip in 2020
• de Haan, Seabrook placed on LTIR#Blackhawks

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) December 26, 2019

First of all, the team announced that Brandon Saad would be out for three weeks with a right ankle injury, which is actually good news for Saad and the team based on what could have ended up being a much more severe injury.

Despite the good news for the forwards, the Blackhawks defense took a big hit as the team announced that Brent Seabrook and Calvin de Haan will both undergo right shoulder surgery tomorrow, December 27, 2019. Both players will miss the remainder of the 2019-20 season, and could potentially be out even longer. As a result, Seabrook and de Haan have both been place on long term injured reserve.

De Haan was acquired on June 24, 2019 with Aleksi Saarela, for the RFA rights to Anton Forsberg and Gustav Forsling. At the time of his injury he was one of the top defenders for the team. He is signed for two more years with an annual cap hit of $4.550 million.

Seabrook will also undergo surgery on both hips, one in January and the other in February, which could potentially combine with his shoulder issue to put an end to his Blackhawks career. His heavily debated contract has four years remaining at an annual cap hit of $6.875 million.

The Blackhawks will face the New York Islanders tomorrow night at the United Center and puck drop is scheduled for 7:35 pm.

Can exceed cap by 11.425M + $5.4M for Caggiula/Shaw while those two are out.

Since they’ll be over cap for year, any performance bonuses earned will carry over as cap hit for following year. With bonuses for Dach, Strome, DeBrincat likely, may not want to exceed cap & use LTIR

— PuckPedia (@PuckPedia) December 26, 2019

The post BREAKING: Blackhawks’ Seabrook and de Haan out for the season, Saad spared appeared first on The Rink.

Saad — Toews — Nylander

DeBrincat — Dach — Kane

Kubalik — Kampf — Shaw

Smith — Carpenter — Highmore

Keith — Gustafsson

De Haan — Seabrook

Maatta — Murphy

Crawford

First period

The Stars got off to a good start against the Blackhawks, putting pressure on Crawford and generally controlling the puck for the first couple of shifts. They continued to press, sending the puck back to the d zone and then back up again. Zack Smith recorded a great opportunity off a steal in the offensive zone, but was stopped by the Stars’ Anton Khudobin. Denis Gurianov got in a good chance on Crawford, but was ultimately shut down and was unable to get much on the shot. Crawford continued to stay sharp, stopping a barrage of shots from Dallas.

Both teams kept things moving, trading chances back and forth, and not allowing really any stoppages in play. Jonathan Toews got a blast in on Khudobin on a pass from Alex Nylander, but that was turned aside as well. Off the face off, Erik Gustafsson took a shot that was redirected by Brandon Saad, who was left all alone in front of the net and redirected the puck past Khudobin for a 1–0 Blackhawks lead.

Brandon Saad's 100th goal with the #Blackhawks was a BEAUT! pic.twitter.com/U9DvVdxZky

— Blackhawks Talk (@NBCSBlackhawks) November 27, 2019

Just after, the Stars got a good chance with Corey Perry driving to the net, but that was turned aside by Crawford. After that, there was more back and forth, with some big hits being dished out both ways until both sides got some good chances, with Esa Lindell drawing a penalty on his drive to the net, putting the Blackhawks on the penalty kill for the first time in the game. Ryan Carpenter gave him a whack trying to keep him from being able to get a good shot off.

The Blackhawks killed that off without much issue, but with some nice saves made by Crawford. Khudobin had to make a last second save on Andrew Shaw, but did so to keep the score at 1–0 Blackhawks.

Second period

The Stars got off to the same start that they did in the first period, controlling much of the play and getting many shots in on Crawford, even having one go off of the post. Then, things got going back and forth more and more, with few stops for the first few minutes of the period. The Blackhawks got a good chance in front of the net off of a steal by Patrick Kane, but the Blackhawks could not get anything in on goal. Afterward, Alex Radulov got going through the center of the ice and was taken down by Shaw, giving the Stars their second powerplay of the game. Crawford came up with some sensational stops as the Blackhawks were able to kill off the penalty.

The Stars kept the pressure on after that, though, getting more shots on the Blackhawks’ goaltender. Just after the 10-minute mark of the period, the Blackhawks were able to get a couple of good chances from Dach and Kubalik after that which did not get past Khudobin. Calvin de Haan saved a goal for the Blackhawks after Crawford dove to make a stop with the puck sitting behind him without him realizing it. De Haan knocked the puck away, playing goalie with Seabrook to protect the net with Crawford drawn out of it.

The C in Calvin stands for CLUTCH! pic.twitter.com/x8FBWnEiIw

— Blackhawks Talk (@NBCSBlackhawks) November 27, 2019

Khudobin had to be on his game to keep a Shaw chance out, followed by a DeBrincat chance at around the 15:30 mark of the period. The Blackhawks kept the pressure up, taking the puck away in the offensive zone and allowing for some good scoring opportunities on Khudobin that were turned aside. There was a lot of action, but no more goals to be had. The game went into the intermission with the score still being 1–0 Blackhawks.

Third period

The Stars came out with fire as they had the last couple of periods, stealing some chances and getting a good amount of play in the offensive zone. That is until DeBrincat took the puck down the ice to get a puck in on Khudobin. Shaw and Gustafsson got a couple of good chances in on the Dallas net that were turned aside by Khudobin with some great saves.

Then, there was more back and forth as there was the whole game, with the Blackhawks and Stars trading chances on one side of the ice and then the other. Crawford managed to keep out a flurry of Dallas chances out of the net. The Blackhawks continued to press to add on to their lead, but were stymied by Khudobin with a couple of big saves against the fourth line. Around the nine-minute mark, Crawford answered back on the other end, and then Khudobin would answer at his end of the ice.

Shortly after, Radulov gave the Blackhawks their first power play of the night when he got a stick up high that caught Toews right in the face. DeBrincat started a crazy sequence on the power play, with the puck eventually finding its way to Kane, who waited until some traffic had cleared in front of the net to wrist it past Khudobin, making it 2–0 Blackhawks.

The point streak continues! That's 13 straight games for Showtime pic.twitter.com/5p8iYAaCOG

— Blackhawks Talk (@NBCSBlackhawks) November 27, 2019

The Stars pulled their goaltender at the 16:27 mark of the period in an attempt to get back into the game, but that backfired when the Stars tried to block a clear from Connor Murphy, which ended up bouncing and rolling down the ice and into the empty net, making it 3–0 Blackhawks. That is how things would finish, with the Blackhawks getting Crawford his first shutout of the year.

The Blackhawks will be heading into a tougher stretch of their season, with back-to-back matchups with the Avalanche on Friday and Saturday night. The first of those two games is on Friday at 3 p.m. CST on NBC Sports Chicago.

The post RECAP: Blackhawks extinguish Stars 3–0 appeared first on The Rink.

With no line changes from Saturday to Sunday, the Blackhawks trotted out the following line combinations:

Saad — Toews — Nylander

DeBrincat — Strome — Kane

Kubalik — Kampf — Shaw

Smith — Dach — Carpenter

Keith — Gustafsson

de Haan — Seabrook

Maatta — Murphy

Crawford

First period

The period began with a buzzing Blackhawks squad showing well early. In the first three minutes alone, the Blackhawks looked like they were ready to play, despite having played the night before.

The Sabres began to pick up their play as the period wore on, specifically almost capitalizing on a Crawford mistake. The Chicago netminder made a desperation save when scampering back to his net after playing a puck. Fortunately, the puck stayed out and Dominik Kubalik had a semi breakaway the other way, but he was ultimately denied by Buffalo goaltender Carter Hutton.

The best chance for the Hawks came after an Alex DeBrincat penalty. As the penalty expired, DeBrincat and Dylan Strome exchanged passes. Strome threw the puck behind the net in the offensive zone to “The Cat” and the undersized winger found Patrick Kane open in the slot. The point-blank bid was denied by Hutton, but could have easily been a goal given the nifty passing from that line.

Not too long after, the Blackhawks capitalized on their momentum following the failed Buffalo power play. A Duncan Keith outlet pass ended up on Kirby Dach’s stick as he skated to the defensive blue line. Dach set up a give-and-go with Kubalik as they passed through the neutral zone. Dach made an outstanding play on his individual effort, lowering his shoulder to shield a defender and put a backhand shot over Hutton’s shoulder for the first tally of the game and a 1–0 Chicago lead.

Kirby Dach going backhand! @NHLBlackhawks lead 1-0. Stream here: https://t.co/jQFUIagZqV pic.twitter.com/E87dXUahCk

— Blackhawks Talk (@NBCSBlackhawks) November 18, 2019

Despite a late power play for the Blackhawks in the period, Chicago could not add to its lead. However, the Hawks took their 1–0 lead into the first intermission without issue after a fast first period between both teams. 

Second period

The middle frame did not lack any action, beginning in a similar fashion to that of the first period. In the first seven minutes of the period, both teams traded power play opportunities, but neither team could capitalize on their opportunity.

The majority of the period was defined by big saves from Crawford. The Hawks’ goaltender was superb, making numerous big stops on Sabre shooters. 

With about eight minutes remaining in the period, Dach nearly tallied his second goal of the game. Zach Smith tipped a puck at the blue line to open ice. Dach had a free chance from the top of the circles going in, but was denied by Hutton’s spectacular save. 

Under a minute later, Dach indeed picked up his second goal of the game. After the fourth line had a great chance before, head coach Jeremy Colliton sent that line back out there for another possession. Smith found Dach skating in and the rookie made a beautiful move to finish on the breakaway. Dach’s sneaky speed played a key on the play, as he was able to slip behind the Sabres’ defense and generate the open chance. 

Reminder that Kirby Dach is 18 years old… PRAY FOR THE LEAGUE

Stream the game here: https://t.co/eRyV0KGCum pic.twitter.com/G5bNYbnCRJ

— Blackhawks Talk (@NBCSBlackhawks) November 18, 2019

To the surprise of many, Erik Gustafsson dropped the gloves with Buffalo forward Jimmy Vesey not long after Dach’s goal. One of the last people most Blackhawks fans would expect to fight put up a solid effort against Vesey.

Gloves. Off. pic.twitter.com/JVOVWpcTy5

— Blackhawks Talk (@NBCSBlackhawks) November 18, 2019

Dach continued his dominance during the game by drawing a penalty. The 18-year-old skated into the offensive zone and nearly beat two Sabres defenders to get off an open shot. As he went to shoot, the Sabres took the penalty to prevent the quality chance and sent the home team to the man advantage. 

Just as the time was about to expire, Dach was called for interference on a strange play. Without a stick, Dach was skating to the bench. On his way back, he lit up Sam Reinhart, drawing the penalty.

The 2–0 lead was safe for now heading into the second intermission. Chicago continued to be outshot by the visitors, but Dach was the difference to that point. 

Third period

The Blackhawks began the third period by killing the Dach penalty with relative ease. To add to the action, the Blackhawks nearly ended the kill with a goal after Jonathan Toews was denied by Hutton on a two-on-one opportunity with Ryan Carpenter. 

Just a few minutes after the kill, the Blackhawks once again had a chance on the power play. The man advantage began with Andrew Shaw taking a face off to Hutton’s left. 

The face off resulted in a 50-50 puck that numerous players for both teams attempted to corral. In normal “Showtime” fashion, Kane used his quick hands to secure the puck, quickly turn around and rip a shot past Hutton to extend the Hawks’ lead to 3–0. The goal extended Kane’s point streak to nine games. 

9-game point streak for No. 88!#Showtime pic.twitter.com/0ewPhurG6x

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) November 18, 2019

Brandon Saad was denied twice on solid open chances in the period. On the second chance, Jake McCabe tied up Saad when he went to bury the chance with a backhand. To Saad’s credit, he stuck with the play and set up Toews to extend the Blackhawks’ lead to 4–0.

Toews from the slot. 4-0. #blackhawks #sabres pic.twitter.com/3lwb1dMf5J

— Buffalo Hockey Moments (@SabresPlays) November 18, 2019

The third period had quite a pace to it. Just as Gene Honda was announcing the Toews goal, Calvin de Haan turned a puck over at the Hawks’ blue line and Jack Eichel had an open chance on Crawford. Eichel was able to capitalize and beat Crawford to give cut into the Blackhawks’ advantage at 4–1. 

Jack Eichel steals the puck and gets one on the board! #Sabres50 | @Jackeichel15 pic.twitter.com/F7GOoTdHol

— Buffalo Sabres (@BuffaloSabres) November 18, 2019

The momentum was then in favor of the Sabres. Following the Eichel goal, Evan Rodrigues went to the net and nearly scored again, but the Sabres did draw a penalty, so they returned to the power play looking to close the scoring gap even further.

The Blackhawks controlled the Sabres on the man advantage. The Hawks generated the best chance of the Sabres’ man advantage when Saad had a breakaway from his own blue line in. Unfortunately, Saad could not get off a quality chance when trying to tuck the puck past Hutton.

The game had plenty of action for the rest of the game. In the last two minutes, Colliton threw Kane out on the ice with Dach to try and get the rookie his first career hat trick. Dach had a great backhand chance, but the shot sailed wide.

Despite the lack of a hat trick, the Blackhawks pick up their fourth consecutive win, downing the Sabres 4–1. 

Quick hits

• Someone call a Dach-tor: Kirby Dach was spectacular in this game. I am not underselling that either. He was all over the ice, using his speed, creating chances with effort and was a difference maker in this game. Dach has proven he belongs in the NHL, and, in his first season, could be a surprise that many fans did not expect as his confidence continues to grow each game.
• The Crow: Corey Crawford had another great game for the Blackhawks. The goaltending for the Hawks has been arguably the biggest strength for this team and Crawford continued that effort against the Sabres. He is 11–0 in his career against the boys from Buffalo and he and Robin Lehner put on a show over the course of the weekend back-to-back.
• This team is fun again: Not only was Connor Murphy a welcomed addition to the lineup against Nashville, but this team is beginning to play with confidence and swag. The Blackhawks are fun to watch again. There I said it. Are they perfect? No. Are they the teams of old? No. Are they fun to watch and giving fans a sense of hope for something positive in the future? Absolutely. At this point, the Blackhawks are trending toward being the hottest ticket in town once again, especially with how the Bears and Bulls are playing.

The Blackhawks will host the Carolina Hurricanes on Tuesday at the United Center. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. CST.

The post RECAP: Blackhawks flying high, down Sabres for fourth straight victory appeared first on The Rink.

The big news with the lineup going into Saturday’s game was Kirby Dach and Adam Boqvist being healthy scratches. There was a lot of confusion from Blackhawks fans upon the news. With the two youngsters sitting, the lineup was as follows: 

Saad – Toews – Nylander

DeBrincat – Strome – Kane

Kubalik – Kampf – Shaw

Smith – Carpenter – Caggiula

Keith – Gustafsson

de Haan – Seabrook

Koekkoek – Maatta

Crawford

First period

The opening frame started with the Penguins generating numerous quality chances. However, Corey Crawford stood tall and looked great once again after a very good game against the Vancouver Canucks on Thursday night. 

Crawford not only looked good in net, but he was also not taking anything nonsense from the Penguins. Just after the halfway point of the period, Alex Galchenyuk took a puck to the net and ended up making contact with Crawford. The Blackhawks’ goaltender came up swinging and words were exchanged between a number of players.

The best chance of the period may have been a Brandon Saad shot that caught the post behind Matt Murray. Outside of that, neither team was able to crack the opposing goaltender. 

The Blackhawks and Penguins entered the first intermission tied at zero. There were solid chances for both sides, but neither team could find the back of the net. The Blackhawks showed good energy in the period, but couldn’t translate that energy into results. 

Second period

The middle frame proved to be a much better period for the visitors. The Blackhawks were finally able to crack the code against Matt Murray.

Just after the seven-minute mark, Chicago had a three-on-one rush with Brandon Saad, Slater Koekkoek and Dominik Kubalik. Saad carried the puck into the zone before dropping the puck back for Koekkoek. Rather than shooting or passing the puck to Kubalik, Koekkoek returned the pass to Saad, hitting Saad in the skate. The winger kicked the puck to his stick and quickly found Kubalik on the other side of the ice for a beautiful goal. 

Tic. Tac. Toe.

Good guys jump in front. Stream: https://t.co/gnXSKgjn5h pic.twitter.com/Zthx8PCcMc

— Blackhawks Talk (@NBCSBlackhawks) November 10, 2019

Not long after the opening goal, the ‘Hawks struck again. Calvin de Haan deposited the puck to Patrick Kane, who led a two-on-one into the zone with Brandon Saad. Kane held on to the puck the whole way and wired a shot under the left arm of Matt Murray, giving the Blackhawks a 2–0 lead. The goal was Kane’s sixth of the year.

Showtime extends his points streak to five games, and the #Blackhawks extend their lead to 2-0: pic.twitter.com/qk52VcEn59

— Blackhawks Talk (@NBCSBlackhawks) November 10, 2019

Crawford was continually spectacular throughout the period. However, it is tough to defend a perfect chance when your defenseman turns the puck over. Slater Koekkoek turned a puck over and gave Evgeni Malkin and Jake Guentzel a two-on-one chance. Malkin found Guentzel all alone, wide open in front of Crawford and the Penguins winger buried the pass to cut the ‘Hawks’ lead in half. 

Beautiful pass. Beautiful goal. pic.twitter.com/tMbVVAhDOs

— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) November 10, 2019

Fortunately, the rest of the period yielded no damage to the Blackhawks and they took their 2–1 lead into the second intermission, looking to put away the Penguins and pick up two critical points in Pittsburgh.

Third period

Although the ‘Hawks had the lead, they would ultimately lose that lead. After some good chances for both teams, the Blackhawks failed to clear a puck just after the ten-minute mark of the period. After the Penguins cycled the puck and had some looks at Crawford, defenseman John Marino threw a puck over to a wide-open Bryan Rust for a big game-tying goal. 

Bryan Rust extends his point streak to six games (5G-2A), a career high. pic.twitter.com/HaACSds4A9

— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) November 10, 2019

Unfortunately, the Blackhawks could not add a third goal and the game ultimately required overtime. Both teams had numerous quality chances, but the goaltenders continued to put together great games for their respective clubs. 

The biggest news to note from the third period was the departure of Sidney Crosby. After blocking a shot in the period, Crosby then left the game and did not return. The Penguins were without their captain for the remainder of the game. 

Overtime

Overtime was very high paced for both teams. The Blackhawks had great possession during the extra frame, ultimately winning the time of possession battle. However, the Blackhawks could not generate anything and the game was forced into a shootout.

Shootout

• The Penguins’ first shooter was Jake Guentzel, who already had a goal earlier in the game. Guentzel made a sweet move on Crawford and snuck the puck through his five-hole.
• Jonathan Toews led off the shootout for the Blackhawks. Unfortunately, Toews was denied on his bid and opened the door for the Penguins.
• Evgeni Malkin shot second for the Penguins and was denied by Crawford. Crawford made an excellent save with his left toe to deny the elite center.
• Patrick Kane was the Blackhawks’ second shooter, and in typical Kane fashion, snuck the puck blocker side to knot the shootout up at one.
• Jared McCann was up the third shooter for the Penguins. McCann snapped off a wicked shot to beat Crawford blocker side and give the Pens the 2–1 shootout lead. 

Guentzel and McCann score in the shootout to lock down the two points. pic.twitter.com/Bo5Bqlf3Ev

— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) November 10, 2019

The final third Blackhawks shooter was Alex DeBrincat. DeBrincat was denied by Murray, giving the Penguins the shootout victory.

Quick hits

• Energy was good: The energy was solid for the Blackhawks on Saturday night. They played an overall solid game, despite losing a 2–0 lead in the contest. This game is certainly one with a lot of good that the team can build on, so it will be interesting to see how they respond against Toronto.
• Crow is back?: Corey Crawford was very good once again after his great performance on Thursday night. If the Blackhawks can continue to get that type of goaltending from Crawford, then the Blackhawks may have the best goaltending duo in the league with Lehner and Crawford.
• Why sit the kids?: A big question mark in this game was sitting Kirby Dach and Adam Boqvist. In a game where youth and speed could have been useful, the Blackhawks decided to sit the two young promising stars. I think Blackhawks fans, like myself, would much rather see Boqvist playing defense than Slater Koekkoek, who cost the Blackhawks a goal in this game.

The Blackhawks return home on Sunday to welcome the Toronto Maple Leafs to town. Puck drop is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. CST. As Eddy Olyczk would say, “One of those great six o’clock starts!”

The post RECAP: Blackhawks spoil two goal lead, lose to Penguins 3–2 in shootout appeared first on The Rink.

Jeremy Colliton went with Robin Lehner again in net for tonight’s matchup. The lineup remained the same as well. The lines and pairings were as follows:

Brandon Saad — Jonathan Toews — Alexander Nylander

Alex DeBrincat — Dylan Strome — Patrick Kane

Dominik Kubalik — David Kampf — Kirby Dach

Drake Caggiula — Ryan Carpenter — Andrew Shaw

Duncan Keith — Adam Boqvist

Calvin de Haan — Brent Seabrook

Olli Maatta — Erik Gustafsson

First period

The Blackhawks struggled to gain any momentum in the offensive zone in the opening period, which is a consistent theme. San Jose had too many rushes up the ice, but Chicago defended them fairly well and Robin Lehner bailed them out when he had to.

About halfway through the period, Noah Gregor was called for hooking and the Blackhawks went on the power play. Once again, they had trouble sustaining time in the zone and the Sharks cleared the puck repeatedly. Both units only recorded on shot in total on that man advantage.

Chicago found themselves chasing after the puck for the remainder of the period, and that caused them to get into some penalty trouble. Duncan Keith was called for hooking with just over two minutes left. Robin Lehner made a few great saves, but the pressure continued to overwhelm the Blackhawks as Brandon Saad sat for hooking with 33 seconds left in the period. Luckily, they killed off what they needed to in order to leave the period unscathed.

The Sharks dominated the Blackhawks in shots on goal 14-3, reflective of what was a dominant possession period for the home team.

Second period

More of the same transferred over from the first 20 minutes to the beginning of the second. Shortly after Chicago killed the two penalties, every player watched as the puck moved freely in San Jose’s zone. Joe Thornton slipped a pass to Timo Meier, who spun and simply threw the puck on net. Patrick Marleau was left all alone to the right of Lehner with Brent Seabrook directly behind him, and he directed the shot into the net to give the Sharks the lead just 1:39 into the period.

How does Patrick Marleau celebrate a milestone? He scores a goal, of course. #SJSharks pic.twitter.com/6uSCoZRH4J

— San Jose Sharks (@SanJoseSharks) November 6, 2019

After going without a shot for the last 15 minutes of the game, the Blackhawks finally recorded their first shot on goal of the second period with 8:47 left. Patrick Kane took advantage of a chance to shoot the puck off a rare defensive breakdown by the Sharks in this game. That would only be their fourth shot of the game up until that point.

San Jose had chance after chance, while the Blackhawks had only recorded one shot in the middle frame. It looked like they would get some more offensive opportunities with a power play, but nothing was clicking. Sharks defenseman Brenden Dillon cleared the puck around the boards and it hopped right over Adam Boqvist’s stick at the blueline. Evander Kane was able to get a step on him and Dominik Kubalik and shoot right through Lehner’s five hole for the shorthanded goal.

The Blackhawks finally maintained a bit of pressure after that goal, but Martin Jones stopped everything that was thrown his way. San Jose led the visitors 2-0 in goals and 26-8 in shots on goal through 40 minutes of play.

Third period

Once again, the Blackhawks failed to start on time at the beginning of the period. They sat back on too many of San Jose’s plays and were reluctant to find their way into the offensive zone, playing the dump and chase game.

That cost them just under five minutes into the third frame. After Robin Lehner played the puck towards the boards for Chicago to clear out, the Sharks went to work down low. Tomas Hertl skated around behind the goal while holding onto the puck and Duncan Keith right on his tail, slashing away at the puck to try and set it free. Hertl kept possession, eventually maneuvering to the faceoff dot to the right of Lehner and simply throwing the puck on net. It slipped right through a hole on Lehner’s glove side and put the Sharks up 3-0.

Andrew Shaw then committed a penalty, high-sticking on Erik Karlsson, which the Blackhawks killed off with some good defensive work. Chicago got another power play chance of their own when Patrick Kane was high-sticked, but nothing seemed to be working on either unit.

In the last seven minutes or so, the Blackhawks began a push for more scoring chances, something they lacked for the first 50 minutes of the game. All of this pressure paid off when they had a solid defensive zone exit and a smooth entry into the offensive zone. A few great passes between Brandon Saad, Jonathan Toews, and Andrew Shaw led to some open ice. Shaw sent a cross-ice pass to Toews while Saad drove toward the net and redirected the puck home off Toews’ pass, cutting the Sharks lead to 3-1.

Just over a minute later, the Blackhawks opted for six skaters on the ice and the net empty. Jonathan Toews won a faceoff against Logan Couture and passed back to Duncan Keith. Patrick Kane exchanged two quick passes with Keith, who looked for a lane and took a chance with a slapshot. It found its way through bodies in front of Martin Jones and into the back of the net. All of a sudden the Blackhawks were a goal away from tying the game.

Duncan Keith with a slapper! pic.twitter.com/CJbfh6IsZp

— Blackhawks Talk (@NBCSBlackhawks) November 6, 2019

But all hopes of a comeback were short-lived when Timo Meier wristed a shot into the empty net to give the Sharks some cushion thirty seconds later, extending their lead to 4-2. Even though the Blackhawks outshot the Sharks 13-6 in the final 20 minutes, it wasn’t enough of a push to get at least a point. Final shots on goal were 32-21 in favor of San Jose.

Pluses

• The penalty kill continues to be one of the biggest bright spots for the Blackhawks. They went 3-for-3 on the PK in this outing, and killed 15 out of 16 on the four-game road trip. For a team that seems to have a lot of defensive issues, it’s great to see one thing working right for them, even if the best penalty killers are the goalies more often than not.

Minuses

• When this team is off their game, it’s not even by a little bit. They’re either on or off, nothing in between. This game showcased just that, as they only had eight shots and 17 shot attempts through the first two periods of the game. The Blackhawks did push back a bit in the third period, but that’s not enough. They need to consistently play a full 60 minutes night in and night out if they seriously want a chance at winning hockey games.
• After a good game in Anaheim on Sunday, the top six went completely missing in this matchup, outside of Brandon Saad’s goal. In fact, only the fourth line of Caggiula-Carpenter-Shaw posted positive possession numbers, and it was easy to spot with the eye test, too. They have to be better than that, and they all know it.

The Blackhawks will return home on Thursday night to take on the Vancouver Canucks. Puck dropped is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. CST.

The post RECAP: Blackhawks break down, fall to Sharks 4-2 appeared first on The Rink.

The-Rink.com co-hosts “Gatekeeper” is joined again by staff writers Ray Napientek and Juliana Nikac to talk about the current state of the Blackhawks.

• The Blackhawks are 2-4-2 after losing to the Flyers, Thursday night.
• Kirby Dach recalled from Rockford and played 3 games thus far.
• Connor Murphy injured against the Vegas Golden Knights
• Aleksi Saarela sent to Florida for Ian McCoshen
• Mario Tirabassi gives us another award-winning #Warpigs report.
• Gate, Ray and Juliana discuss the last 6 games and the state of the Blackhawks.
• We also discuss Corey Crawford, Robin Lehner, Brendan Perlini, Brandon Saad, and much more
• We wrap with the Rinkrat PuckBag segment where we discuss #HongKongClassic jerseys.

Please subscribe, rate this episode, and even write us a review. Reviews will be read on the air.

Also, please help spread the word to more #RinkRats and visit our sponsor www.PUCKHCKY.com. Use the discount code “THERINK” for 10% off all orders.

The Rinkcast is brought to you by the Overtime Podcast Network

The post Blackhawks Rinkcast – Season 3, Episode 3 – The more things change, the more they stay the same appeared first on The Rink.

While there are positives (Dominik Kubalik, Robin Lehner, the return of the “real” Brandon Saad and the possibility of an improved defense—if everyone can get and stay healthy), there are some obvious issues, not least of which is a puzzling weakness in scoring goals (30th in the league). Sure, it is only after six games. And you have to take both of those points together in order to really understand what is going on.

While most fans probably expect that the Hawks will fight for every point in every game in order to make the playoffs, the truth is, despite an almost universal belief that Stan Bowman had a good and productive offseason—the Hawks came into the season with more questions than answers.

So, if you are wondering, for example, why Dylan Strome is being “experimented” with at wing, why the lines really are not clicking, etc., understand the Blackhawks are trying some things out to see how they will work—at the risk of losing points.

Some assume that because he was drafted third overall this past June, 18-year-old Kirby Dach playing second line center in the NHL is “perfectly natural.” Well, it is on a rebuilding team, not so much on a contending team. By the way, the Hawks were absolutely destroyed in the face off dot (34%) yet again last night—and at the risk of re-litigating the stupid “face offs don’t matter” argument, they do, especially if you project yourself as a puck-possession team. But I digress. The good news there is Dach’s percentage (40%) was not the team’s worst. The bad news? 40%.

Hence the title of this blog. Now, some of you will say, “Okay, enough already, JJ, we get it, the Hawks are rebuilding.” To which I respond, “Okay, so then do not expect much, especially not right now and maybe all year.”

Honestly, I believe the Hawks, as they have tried and basically failed at the last few seasons, are trying to engineer lightning in a bottle over the course of 82 games. If—IF—Dach matures through on the job training (like Alex DeBrincat did two years ago and Saad did in 2013), IF Calvin de Haan and Connor Murphy and everyone else can get and stay healthy, IF Strome can adjust to wing, IF we get more good Alex Nylander than bad Alex Nylander, IF Lehner continues to look like an elite (or near elite) netminder, then perhaps the playoffs will be a real possibility.

But, we are working through the IFs right now; answers to be determined.

All I have for now. Comment below.

The post ANALYSIS: Adjust your Blackhawks expectations appeared first on The Rink.

The only major change to the line combinations was the insertion of Slater Koekkoek for Connor Murphy on defense. 

DeBrincat — Toews — Caggiula

Shaw — Strome — Kane

Saad — Kampf — Kubalik

Smith — Carpenter — Nylander

Keith — de Haan

Maatta — Seabrook

Koekkoek — Gustafsson

Lehner

First period

The first period started off pretty well for the home team. The Blackhawks were flying around early, and two excellent scoring chances for Dominik Kubalik and Andrew Shaw came via cross-ice passes from Brandon Saad and Jonathan Toews. 

Just over six minutes into the period, it appeared the Flyers took the early lead after an excellent tip from Kevin Hayes, who beat Robin Lehner five hole. However, excellent eyes from the Chicago video coaches spotted Hayes offsides before the puck entered the zone. After official review, the goal was deemed no good and the score remained deadlocked at 0–0.

Unfortunately not long after the no goal, the Blackhawks were caught in a bad situation after a pinch by Duncan Keith. The puck was poked ahead by Travis Konecny and created a two-on-one. The play could have easily been a free breakaway for the two Flyers’ forwards if not for Calvin de Haan’s hustle. Once de Haan committed to Konecny, Konecny found Oskar Lindblom wide open and he put the puck top shelf to give the Flyers the 1–0 lead.

Top cheese and no review necessary. #PHIvsCHI | #FlyOrDie pic.twitter.com/DFcGTdO0fK

— Philadelphia Flyers (@NHLFlyers) October 25, 2019

Late in the period, the Toews line had arguably the best passing sequence this team has had all season, but unfortunately an Alex DeBrincat one-timer from the slot was denied by Brian Elliott. 

The Blackhawks entered the first intermission down 1–0 to the Flyers despite outshooting the Flyers 7–5 in the opening frame.

Second period

The beginning of the middle frame did not start well for the Blackhawks. Not even a minute in, Travis Sanhiem setup Claude Giroux in front of Lehner and the elite goal scorer quickly put the Flyers up 2–0 early on a redirect.

G breaks through. #PHIvsCHI | #FlyOrDie pic.twitter.com/IO1aJhk7i5

— Philadelphia Flyers (@NHLFlyers) October 25, 2019

The best chance for the Blackhawks in the early portion of the period was generated by the Kampf line, which has undoubtedly been the best line of the season. Kubalik charged up the ice and found Saad crashing the net. Unfortunately, Saad’s shot went wide and the opportunity was wasted. 

The Blackhawks’ power play was certainly still a huge problem during the second period. The Blackhawks could not get anything going with the man advantage, allowing the Flyers to hang on to their two-goal lead.

Chicago entered the second intermission only registering one shot on net the entire period. The Blackhawks offense reverted to their ways the fans witnessed in the first few games this season. The Flyers completely dominated the period and left the Blackhawks in a bad spot entering the third period.

Third period

The third period began surprisingly well for the Blackhawks. The team had tons of momentum coming out of the intermission and finally found a sense of urgency. That exact energy led to the Blackhawks being rewarded.

Just a minute into the period, Andrew Shaw was on the left wing and received the puck after Kirby Dach won a board battle at center ice. Shaw found an open Saad at the blue line for an excellent opportunity. Saad was in all alone against Elliott and, with a nifty backhand-forehand move, Saad found the back of the net to cut the Flyers’ lead in half at 2–1.

Kneel before Saad! @NHLBlackhawks are on the board! #AuthenticFan pic.twitter.com/TxEKDT8fvd

— Blackhawks Talk (@NBCSBlackhawks) October 25, 2019

However, the Flyers responded. Four minutes later, Hayes found himself on a breakaway after beating Brent Seabrook up ice. Hayes buried the puck behind Lehner and once again gave the Flyers a two-goal lead at 3–1. The play was a tough break for the Blackhawks as they looked to regain momentum.

RARE TONIGHT: A Philly goal that *wasn’t* overturned. #PHIvsCHI | #FlyOrDie pic.twitter.com/4Vaau0cYIk

— Philadelphia Flyers (@NHLFlyers) October 25, 2019

Two minutes later, it appeared that Joel Farabee registered the first goal of his young career. However, the Blackhawks challenged again. For the second time in this game, Hayes was offside on a potential goal for the Flyers. The lead remained at two for the visitors.

The Blackhawks finally found some momentum and were controlling play for most of the period. However, with just over three minutes remaining, Erik Gustafsson turned the puck over in the defensive zone and it ended up on the stick of James Van Riemsdyk. Van Riemsdyk found himself on a breakaway and completely fooled Lehner with a nifty move to give the Flyers the 4–1 lead late in the third.

He’s back. #PHIvsCHI | #FlyOrDie pic.twitter.com/ioYJRQQEEt

— Philadelphia Flyers (@NHLFlyers) October 25, 2019

The Blackhawks were unable to generate anything else the remainder of the period, and ultimately fell to the Flyers by a 4–1 final. 

Quick hits

• Where is the energy? The Blackhawks simply did not show up in the first two periods. They look lazy, tired and pathetic. Eight shots on goal through two periods is not a recipe for winning hockey games in the NHL. They finally showed up in the third period, but it was too late.
• Saadfather: Brandon Saad continues to look like one of the best players night in and night out. He is playing with that same energy and relentlessness that made a deadly force before being traded to Columbus. Now in his third season since returning from Columbus, he is finally starting to look like his old self. He could be on pace for a career year if his play remains at this level. It also does not hurt that the only goal of the night came via Saad and it was a beauty.
• Missing the Murph: It is interesting to say, but the Blackhawks miss Connor Murphy on the back end. John Dietz tweeted the Blackhawks’ goals against average with and without Murphy. It is 4.4 to 2.2, respectively. That is a big difference and it especially helps that he and Duncan Keith had become a formidable top pair. Now, the depth is not as strong with Calvin de Haan playing on the top pairing.

The Blackhawks will fly to Raleigh, North Carolina, to face the Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday. The game will be the first of back-to-back games for the Blackhawks. Puck drop is scheduled for 12 p.m. CDT.

The post RECAP: Blackhawks refuse to show up, lose to Flyers 4–1 appeared first on The Rink.

Dave Bolland standing with the Blackhawks starters while being honored for his One More Shift. (Photo by Chase Agnello-Dean/NHLI via Getty Images)

Prior to Friday’s game, the Blackhawks honored two-time Stanley Cup Champion and former Chicago Blackhawks forward Dave Bolland for his One More Shift. Bolland received a warm welcome from the home town faithful at the United Center.

A loud and well-deserved ovation for the return of Coyotes legend Dave Bolland. pic.twitter.com/0LogK0XTKc

— Mark Lazerus (@MarkLazerus) October 19, 2019

The famous saying “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” was in order for head coach Jeremy Colliton ahead of the game. The only lineup change made was at goalie, as Robin Lehner was starting in goal:

DeBrincat – Toews – Caggiula

Shaw – Strome – Kane

Saad – Kampf – Kubalik

Smith – Carpenter – Nylander

Keith – Murphy

Maatta – Seabrook

de Haan – Gustafsson

Lehner

First period

After everyone settled into their seats, the third line did what they have done best throughout this young season: be a force to be reckoned with. Roughly fourty seconds into the period, Brandon Saad and Dominik Kubalik started a rush up ice with Saad dishing over to Kubalik. After the Czech winger crossed the opposing blue line, he dipped his shoulder and fed a pass to Saad in front. Unfortunately, the bid was denied.

Early in the opening frame, the Blue Jackets did a good job of controlling the pace of play. They generated numerous quality scoring chances early, including on the power play, but Robin Lehner stood tall. 

After very little action to touch on, the Blackhawks struck first. Calvin de Haan fed a pass up the left wing boards to Alex DeBrincat in the Blackhawks’ zone. DeBrincat subsequently fired a pass off the glass and down the ice. The feed perfectly found Drake Caggiula at the opposing blue line, waiting for the dish. Caggiula skated in on the two-on-two and wired a perfect shot to the top right corner of the net for his first goal of the season.

Drake Caggiula's first goal of the year is NICE

Stream the game here: https://t.co/heSdrKpFnT pic.twitter.com/4UMWQE1ceq

— Blackhawks Talk (@NBCSBlackhawks) October 19, 2019

After the impressive tally by Caggiula, the Blackhawks took their lead into the first intermission, despite being outshot by the Blue Jackets 15–10 and badly out possessed. 

Second period

The middle frame against Columbus felt awfully familiar. The Blackhawks seemed to come out flat, unlike they did against Edmonton. The game Monday finally seemed like the Blackhawks improved in the middle frame. They didn’t play bad, but they were still outshot and out possessed.

The best chance of the early minutes came from Chicago. Calvin de Haan found the puck behind the net and dished it out in front to Patrick Kane. Kane was able to get a good shot off, but Columbus goaltender Elvis Merzlikins made an excellent save on the play.

About five and a half minutes into the period, the Blue Jackets’ top center took over. Pierre-Luc Dubois was fighting for the puck against the Blackhawks’ top pairing and was able to wiggle his way around Connor Murphy for the loose puck. Upon gaining possession, Dubois out-waited Robin Lehner, forcing him out of position, and fired a bad angle shot into the back of the wide open net. The game-tying goal felt inevitable after Columbus had dominated possession.

The Blackhawks’ best chance of the period came about a minute after the Dubois goal. Merzlikins attempted to move the puck up ice but the pass was picked off by Andrew Shaw. Shaw found Kane down low to Merzlikins’ right side as he waited for one of his linemates to get open. Dylan Strome ended up being open back door, but could not connect on the one-timer that would have given Chicago the lead.

The Blackhawks survived the middle frame without yielding any more damage. Columbus outshot Chicago once again in the period and was the better possession team again. 

Third period

The opening minutes of the third period did not look great for the Blackhawks. They looked sluggish and behind in comparison to their opponent. Around three minutes into the period, a Blackhawks turnover led to a Columbus rush up the ice. Defenseman Markus Nutivaara fired a shot on net and followed his own rebound. The rebound shot wasn’t as strong as the first, but he got just enough on the puck to float it into the back of the net and give the visitors the 2–1 lead.

https://twitter.com/NHL_fi/status/1185518584627367937

Following the goal, the Blackhawks found more of a pep in their step. They seemed to turn it on after going down a goal in the third period. With about 12 minutes remaining, the Blackhawks had an important power play but nearly cost themselves. Nick Foligno had a shorthanded breakaway and the puck squeaked through Lehner. However, the whistle had already been blown before the puck trickled out from under Lehner and into the back of the net. Chicago lived to see another day.

The reason that power play was so important is because about forty seconds later, Gustafsson set up at the point on that power play and found Patrick Kane at his usual right wing spot on the man advantage. Kane gifted a perfect pass across the ice to DeBrincat, who was set up at the left wing face-off dot. DeBrincat wasted no time, one-timing the puck into the back of the net to tie the game at two-a-piece. 

pic.twitter.com/oApg048srb

— Blackhawks Talk (@NBCSBlackhawks) October 19, 2019

For the remainder of the third, the Blackhawks penalty kill stood tall and Lehner looked good. The Blackhawks were able to generate a power play themselves, thanks to Ryan Carpenter, but they could not capitalize on the opportunity. The game required overtime to determine a winner at 1901 W. Madison St. 

Overtime

Columbus won the opening face-off of the extra frame and proceeded up ice. Despite having possession for the first forty seconds, the visitors could not do anything with the opportunity. 

Instead, the dynamic Kane-Toews duo proceeded up the ice with Toews feeding Kane as the trigger man. Kane put a shot on net, that ultimately hit Toews’ shin pad, and it found its way into the back of the net to secure the Blackhawks 3–2 victory. 

Jonathan Toews overtime winner for his first goal of the season. He’ll take it. #Blackhawks pic.twitter.com/Cwjr2pASuC

— Charlie Roumeliotis (@CRoumeliotis) October 19, 2019

Quick Hits

• Day late, but not a dollar short: The Blackhawks lacked meaningful energy until the Blue Jackets took the 2–1 lead early in the third period. After that, the Blackhawks were by far the better team. However, one player’s energy that stuck out was Alex Nylander. He was constantly back checking and was almost always one of the first player up ice when he was out there. Other players had great energy too, but you could see Nylander embracing the fourth line role and making the most of it. 
• Is he a backup?: Robin Lehner, the “backup” goalie, looked sensational for the Blackhawks on Friday night. Despite giving up two goals, he made many big saves throughout the game, especially early in the first when the Blue Jackets were badly outplaying the Blackhawks. If the Crawford/Lehner duo look like they did on Monday and Friday, respectively, then the Blackhawks have something they can be proud of in net.
• Top shelf/top line: The Blackhawks “first line” was responsible for all three goals Friday night, as Alex DeBrincat scored on the power play and both Drake Caggiula and Jonathan Toews registered their first goals of the season. If the top line can get going and the second line follows suit, then the offense will continue to look like it did last season and, potentially, even better.

The Blackhawks will remain home as they wait for the Washington Capitals. Puck drop is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. CDT on Sunday, October 20.

The post RECAP: Blackhawks come from behind, beat Blue Jackets in overtime appeared first on The Rink.

The Blackhawks entered Monday’s contest still searching for their first victory of the season. Chicago looked poised to beat Winnipeg after taking a 2–0 lead early in Saturday’s game, but ultimately fell short of their first win. Instead, the Blackhawks looked to beat one of the two remaining unbeaten teams in the NHL.

The Blackhawks experienced a heavy line shakeup ahead of Saturday’s contest. The lines set for Monday were as follows:

DeBrincat – Toews – Caggiula

Shaw – Strome – Kane

Saad – Kampf – Kubalik

Smith – Carpenter – Nylander

Keith – Gustafsson

Maatta – Seabrook

de Haan – Murphy

Crawford

Despite a good game from Robin Lehner on Saturday, the Blackhawks opted to go with the veteran Corey Crawford against the league’s top team on Monday night.

First period

The first period started well for the Blackhawks. Not even 15 seconds into the period, Dominik Kubalik fired an absolute rocket at Mike Smith for the game’s first solid chance. 

Despite the fast start for the Blackhawks, not much happened in the period. The Blackhawks managed to fire 10 pucks at Mike Smith in the first compared to the Oilers’ 12. A notable stat from the first period was the Blackhawks’ penalty kill keeping the league’s second-best power play off the scoresheet early. 

The Oilers came up empty on their two power plays in the first period, but Edmonton almost took the lead on the power play after drawing iron on the man advantage. 

However, the post proved to be Crawford’s best friend and ultimately kept the game scoreless through the first period. The Blackhawks not only lost the shots on goal battle in the opening frame, but also were losing in the face off dot with Edmonton winning 56% of the draws. 

Second period

The Blackhawks came out of the first intermission with a sense of purpose, admittedly something they lacked in the last three games. After some pressure early from the Blackhawks, they were rewarded.

Just after the four-minute mark in the period, the Blackhawks and Oilers lined up to Smith’s right for a face off in the Edmonton zone. Dylan Strome won a critical faceoff after a bit of a scrum for the puck. After Strome gained possession, he found Patrick Kane, who had yet to move from his starting position, and Kane buried the puck past Smith after a little backhand-forehand motion.

Patrick Kane (@88PKane) isn't even a center and he owns the face-off dot. pic.twitter.com/DXSSUVsAA7

— NHL (@NHL) October 15, 2019

Not long after, Andrew Shaw set the tone for the period. After defenseman Joel Persson was mesmerized by Kane behind the net, he did not see Shaw coming from his weak side. Shaw delivered a clean, hard hit to Persson, knocking him straight to the ice. Persson’s teammates did not like the Shaw hit and took exception. Ultimately, Jujhar Khaira took a roughing penalty for going after Shaw.

BRUH pic.twitter.com/5ldfitthC4

— Blackhawks Talk (@NBCSBlackhawks) October 15, 2019

Despite the power play opportunity, the Blackhawks could not capitalize, keeping the score dormant at 1–0. 

Both teams traded power plays for much of the remainder of the period. With about four minutes left in the period, Brandon Saad nearly had a beautiful goal after he danced around an Edmonton defender. Saad took the puck hard to the net after gaining the inside on an Oiler defender, but ultimately hit the post. The goal would have been highlight-reel material for the power forward.

With just under three minutes remaining, the Oilers looked like they tied the game. Despite the optimistic call, the goal was waived off for goaltender interference. Connor McDavid had speed around Connor Murphy and took the puck to the net. Crawford stopped the initial bid, but McDavid continued into Crawford, causing the puck to cross the line, therefore resulting in the no-goal call.

Chicago was able to take their lead into the second intermission. The Blackhawks looked much better in the second period for the first time in this young 2019–20 season. 

NBC Sports Chicago broadcaster Pat Boyle mentioned at the end of the period that Jeremy Colliton challenged his team to be better in the middle frame and it is safe to confidently say they did just that. A 17-shot period for the Blackhawks gave them the 27–18 shots on goal advantage.

Third period

The Blackhawks brought the same energy out in the third period as they did in the second. The Blackhawks’ defense was all over the Oilers early. 

Just under seven minutes into the period, the Blackhawks’ effort paid off. The fourth line was out on the ice against McDavid and young Alexander Nylander made an excellent play against the Edmonton superstar. 

As McDavid went to bring the puck up the ice, Nylander was there to take away the puck from McDavid. Ryan Carpenter pushed the puck up the ice and Nylander was all over it. He gained possession just to the left of Smith and hesitated slightly to get Smith out of position. Nylander made Smith pay, and wired a beautiful shot past the goaltender to give the Blackhawks a 2–0 lead.

Five hole and goal! #Blackhawks pic.twitter.com/i8BliaweuM

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) October 15, 2019

Quickly following the goal, the Blackhawks were sent to the power play after a poor offensive zone penalty by Khaira. However, the Blackhawks were unable to capitalize.

With 8:45 remaining in the period, Strome had an excellent opportunity in front of Edmonton’s crease. As the second line dominated possession in the Edmonton zone, Shaw was able to get the puck to Kane behind the net, as Kane slid the puck away from the scrum and finessed it out in front. Strome had an opportunity after a Kane pass, but Smith beat Strome with an excellent save to keep the deficit at two for the Oilers.

The period was a chippy one, as Calvin de Haan and McDavid exchanged pleasantries after a solid check by de Haan.

No love at all rn pic.twitter.com/XIDDQthFnK

— Blackhawks Talk (@NBCSBlackhawks) October 15, 2019

With just over two minutes remaining, the Oilers were able to take advantage of a six-on-four power play. James Neal scored his eighth goal of the young season for the Oilers after a nice pass from Ryan Nugent-Hopkins to find him back door. 

It's Real Deal James Neal (@jneal_18) with goal No. 8 on the season. pic.twitter.com/XjE9pHBp5l

— NHL (@NHL) October 15, 2019

With just over 30 seconds remaining, David Kampf made an excellent play on the wall in the Blackhawks zone to get the puck down the ice. With the goalie pulled, Saad gained possession deep in the Edmonton zone and dished the puck back to Jonathan Toews. Toews’ shot was blocked by Nugent-Hopkins and Kampf’s follow up shot was denied too. However, Saad found the puck laying in the blue paint and tapped it into the empty net to give the Blackhawks the 3–1 win.

Brandon Saad seals the deal for the #Blackhawks with a well-deserved empty-net goal. Chicago wins 3-1 pic.twitter.com/CHw3J4IOt2

— Juliana Nikac (@juliananikac) October 15, 2019

Quick hits:

• D-D-Defense! — The defense looked spectacular on Monday night. It finally felt like the pairings were the way they should be. Keith and Murphy played well together (more on that in a minute), Gustafsson found his ideal partner in de Haan and the Maatta-Seabrook pairing continued to play well. This feels like the first time in a while that the defense is actually…good?
• An “A” for effort! — The team’s effort was outstanding against Edmonton. The Blackhawks’ forecheck was constantly in the face of Oilers defenders and made it difficult to play against. That high level of energy is what it is going to take for this team to win games. Now that there are more “grit” and “energy” players in the lineup, this could be an identity the Blackhawks adopt: be aggressive, be energetic and be a pain to play against.
• Oh my Nylander! — Despite looking lost in the first period and barely seeing the ice in the second, Nylander scored the game-winning goal on Monday night. Nylander seemed to find his step on the fourth line in the third period, playing with a lot of energy and being rewarded with a goal on a hustle play that saw him strip McDavid and outhustle defenders to get to the puck. If Nylander can contribute in a limited role, he could prove very valuable to the team’s depth.
• Where’s McDavid? — Fans did not hear McDavid’s name called all that much on the broadcast Monday night. He was almost non-existent. Specifically, the Keith-Murphy pairing did an excellent job against McDavid’s line and played excellent during the 23-plus minutes that both players played. The recipe for success against the Oilers is to shut down their stars and the Blackhawks did exactly that on Monday.
• I love Calvin de Haan — De Haan has brought a lot of assets to the Blackhawks that they have lacked since Niklas Hjalmarsson was traded a few years ago. He plays strong defense, is not afraid of contact, has a great stick in his own zone and can avoid taking big hits that result in players falling out of position. Plainly said, as the author of this piece, I love Calvin de Haan. 

The Blackhawks will be off until Friday when they take on the Columbus Blue Jackets at the United Center. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. CDT.

The post RECAP: Blackhawks win first game, deliver Oilers first loss appeared first on The Rink.

On the 21st night of September, the lines for the matchup were as follows:

Nylander – Toews – Kane

DeBrincat – Strome – Shaw

Saad – Wedin – Kubalik

Smith – Carpenter – Caggiula

Keith – Gustafsson

Maatta – Seabrook

Murphy – Koekkoek

Lehner

First period:

With only a few regulars in the Bruins’ lineup, the Blackhawks took over early into the first few minutes of the game. Three minutes into the contest, Brandon Saad drew a hooking call and the power play came up with some good opportunities, including a goal. Dylan Strome buried a puck Alex DeBrincat put on net and the home team opened the scoring.

ORDER UP: One greasy power play goal #CHIvsBOS pic.twitter.com/851AP1vgZF

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) September 22, 2019

Just a few minutes later, newcomer Robin Lehner made a spectacular save on a two on one to preserve the Blackhawks’ lead. The Bruins picked up their pace after that stop and had a few good scoring opportunities in the first period.

Midway through the frame, Bruins goaltender Maxime Lagace came streaking out of his net as Patrick Kane went after the puck, taking a great scoring chance away from the Blackhawks. The home team had another great scoring chance when Slater Koekkoek flipped a shot from a tough angle. Somehow, the it did not cross the goal line before a Bruin defender cleared the puck away to keep it a one goal game.

The Blackhawks took their 1–0 lead with a 13–10 shot advantage into the first intermission at the United Center.

Second period:

The beginning of the second frame started just as the first did: a lot of good chances for the Blackhawks but nothing to show for them. The Bruins took advantage and found some quality zone time, but Lehner kept the home team afloat.

About four minutes into the period, the visitors hard work paid off, earning a penalty shot after a flurry of saves by Lehner and Connor Murphy covering his hand over the puck. Ryan Fitzgerald showed off some skill, placing a perfect shot just to the right of Lehner to tie the game at 1–1.

On their second power play of the game, the Blackhawks had a few good chances, most notably a tip in attempt by Kane that barely missed the net. Despite being unsuccessful this time around, the power play looks just as good as it did for much of the second half of last season.

However, Boston dominated most of the middle frame of this contest, forcing Lehner to make a surplus of great stops to keep the home team in the game. He held his own and looked much like the goaltender fans have expected him to be.

Late in the frame, the Blackhawks’ third line went to work in the offensive zone. Brandon Saad moved the puck along the boards and passed it back to Anton Wedin behind the net. Wedin then flipped it back to Saad, who slipped it behind Lagace to put Chicago ahead 2–1.

Give and GOAL!#KneelBeforeSaad pic.twitter.com/oeEHceQTWf

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) September 22, 2019

Despite getting outshot 17–13 in the second period, the Blackhawks headed into the second intermission with a one goal lead.

Third period:

The ice remained tilted in favor of the Boston Bruins to begin the third period as the game opened up and the Blackhawks took their first penalty of the game. All the momentum was stifled by the home team’s successful efforts with a man down, including forcing the visitors to ice the puck on their own power play.

Play slowed in the middle of the period with neither team allowing much past the neutral zone. The Blackhawks picked up their pace around the 11 minute mark, forcing the new Boston netminder, Kyle Keyser, to stop some grade A scoring chances.

The Blackhawks had an opportunity to take the lead on their third power play of the game. After a couple of good scoring opportunities, Boston rushed up the ice shorthanded with Erik Gustafsson defending and Par Lindholm tied up the game 2–2.

With nothing else happening in the final minutes of regulation, the Blackhawks and Bruins headed into overtime.

Overtime:

To begin the overtime period, the Blackhawks rolled out the usual trio of Kane, Jonathan Toews and Gustafsson. On a partial two on one, Kane had a prime scoring chance but could not get the shot off due to a stick check by Anders Bjork.

Both teams had multiple chances to end the game, but Keyser and Lehner both made spectacular saves. Of course, the game winning goal had to be a weird one. Murphy one timed a puck that Keyser stopped with his shoulder, but the puck took a weird bounce off Kane’s chin. He found it heading toward the net and shoved it just enough for it to cross the goal line.

The Blackhawks won the game 3–2 and earned their second victory of the preseason.

Quick hits:

• How Swede it could be: Alexander Nylander has seriously impressed throughout camp on the top line with Kane and Toews. He had a few great chances in this preseason contest and continues to make his case for being on the opening night roster. Wedin also showed off during this game, assisting on the second Blackhawks goal and getting an opportunity on the penalty kill next to Toews. He could be another option at center on the third line.
• Steady Lehnny: After a shaky first appearance in the preseason, Lehner bounced back with a fantastic showing against Boston tonight. He stopped 39 shots and faced 34 scoring chances. He moved well in his crease and made some spectacular stops throughout the game. Lehner remained poised in net and looked like himself. Safe to say, Chicago probably does not have to worry about him moving forward.

The Blackhawks remain in Chicago to play the Washington Capitals on Wednesday. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. and can be seen on NBCSCH+.

The post RECAP: Blackhawks defeat Bruins in overtime 3–2 appeared first on The Rink.

Prior to the game, the Esposito brothers were honored together for “One More Shift” in a Blackhawks sweater. There is no doubt the moment had to be special for the brothers, players and fans alike, as these two greats, and Top 100 players of all time, were honored before Wednesday’s clash.

Dylan Sikura was sent down to the Rockford on Tuesday. In return, the Blackhawks recalled defenseman Dennis Gilbert for his NHL debut. The lines returned to similar form, with a few exceptions. They were as follows:

Drake Caggiula – Jonathan Toews – Patrick Kane

Alex DeBrincat – Dylan Strome – Brendan Perlini

Brandon Saad – Artem Anisimov – Dominik Kahun

Chris Kunitz – Marcus Kruger – John Hayden

Duncan Keith – Erik Gustafsson

Carl Dahlstrom – Brent Seabrook

Dennis Gilbert – Connor Murphy

Cam Ward

David Kampf is injured with a facial injury and both Gustav Forsling and Slater Koekkoek were healthy scratches on Wednesday night.

First period:

The first period began in pretty quiet fashion for both teams. The early portion of the frame was highlighted by sloppy plays and poor shot attempts. Neither team was able to generate much through the first 10 minutes.

After a slow first half of the period, the Blues found themselves with a golden opportunity to take the lead. With eight minutes left in the stanza, youngster Robert Thomas was sprung on a breakaway. Ward denied the bid and kept the visitors off the board.

With under four minutes remaining in the period, the Blackhawks’ top line created a quality opportunity. Toews carried the puck up the ice and found Kane at the offensive face-off dots in the Blues’ zone. Kane fired what looked like a shot on net that was tipped intentionally by the captain, giving the Blackhawks a 1–0 lead late in the first period.

Captain Jonathan Toews tallied his 35th goal of the season tonight to establish a new career-high!

He tops the 34 he scored in 2008-09. #OCAPTAIN pic.twitter.com/MOabJSamQW

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) April 4, 2019

Not much else happened early, and the Blackhawks took their 1–0 lead into the first intermission against the red-hot Blues.

Second period:

The second period did not begin well for the home team. Gustafsson let a puck get by him on a pinch attempt and sprung Vladimir Tarasenko and Ryan O’Reilly on a two-on-one against Keith. Tarasenko elected to shoot from the left wing side and buried a beautiful wrist shot to tie the game at 1–1.

26 seconds through the 2nd period and Vladimir Tarasenko makes it a 1-1 game. pic.twitter.com/JXrZu19HSS

— Blackhawks Talk (@NBCSBlackhawks) April 4, 2019

A few minutes later, the Blues nearly struck again. This time, the Blues were short handed when Oskar Sundqvist found himself on a breakaway against Ward. Ward made a beautiful save on the play, just getting enough of the puck for it to hit the crossbar and harmlessly float to the corner.

With just under seven minutes remaining in the middle frame, Saad made a great play in his own zone to poke the puck away from David Perron. Saad started the two-on-two up ice with Kahun and Saad quickly passed the puck to his fellow winger.

Saad crashed the net, along with Anisimov, while Kahun pulled up just over the blue line. Kahun skated to the middle of the ice and fired a wrist shot at the net. Anisimov, on a fly by in front of Jake Allen, tipped the puck past Allen and gave the Blackhawks the 2–1 lead.

Anisimov! #Blackhawks take a 2-1 lead in the 2nd period! pic.twitter.com/x3tdRTO4ln

— Blackhawks Talk (@NBCSBlackhawks) April 4, 2019

A late power play for the Blackhawks would not amount to anything and teams entered the second intermission with the score still 2–1.

Third period:

The early portion of the third period was similar to that of the first, neither team could generate any meaningful offense. With about eight and a half minutes remaining, the Blackhawks started up ice as the forwards went to change.

Strome was all alone on the left wing side of the ice in his own zone. Strome was able to find Kane, who bolted ahead after coming off the bench, for a breakaway from the blue line in. Kane used his dynamic speed and roofed a perfect backhand shot to give the Blackhawks a 3–1 lead. Initially, the referees were unsure if the puck entered the net due to how fast it came out of the net. However, after review, the goal was good and Kane recorded his 42nd goal and career-high 107th point.

Patrick Kane snaps a 10 game goal drought AND sets a new career high in points with 107 pic.twitter.com/9UyoiviTbq

— Blackhawks Talk (@NBCSBlackhawks) April 4, 2019

The celebration would not last. On the next shift, primary assist getter Dylan Strome was sent to the penalty box, giving the visitors life on the power play. Less than a minute after Kane’s goal, Perron beat Ward blocker side to cut the deficit to just one at 3–2.

A power play goal for the Blues!

Don't go to sleep yet folks, we've got a lot of game left to play! Watch: https://t.co/w77aqOnokG pic.twitter.com/Rknk3kJNqu

— NBC Sports Hockey (@NBCSportsHockey) April 4, 2019

The Blackhawks were able to fend off the Blues for the bulk of the third period. As time dwindled down, Allen was pulled for the extra attacker. Kane missed wide on an open-net chance, sending St. Louis back into the Chicago zone.

The Blues’ third line gave the team new life. Patrick Maroon carried the puck in on the left wing boards with just over 40 seconds remaining. He fired a pass backdoor to a crashing and wide open Tyler Bozak to even the game at 3–3. Bozak was all alone in the blue paint and stuffed the puck past Ward to send the game to overtime.

TYLER BOZAK IN THE LAST SECONDS OF THE GAME! CLUTCH!#STLBlues pic.twitter.com/0SjcO1EhI4

— Hockey Daily 365 l NHL Highlights & News (@HockeyDaily365) April 4, 2019

Overtime:

The overtime period would not amount to much for either team. Both teams had notable chances, but neither side could capitalize in the five-minute, three-on-three frame.

The best chance of overtime came from Saad. As his linemates changed, Saad carried the puck in, one-on-one, against St. Louis forward Brayden Schenn. Saad made a move to freeze Schenn and created an open chance from the face-off dot in. The power forward brought the puck nicely to his backhand, but was denied by Allen to ultimately send the game to a shootout.

Shootout:

Toews and the Blackhawks elected to go first in the shootout and the captain did not disappoint. Toews skated off to Allen’s left, back to the middle and gave a quick backhand-forehand combination before burying a shot high past Allen’s blocker. Chicago took a quick 1–0 lead in the shootout.

Let's take another look at Jonny's sensational shootout winner, shall we?!#Blackhawks pic.twitter.com/PRtJsbGPPz

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) April 4, 2019

Toews’ goal was ultimately the only tally in the “fifth period”. Kane struck iron and DeBrincat beat Allen but could not elevate the backhand shot. Fortunately, Ward stopped all three St. Louis shooters to preserve the 4–3 Blackhawks victory in the shootout.

Quick hits:

• Hey kid, welcome to the show: Gilbert made his NHL debut on Wednesday night against the Blues. The former Notre Dame defenseman has played well for the IceHogs all season, being paired with Henri Jokiharju often as Rockford’s top pairing. With the Blackhawks officially out of the playoff race, it makes sense to give some of their young defenseman a look. The Hawks have a logjam of players on the back end, so sorting out the good from the bad is necessary to clear roster spots if they want young players to come up and contribute.
• Kane’s career high: After scoring his 42nd goal on Wednesday, Kane set a new career high in points for a season with 107. The 30-year-old winger has been sensational all season. Had the Blackhawks made the playoffs, a strong case could have been made for Kane as league MVP. In deciding which player was truly most important to their team, there is no doubt Kane has a better case than Tampa Bay’s Nikita Kucherov and possibly Edmonton’s Connor McDavid for the award. Nonetheless, Kane looks ageless at this point, and a strong offseason by General Manager Stan Bowman and the rest of the front office could position this team for one more run with Kane and Toews in their primes.
• Saad is worth $6 million: Saad receives a lot of hate from the Blackhawks fan base, claiming he is not worth his contract. However, the 26-year-old has 46 points (23 goals, 23 assists) and plays an excellent two-way game. Wednesday night’s game is a prime example of that. Saad was all over the ice making plays at both ends for the Blackhawks. He may not be a 70-point player, but Saad is worth every penny of his contract. If the forward group does not have to babysit the defensemen next year on defense, as they have done so heavily this season, we could easily see Saad erupt for a 30-goal, 30-assist season while still playing that relentless two-way game.

The Blackhawks remain in Chicago after Wednesday’s game, waiting to welcome the Dallas Stars to town on Friday. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. CST.

The post RECAP: Blackhawks defeat the Blues 4–3 in the shootout appeared first on The Rink.

9:00pm CST
Gila River Arena
TV/Radio: WGN

PROJECTED STARTERS

Chicago – Corey Crawford (13–17–3, SV%: .908, GAA: 2.97)
Arizona – Darcy Kuemper (24–19–7, SV%: .921, GAA: 2.45)

TEAM STATISTICS

Power Play
Chicago (20.6%, 11th)
Arizona (16.7%, 23rd)

Penalty Kill
Chicago (73.3%, 31st)
Arizona (85.5%, 1st)

Shorts for/against
Chicago (32.6, 11th; 34.7, 30th)
Arizona (30.4, 22nd; 30.7, 12th)

Shooting %
Chicago (10.1%, 8th)
Arizona (8.4%, 26th)

Faceoff %
Chicago (49.5%, T19th)
Arizona (47.4%, T29th)

Avg. height/weight
Chicago 6’1”, 195lbs
Arizona 6’1” 194lbs

PROJECTED LINES/PAIRINGS

Chicago Blackhawks

Alex DeBrincat–Jonathan Toews–Patrick Kane

Brendan Perlini–Dylan Strome–Dominik Kahun

Brandon Saad–Artem Anisimov–Dylan Sikura

Chris Kunitz–David Kampf–Marcus Kruger

Duncan Keith–Erik Gustafsson

Gustav Forsling–Brent Seabrook

Slater Koekkoek–Connor Murphy

Arizona Coyotes

Richard Panik–Christian Dvorak–Clayton Keller

Lawson Crouse–Derek Stepan–Josh Archibald

Michael Grabner–Brad Richardson–Vinnie Hinostroza

Alex Galchenyuk–Nick Cousins–Conor Garland

Oliver Ekman-Larsson–Niklas Hjalmarsson

Alex Goligoski–Jason Demers

Jakob Chychrun–Jordan Oesterle

Analysis

The Blackhawks will pay a visit to the Arizona Coyotes on Tuesday night, giving rise to yet another playoff-like match-up for the Blackhawks. After taking two valuable points on Sunday against the Avalanche, the Blackhawks are setting up for a chance, although very slim, at the playoffs.

The Blackhawks perfect scenario over the weekend would have been to take all four points from the Avalanche. Instead, the Blackhawks only took two points, while the Avalanche took three of a possible four and maintained a nice gap between themselves and the Blackhawks. The Blackhawks have dug themselves a pretty deep hole.

A wing and two points are critical against the Coyotes on Tuesday night. Otherwise, this team is as good as dead in the playoff race and can start focusing on a hopeful draft lottery surprise.

The Coyotes value this game just as much as the Blackhawks do. Sitting two points back of Colorado, the Coyotes need a win to keep pace with the Avalanche. Minnesota is nipping at the Coyotes’ heels, as are the Blackhawks, so the Coyotes need all the cushion they can get while trying to catch Colorado.

Darcy Kuemper, although very good this season, was lit up the last time the Coyotes played the Blackhawks. It will be intriguing to see which version of Kuemper shows up. If it’s the version who showed up in Chicago two weeks ago, the Blackhawks could be looking at another victory to keep their playoff dreams alive.

Comment below in our live game thread tonight!

And look for the internet’s most robust recap of the game tomorrow morning on the-rink.com.

The post Preview/Game Thread: Blackhawks at Coyotes appeared first on The Rink.

2:00pm CST
Pepsi Center
TV/Radio: NBCSCH/WGN

PROJECTED STARTERS

Chicago – Corey Crawford (12–16–3, SV%: .908, GAA: 3.03)
Colorado – Semyon Varlamov (19–18–9, SV%: .910, GAA: 2.86)

TEAM STATISTICS

Power Play
Chicago (20.6%, 13th)
Colorado (21.8%, 8th)

Penalty Kill
Chicago (73.3%, 31st)
Colorado (77.6%, 27th)

Shorts for/against
Chicago (32.4, 12th; 35.0, 30th)
Colorado (33.1, 5th; 31.7, 19th)

Shooting %
Chicago (10.2%, 7th)
Colorado (9.5%, 14th)

Faceoff %
Chicago (49.3%, 21st)
Colorado (48.4%, 26th)

Avg. height/weight
Chicago 6’1”, 195lbs
Colorado 6’1” 201lbs

PROJECTED LINES/PAIRINGS

Chicago Blackhawks

Dylan Sikura–Jonathan Toews–Patrick Kane

Alex DeBrincat–Dylan Strome–Brendan Perlini

Brandon Saad–Artem Anisimov–Dominik Kahun

Chris Kunitz–David Kampf–Marcus Kruger

Duncan Keith–Erik Gustafsson

Gustav Forsling–Brent Seabrook

Carl Dahlstrom–Connor Murphy

Colorado Avalanche

Derick Brassard–Nathan MacKinnon–J.T. Compher

Colin Wilson–Carl Soderberg–Mikko Rantanen

Alexander Kerfoot–Tyson Jost–Matt Calvert

Sven Andrighetto–Gabriel Bourque–Ryan Graves

Samuel Girard–Erik Johnson

Ian Cole–Tyson Barrie

Patrik Nemeth–Nikita Zadorov

Analysis

The Blackhawks remain five points out of the second wild card position after the Minnesota Wild beat the Washington Capitals on Friday night. The two teams between the Blackhawks and that second wild card spot both have 78 points entering play today. The Coyotes have hit a small slide after being red-hot and the Avalanche have continued consistent play to remain in the hunt. The Blackhawks have an opportunity to pass the Avalanche with four points this weekend in the home-and-home that begins today.

It is no secret that the Blackhawks’ two most important games occur this weekend. At this point, every game is the most important. However, a possible four point swing in either direction can either enhance the Blackhawks’ playoff chances, or completely wipe them out of the playoff picture.

Key players will need to step up for the Blackhawks. With Drake Caggiula still injured, the lines that were once clicking during the Blackhawks long win streak have been split. The chemistry has been off, and the Blackhawks could use that consistency once again to remain in the hunt. Therefore, Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews, Dylan Strome, Alex DeBrincat and Brandon Saad will need to provide a lot of offense if the rest of the team cannot provide the necessary depth.

The Colorado Avalanche sit one point back of the Minnesota Wild entering play on Saturday. The Avalanche have won 5 of their last 7 games, allowing them to cement themselves in the playoff picture. It currently looks like a three team race for the second wild card spot with Minnesota, Arizona and Colorado all within one point of each other. The Blackhawks can quickly change that this weekend, however, if they can steal four points from the Avalanche.

The Avalanche are short-handed without captain Gabriel Landeskog. Landeskog was injured a few weeks ago with an upper body injury. His loss was a major loss to the Avalanche, not only because of his off-ice presence, but because Landeskog set a career high in points (69) despite only playing in 68 games.

Comment below in our live game thread tonight!

And look for the internet’s most robust recap of the game tomorrow morning on the-rink.com.

The post Preview/Game Thread: Blackhawks at Avalanche appeared first on The Rink.

I am here to tell you something that you might find surprising coming from the “noted Stan Bowman basher.” The Blackhawks standing pat yesterday is good for the long term future of this team. Certainly, better than most of the alternatives, that is.

Welcome back…

This is exactly the scenario John Jaeckel, Tyler Cameron and I spoke about on last week’s Rinkcast. Outside of a few big names, at the all wrong positions, there was not much of a market for what the Blackhawks need. Defense comes at a premium price and an even higher price at the deadline. Rather than pillaging what little depth they have in the system; Stan Bowman chose to survive to fight another day.

I can respect that.

Another thing that this told me is that maybe (just maybe) the front office was smart enough to not buy into this recent playoff nonsense and were able to look at this team from 30,000 feet. The Blackhawks are a team using several improbable hot streaks to make their team look better than any of the supporting statistics. To put it bluntly, the defense is far too bad to fix with a panicked over payment at the deadline.

The Blackhawks need to be smarter than everyone else. Like I have been saying for weeks, they need to be shrewd with their moves. Sometimes shrewd means packing up your briefcase and calling it a day.

Still, the internet (and casual fan) outrage is almost embarrassing. There is simply too much irrational outrage over this year’s lack of deadline moves. Either people are not properly informed, or they just want the team to make moves for the sake of making moves. Regardless of need or common sense.

Let me debunk some myths and meatball outrage that’s floating around this wonderful thing called the internet.

The Hawks could have and should have made and offer for Mark Stone.

Sure. They might have been able to put together a comparable deal to what Vegas did in acquiring the former Ottawa wing. He is a great player. I cannot deny that. Mark Stone is definitely an upgrade over Dominik Kahun, Dylan Sikura, or John Hayden. The question is: Does Mark Stone, alone, make this team a legit Stanley Cup contender?

No, he does not.

Mark Stone can put a very good team in the conversation as a contender. Much like another meatball pipe dream, Artemi Panarin, Mark Stone does nothing to help keep the puck out of the back of the Blackhawks net. This is not the only conundrum, though. If the Blackhawks were to “beat” the Vegas offer, it would have started with a deal resembling Adam Boqvist, David Kampf (who is injured), and a second-round draft pick. This also takes absolutely nothing else into account.

One would have to assume that if the Senators were going to deal Stone, it was going to be to a legit cup contender. Not some house of smoke and mirrors that will most likely end up in the lottery before the playoffs. Then the only thing you’re really acquiring is the right to sign Stone to an extra eight year on a long-term deal. Is giving up your top prospect worth still getting swept in the first round or not making the playoffs at all?

No, it is absolutely NOT worth it.

Another thing that the casual observers are discounting is that Mark Stone is a top line right wing that will make roughly $9.5M (we’ll talk about this later) and expects to play 20 plus minutes a night. Guess who else is a top line right wing that makes $10.5M and expects to play 22 plus minutes a night?

Patrick Kane.

There is simply not enough time in a game to accommodate these players. One of these players would have to cut their time significantly and when you’re paying $20M for two players, that is a tough pill to swallow. I promise you Patrick Kane is not getting pulled off the ice for anyone.

The Blackhawks top six of Caggiula, Toews, Kane, DeBrincat, Strome and Kahun is pretty solid. Keep in mind, this scenario still has Brandon Saad playing on the third line. If you swap Saad for Caggiula, that’s an even more solid top six. Mark Stone is a very nice player, if you don’t have Patrick Kane. Would he ever earn his keep? Probably not.

The last point that needs to be brought up is the tax-vs-salary implications. Now, I am certainly no accountant but this might add a wrinkle into the “supposed” UFA deal Stan Bowman could have offered Stone.

Quick note on Stone’s new 8-year, $9.5M AAV deal… Vegas has no state tax. That’s equivalent to almost $13M in Ottawa

— David Pagnotta (@TheFourthPeriod) February 25, 2019

In Illinois, this would equate to approximately $350,000. Little things make a difference.

This brings me back to my original point. Who is helping to keep the Blackhawks from facing 35 shots a night and the most high-danger chances against in the league? Not a right wing, that’s for sure. Can he help? Certainly “some“, but not enough to drop a second mortgage on the United Center.

Why didn’t the Hawks trade for the defenseman/defensemen they need? Buncha failures!

My gripe with the casual outrage on this subject is that the market for defenseman was either nonexistent or grossly overpriced. The defensemen that were moved Monday were Nick Jensen, Ben Lovejoy, Connor Carrick, Brandon Montour, Adam McQuaid, Oscar Fantenberg, Erik Gudbranson, Bogdan Kiselevich, and Chris Wideman. Do any of these guys keep the puck out of the Blackhawks net?

Maybe; but probably not. They are certainly not worth over paying to acquire and none of them make this current Blackhawks team a legit cup contender.

Bowman would be better off dealing at the draft, or during the summer, to acquire defensemen. He will get better market value and will have more roster flexibility. I said this on twitter yesterday, but it looks to me that the front office took a “lose-without-losing-on-purpose” mentality. We should all be OK with this.

Where I would have liked to see some movement is players that don’t have a place with the team going forward, like Gustav Forsling, but not worth making an issue over. Let’s see what Bowman does at the draft in June before we freak out, eh?

The post Analysis: How Did Stan Bowman do at the Trade Deadline? appeared first on The Rink.

2:00pm CST
United Center
TV/Radio: NBCSCH/WGN

PROJECTED STARTERS

Chicago – Collin Delia (6–2–3, SV%: .923, GAA: 2.98)
Detroit – Jonathan Bernier (6–12–2, SV%: .898, GAA: 3.34)

TEAM STATISTICS

Power Play
Chicago (21.8%, 10th)
Detroit (16.6%, 23rd)

Penalty Kill
Chicago (73.6%, 31st)
Detroit (77.3%, 25th)

Shots for/against
Chicago (31.5, 16th; 35.1, 30th)
Detroit (29.3, 25th; 32.8, 26th)

Shooting %
Chicago (10.2%, 11th)
Detroit (9.4%, 17th)

Faceoff %
Chicago (49.7%, 17th)
Detroit (51.2%, T8th)

Avg. height/weight
Chicago 6’1”, 197lbs
Detroit 6’2” 203lbs

PROJECTED LINES/PAIRINGS

Chicago Blackhawks

Drake Caggiula–Jonathan Toews–Patrick Kane
Alex DeBrincat–Dylan Strome–Dominik Kahun
Brandon Saad–Artem Anisimov–Brendan Perlini
Chris Kunitz–Marcus Kruger–John Hayden
Duncan Keith–Brent Seabrook
Slater Koekkoek–Connor Murphy
Gustav Forsling–Erik Gustafsson

Detroit Red Wings

Justin Abdelkader–Dylan Larkin–Gustav Nyquist
Thomas Vanek–Frans Nielsen–Anthony Mantha
Darren Helm–Luke Glendening–Andreas Athanasiou
Michael Rasmussen–Jacob de la Rose–Christoffer Ehn
Niklas Kronwall–Mike Green
Dan Dekeyser–Nick Jensen
Jonathan Ericsson–Dennis Cholowski

Analysis

The Blackhawks have now won six-straight games thanks to their victory over the Vancouver Canucks in overtime on Thursday night. After two days off, the refreshed Blackhawks will welcome their old Western Conference foe, the Detroit Red Wings, to the United Center for Sunday matinée hockey.

The key thus far to the Blackhawks streak has been good goaltending mixed with quality offense. Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews are both outpacing their scoring totals from last season and huge seasons from former Erie teammates Dylan Strome and Alex DeBrincat have propelled the Blackhawks thus far. If the Blackhawks truly want to compete for a playoff spot, they will need better scoring from the bottom six. Currently, Brandon Saad is the only player playing in the bottom six who has more than 25 points.

The Red Wings enter Sunday’s contest on the second leg of a back-to-back. The Red Wings lost in Buffalo on Saturday 3-1 to the Sabres. The Red Wings have now lost two-straight games after winning three-straight games dating back to January 22nd.

The Blackhawks need to take advantage of a tired Red Wings team. Detroit’s top-two scorers should pose some concern for the Blackhawks defense. Dylan Larkin leads the team with 52 points and is one of the fastest players in the NHL. He will certainly make the Blackhawks defense look foolish if he is given too much space. Gustav Nyquist can also prove to be dangerous if he is given space. In order for the Blackhawks to improve to seven-straight victories, they will need to nullify Detroit’s top-two forwards.

Comment below in our live game thread tonight!

And look for the internet’s most robust recap of the game tomorrow morning on the-rink.com.

The post Preview/Game Thread: Blackhawks vs Red Wings appeared first on The Rink.

7:30pm CST
United Center
TV/Radio: WGN

PROJECTED STARTERS

Chicago – Cam Ward (7–8–4, SV%: .884, GAA: 3.99)
New York – Robin Lehner (15–7–3, SV%: .930, GAA: 2.02)

TEAM STATISTICS

Power Play
Chicago (19.2%, 19th)
New York (16.9%, 24th)

Penalty Kill
Chicago (73.8%, 31st)
New York (79.7%, 18th)

Shorts for/against
Chicago (31.2, 18th; 35.0, 30th)
New York (28.1, 29th; 30.3, 9th)

Shooting %
Chicago (9.8%, 15th)
New York (10.6%, 8th)

Faceoff %
Chicago (49.9%, T-16th)
New York (48.3%, T-23rd)

Avg. height/weight
Chicago 6’1”, 197lbs
New York 6’2” 209lbs

PROJECTED LINES/PAIRINGS

Chicago Blackhawks

Drake Caggiula–Jonathan Toews–Patrick Kane

Alex DeBrincat–Dylan Strome–Dominik Kahun

Brandon Saad–David Kampf–Marcus Kruger

Chris Kunitz–Artem Anisimov–John Hayden

Duncan Keith–Brent Seabrook

Henri Jokiharju–Connor Murphy

Slater Koekkoek–Erik Gustafsson

New York Islanders

Anders Lee–Brock Nelson–Jordan Eberle

Anthony Beauvillier–Mathew Barzal–Josh Bailey

Michael Dal Colle–Valtteri Filppula–Leo Komarov

Matt Martin–Casey Cizikas–Cal Clutterbuck

Nick Leddy–Johnny Boychuk

Adam Pelech–Ryan Pulock

Devon Toews–Scott Mayfield

Analysis

The Blackhawks enter Tuesday’s game after a huge win over the Washington Capitals, 8-5, at the United Center. The top players for the Blackhawks came to play, as their top 5 goal scorers (Kane, Toews, DeBrincat, Saad, Strome) all scored in the impressive win over the defending champs. There’s no doubt that the game was tough. Collin Delia, although sensational, faced 39 shots. This has been right in line with the average number of shots that the young goaltender has seen since being recalled. It’s difficult to stop every puck when you face 40 shots per game. Impressively, Delia still has a save percentage north of .920 (albeit a 3.00 GAA) which sheds light on how good he has been given how bad the defense has been (30th in the league in shots on goal against).

Patrick Kane looks to continue his hot streak after taking home the NHL Third Star of the Week honors. Kane has 20 points in the month of January and 10 points in his last three games. The Blackhawks will enter the All Star break (and their mandatory week-long break) after Tuesday’s game, returning to action on Friday, February 1st in Buffalo, New York to take on the Sabres.

Since their last meeting with the Blackhawks on January 3rd, the Islanders have been the hottest team in hockey. The Islanders are 8-2 in the month of January, thanks to great depth scoring and quality goal-tending. The tandem of Robin Lehner and Thomas Greiss have been sensational behind Barry Trotz’s defensive scheme and eight (yes, you read that right) players with ten goals or more.

The Islanders look to maintain their lead on the Metropolitan division with their ninth win in the first month of 2019. It’s a tight race at the top of the “Metro” with the Islanders, Capitals, Blue Jackets and Penguins all within four points of each other in the Eastern Conference standings. The Islanders will also enter their mandatory break after Tuesday’s game, returning on Friday, February 1st to take on the NHL’s best, the Tampa Bay Lightning, in the Big Apple.

Comment below in our live game thread tonight!

And look for the internet’s most robust recap of the game tomorrow morning on the-rink.com.

The post Preview/Game Thread: Blackhawks vs. Islanders appeared first on The Rink.

Jeremy Colliton really changed up the lines during Saturday’s practice, keeping those same lines for Sunday’s game. Noticeable changes include Chris Kunitz entering the lineup, as well as Slater Koekkoek playing over Henri Jokiharju. The lines were as follows:

Caggiula – Toews – Kane

DeBrincat – Strome – Kahun

Saad – Kampf – Kruger

Kunitz – Anisimov – Hayden

Keith – Seabrook

Dahlstrom – Murphy

Koekkoek – Gustafsson

Delia

Brendan Perlini entered concussion protocol over the weekend, so his status remains uncertain.

First Period:

The first period began with the Capitals pacing play. An early Capitals power play could have given the visitors an early lead. Instead, the Capitals played on the outside and didn’t get any quality opportunities on Collin Delia, and the game remained deadlocked with no score.

Six minutes into the first, the Blackhawks’ new third line broke out on a rush up the ice, with Brandon Saad leading the charge. Saad danced around one defender, crossed the blue line and walked the young defenseman Madison Bowey, before putting the puck past Braden Holtby’s blocker for a 1-0 Chicago lead.

Brandon Saad took the puck ALL THE WAY HOME! pic.twitter.com/VKExZbqn2l

— Blackhawks Talk (@NBCSBlackhawks) January 20, 2019

The Blackhawks’ fun wouldn’t stop there. Just over a minute later, the Capitals had a major defensive breakdown. Patrick Kane found himself wide open in the high slot. Kane held the puck, picked his spot and fired home his 28th goal of the season to make it 2-0 Blackhawks. Credit has to go to Drake Caggiula on the play, as he had a perfect screen on Holtby. The Capitals’ goaltender stood no chance with Kane wide open and not having a clean look at the puck.

https://twitter.com/CMS_74_/status/1087045064801640448

As the period neared its last five minutes, the Capitals were able to get one back. Defenseman Brooks Orpik threw a shot on Collin Delia that glanced off of his body and into the net. The goal was Orpik’s second of the year and the Capitals halved the Blackhawks lead 2-1.

Around 30 seconds later, (yes, seconds) the Blackhawks added their third goal of the first period, with some help from Dmitri Orlov. The Blackhawks top line generated some chances before a puck found its way up into the air in front of Braden Holtby. Orlov attempted to swat the puck over the net, but after whiffing on that chance, the puck floated into the net behind Holtby for the Blackhawks’ third goal of the period. Despite Orlov putting the puck in, Toews was the last Blackhawks player to touch the puck so he was credited with his 19th of the season.

That is a #Blackhawks goal by Dmitry Orlov pic.twitter.com/8Ub3CvhHQc

— Blackhawks Talk (@NBCSBlackhawks) January 20, 2019

The Blackhawks took the 3-1 lead into the first intermission. Only 9 first period shots led to the three goals for the Blackhawks.

Second Period:

The Blackhawks didn’t stop the goal scoring to open the second period. After a Capitals turnover, Dylan Strome skated up ice with the puck. Once he entered the Capitals’ zone, Strome drew four defenders’ attention and found a wide-open Alex DeBrincat, who fired home his 25th goal of the season. DeBrincat’s goal was the last shot Braden Holtby would see as he was pulled for Phoenix Copley.

https://twitter.com/CMS_74_/status/1087056673330655237

The middle portion of the period was defined by chippiness and extra-curricular activities between both teams. Notably, Alex Ovechkin took a run at Patrick Kane and Connor Murphy retaliated. Tom Wilson and Duncan Keith also exchanged shoves and a nice hip check from Keith drew more attention from Wilson. Brent Seabrook was involved as well, all leading up to one big “party in the sin bin” for both teams.

PARTY IN THE SIN BIN https://t.co/4GnfziJtaS

— Ron Luce (@LuceOnTap) January 20, 2019

With under five minutes remaining, another weak goal helped the Capitals crawl back into the game. As the Capitals tried establishing position in the offensive zone, Dmitri Orlov fired a shot from a bad angle, almost fully in the corner to Delia’s right. The puck had eyes and found a small opening on Delia to make the game 4-2.

Third Period:

The early portion of the third period made it seem as if the Capitals were going to rally. Only three minutes in to the third, John Carlson capitalized for his 7th goal of the season. A big face-off win for the Capitals led to Carlson’s monster one timer that found the corner over Delia’s shoulder.

Following Washington’s third goal, Nicklas Backstrom went to the penalty box and sent the red-hot Blackhawks power play onto the ice. This would prove to not be a good idea for the Capitals. Just over 10 seconds into the power play, Jonathan Toews found Patrick Kane at the right-wing face off dot, after Kane settled the puck, he fired the puck through Copley’s underarm to make the game 5-3.

The #Blackhawks power play stays
Patrick Kane stays
The Blackhawks lead 5-3 pic.twitter.com/DrOhI1Ijad

— Blackhawks Talk (@NBCSBlackhawks) January 20, 2019

Four minutes later, Patrick Kane made a great play in the defensive zone to get the puck out to a flying Jonathan Toews. Toews and Drake Caggiula had a 2-on-1 from the red line in. The Captain kept the puck and fired a laser to Copley’s stick side to further the Blackhawks lead, 6-3. The goal was Toews’ 20th of the season, his 12th straight year of accomplishing that feat.

Jonathan Toews makes it 6-3. #Blackhawks pic.twitter.com/Zg9RnJ7wjj

— Cristiano Simonetta (@CMS_74_) January 20, 2019

However, the momentum began to shift in favor of the visitors. Two goals at the ten and thirteen-minute marks gave the Capitals some life and cut the Blackhawks’ lead to 6-5. To that point, all five goals for the Capitals came from defensemen as Carlson scored his second and Niskanen scored his first of the game.

Today’s game was a game of superstars, as Jonathan Toews put the team on his back and gave the Blackhawks a cushion. The Captain, after a great move to shake free, fired a puck five-hole on Phoenix Copley, giving him his 21st goal, the Blackhawks’ 7th of the day, and the hat trick for #19.

Jonathan Toews undresses Orlov and picks up the hat trick.

Sensational goal. 7-5 #Blackhawks pic.twitter.com/yVzlz9Xj7m

— Cristiano Simonetta (@CMS_74_) January 20, 2019

After the Capitals pulled Copley, Dylan Strome fought through a hooking penalty to hit the empty net and increase the Blackhawks lead to three. The Blackhawks beat the defending Stanley Cup champions, 8-5.

Quick Hits:

• What a day for the big guns. Both Toews and Kane had five points each. Toews’ hat trick helped the Captain reach the 20-goal plateau for the 12th straight season. Patrick Kane is also now only nine points away from the Art Ross (most points) lead. These two have been spectacular this year and they’re two of the oldest players on the roster.
• Despite giving up five goals, Collin Delia was excellent for the Blackhawks today. He continues to make numerous big saves due to Blackhawks’ defensive breakdowns. His best save of the day was the sprawling save made below (check out the highlight).

Delia with a sprawling save on Wilson! #Blackhawks pic.twitter.com/LQ7qdLsqXG

— Cristiano Simonetta (@CMS_74_) January 20, 2019

• The Blackhawks snap a two game losing streak. They are still in the basement of the league, but it’s performances like this today that gives hope for this team moving forward. They’re learning how to play under Colliton and with an infusion of talent through the prospect pool and free agency, there is a chance this team returns to being competitive sooner than later.

The Blackhawks host the red-hot New York Islanders on Tuesday, January 22nd at the United Center. Puck drop is at 7:30pm CST.

The post RECAP: Blackhawks Down the Champs, 8-5 appeared first on The Rink.

The Blackhawks found a winning combination on Wednesday night against the Pittsburgh Penguins. After scoring six goals and getting the win, head coach Jeremy Colliton trotted out the same lines on Friday night against the Jets:

Saad – Toews – Kahun

DeBrincat – Strome – Kane

Sikura – Kampf – Perlini

Hayden – Kruger – Martinsen

Keith – Jokiharju

Gustafsson – Seabrook

Dahlstrom – Murphy

Crawford

The only change to the lineup vs the Jets was the insertion of Erik Gustafsson to replace Brandon Manning.

First Period:

Early in the period, the Blackhawks allowed a quality chance, giving fans the impression it might be another long night, similar to Tuesday in Winnipeg. The potential agony continued when Brandon Saad missed a wide open tip-in on an errant pass.

In spite of the chaotic early minutes, the Blackhawks looked good. The team brought a lot of energy early, pacing play against the loaded Jets. However, numerous missed chances and bad plays almost cost them. One such play included a Connor Murphy turnover right in front of Corey Crawford that led to a grade A chance for the visitors. Crawford made the big save to cover up for Murphy’s error.

https://twitter.com/johndietzdh/status/1073757918749700096

Late in the period, Jonathan Toews took a hooking penalty, sending the potent power play unit out onto the ice for the Jets. Roughly forty seconds into the man advantage, Blake Wheeler set up on the right half wall looking for an open teammate, and sent a screaming pass through the middle of the ice, finding teammate Mark Scheifele, who gave the Jets the 1-0 lead.

The goal marked the 12th time in 13 games where Blackhawks’ opponents scored first.

Despite some quality chances from Winnipeg in the waning minutes of the period, it looked like the contest would enter the first intermission with the Jets leading 1-0. But as the Jets tried to make a pass to their point in the offensive zone, Brandon Saad intercepted and began up ice on the left wing. After crossing the Winnipeg blue line, Saad dropped a pass to Duncan Keith who quickly found Jonathan Toews in the high slot. Toews made a quick move to create an open shot and fired a high wrister to tie the game with ten seconds remaining in the period. The period would in fact enter intermission tied 1-1 against the Jets.

Second Period:

The opening half of the second period was marked by some near misses and good defense. Dylan Sikura had an opportunity for his first goal after a Keith wrister took a funny bounce off of Jets goaltender Laurent Brossoit. The puck bounced just out of Sikura’s reach, otherwise the young forward would have had a wide open net for his first career goal.

The two most notable players for Chicago were Brandon Saad and John Hayden. Hayden was strong on the puck and playing his role consistently all night. Saad was making plays on both ends of the ice, saving what could have been a goal in the latter half of the middle frame by not quitting on a play and getting a stick on a wide open shot from the Jets.

Another defensive play led to the Blackhawks’ next tally. Murphy made a huge block on a quality chance from the Jets that sent the Blackhawks down the ice the other way. Carl Dahlstrom found Saad, after a bad pinch by a Jets’ defenseman, before Saad found Toews once again on a beautiful saucer pass, setting up a one-timer to give the home team the lead.

Jonathan Toews has his second goal of the game … and it was a beauty. 2-1 #Blackhawks pic.twitter.com/3dd2bIZifr

— Cristiano Simonetta (@CMS_74_) December 15, 2018

The lead didn’t last for long. A little over two minutes later, Jets winger Patrick Laine ripped a deadly top shelf snapshot from the mid slot to beat Crawford high blocker side. The tally was Laine’s 23rd of the season and tied the game at two goals a piece.

.@PatrikLaine29 ties the game. pic.twitter.com/N1lH0eGyHz

— NHL GIFs (@NHLGIFs) December 15, 2018

Things began looking up for the Blackhawks as Brandon Saad drew a late penalty on Mathieu Perreault. The Hawks would ultimately waste the power play and give the Jets a late opportunity after a defensive breakdown. Perreault was able to sneak behind a Chicago defensemen on a breakaway. The Jets forward capitalized on the chance and gave the away team the lead, 3-2, with seventeen seconds remaining in the period. 

Third Period:

The third period featured a steady pace of play. Neither team could crack the opposing goaltender and the scored remained at 3-2. Chicago did find some momentum early, after killing two consecutive Jets power plays in the first five minutes of the third period. The Jets could have put the game out of reach, but the Blackhawks hunkered down and killed two big penalties.

With under four minutes remaining, the Blackhawks went to the man advantage looking to capitalize on a late Jets penalty and send the game to overtime. However, John Hayden high sticked Tyler Myers in front of the Jets net around forty seconds into the power play, negating the advantage for Chicago. The Blackhawks had to kill the penalty and make something happen with under a minute remaining.

… And it happened…

The Blackhawks were able to pull Corey Crawford for the extra attacker with about twenty-five seconds remaining in the contest. The home team set up in Winnipeg’s zone and tried to find the open shot. Duncan Keith put a perfect pass on a platter for Erik Gustafsson, who walked into a one-timer and tie the game with seven and a half seconds left. Redemption for Gustafsson, who made a poor decision leading directly to Perreault’s earlier goal.

The game went to overtime with the teams tied 3-3.

OT ahead thanks to this blast! pic.twitter.com/ut6ogd4aIy

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) December 15, 2018

Overtime:

Extra time started well in favor of the Blackhawks. Patrick Kane, Toews and Duncan Keith were able to occupy the offensive zone for a solid shift before the Jets re-gained possession.

After a puck got in deep behind Crawford, a two-on-two scrum ensued along the boards. The Jets won the board battle and Mark Scheifele was able to walk out in front of Crawford and fire a laser to win the game for the Jets.

Final score, 4-3 Winnipeg.

Quick Hits:

• John Hayden and Brandon Saad both looked very good in this game. Although taking a penalty late, Hayden was effective along the boards, handled the puck well and sparked some energy for Chicago. Saad was everywhere, making plays all over the ice on both offense and defense while picking up two assists along the way. Seeing these two be that noticeable was an encouraging sign for Blackhawks fans everywhere.
• The defense looked better than usual, but the Perreault mistake really cost them. The defense allowed him to slip behind them after the Jets killed the penalty on Perreault. If that doesn’t happen, who knows how this game goes. The Carl Dahlstrom insertion seems to be paying some dividends.
• This team finally is starting to look like a team with purpose. Despite the loss tonight, they had more fight in them than they did the last time they played in Winnipeg on Tuesday night. The Penguins game on Wednesday could be a glimpse of how this team will play under Colliton in the future. Their largest problem was coming out of the gate slow and playing from behind. This game, they came out firing and competing hard without falling behind by a huge margin early, which is quite the improvement over past games as mentioned before. If they can add more talent this offseason, there’s a chance this team can begin to compete again sooner rather than later.

The Blackhawks will remain at home as the San Jose Sharks come to town on Sunday, December 16th. Opening puck drop is scheduled for 6:00pm CST.

The post RECAP: Blackhawks Tie It Late, Grounded by Jets 4-3 in Overtime appeared first on The Rink.

FIRST PERIOD

Forward Tom Wilson wasted no time finding the back of the net at the :54 mark. The Capitals played the 3-on-3 perfectly. A quick give-and-go from forwards Alex Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom, resulted in Ovechkin finding Wilson all alone in front of the net for an easy tap in behind Corey Crawford. The goal gave the feisty Wilson his second of the season.

Breaking down the play, Nick Schmaltz found himself watching the pass and then out of position, while Wilson crashed the net uncontested.

TOP LINE WILLY MAKES HIS PRESENCE KNOWN.#CapsHawks #CapsGiving #ALLCAPS pic.twitter.com/q7z6kcJ1Tn

— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) November 22, 2018

After a tripping call on Gustav Forsling, the Capitals were able to capitalize on the ensuing power play. Forward Andre Burakovsky found himself wide open at the right circle and fired a shot passed Crawford. Initially, Crawford stopped a Matt Niskanen shot from the left point, however, the rebound found Jakub Vrana in front, who dished it over to Burakovsky for his third tally of the year. Capitals led 2–0 with just over six minutes gone in the game.

V with the slick backhand pass finds Burkie who cleans up and makes it 2-0 #Caps ! #CapsGiving #CapsHawks #ALLCAPS pic.twitter.com/J6xIIQzy8n

— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) November 22, 2018

Chicago had a chance to generate some momentum with a pair of power plays, during the period, but could not find any sustained pressure on goaltender Braden Holtby. After the first period, Chicago led in shots 14–12.

SECOND PERIOD

Both teams traded punches for half of the second period until the Capitals broke through for a 3–0 lead.

Former Blackhawks’ defenseman Michal Kempny ripped a one-timer from the point past Crawford. Andreas Martinsen lost the defensive zone draw, which found forward Vrana with the puck on his stick, who then dropped a nice pass to Kempny for the marker. The goal gave Kempny his first on the year. Washington took a commanding 3–0 lead.

Czech out this play from V to Kemper for the #Caps 3rd goal of the night! #CapsHawks #Capsgiving #ALLCAPS pic.twitter.com/OkuRCO6ycn

— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) November 22, 2018

Two minutes later, Brandon Saad put the Hawks on the board with his seventh goal of the season. Saad took a feed from Jonathan Toews and whistled a wrist shot by Holtby blocker side. Toews made a nice area pass in which Saad was able to retrieve along the boards.

Saader strikes side netting!#Blackhawks pic.twitter.com/3XVPvdLhVm

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) November 22, 2018

Chicago trailed 3–1 but held a 24-to-21 shot advantage after the middle frame.

THIRD PERIOD

Just over five minutes into the third period, Erik Gustafsson closed the Capital’s lead to one goal. Gustafsson jumped in on the play and found himself on the backhand to beat Holtby. Artem Anisimov and Nick Schmaltz assisted on the play. The goal gave Gustafsson his second on the season.

Gus goes for it and he's rewarded!#Blackhawks pic.twitter.com/3EEmLfDoZs

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) November 22, 2018

Any momentum the Hawks built would be short lived. Less than two-minutes later, forward Devante Smith-Pelly extended the lead back to two goals. Center Travis Boyd found Smith-Pelly with a nice cross-crease pass, giving Smith-Pelly fourth on the year.

The play was started by a nice play by Kempny, as he picked a pass out of the air, which would have sprung Anisimov on a breakaway.

Boyd dodges the check to shovel one across to Devo for the #Caps 4th of the night! #CapsHawks #CapsGiving #ALLCAPS pic.twitter.com/4PQxTfhlzY

— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) November 22, 2018

The goal took the wind right out of the visitors. Crawford would be pulled with just under three minutes to play, but the Hawks would not threaten to shorten the gap.

Chicago out shot the Capitals 39-to-27 for the game, however, could not recover from the first six minutes of the game. Trailing 2–0 before even breaking a sweat is never a recipe for success, especially on the road against the defending Stanley Cup champions.

THE GOOD

Brandon Saad. The 26-year old winger has goals in three straight games.

39 shots. Chicago generated chances but could only find the scoreboard twice.

THE BAD

Artem Anisimov. The Russian center entered tonight winning 46.7% of his draws, but could only win 2-of-9 tonight. He did assist on Gustafsson’s goal, but has been below average at the dot and has two goals in 22 games.

The power play. Chicago was 0-for-3 on the evening. Even the best teams are going to get blanked on certain nights, however, the Hawks were only credited with three shots on goal with the man advantage tonight.

Alex DeBrincat. The shifty forward now has one goal and one assist in his last twelve games.

The post RECAP: Blackhawks fall 4–2 to Capitals appeared first on The Rink.

The-Rink.com co-hosts Jeff “Gatekeeper” Osborn and John Jaeckel get together to chat about the first six games of the Jeremy Colliton era.

• BREAKING: The-Rink will be covering the Chicago Steel of the USHL!
• In a special segment, Gate and Aaron Goldschmidt talk to David Eckert from Blue White Illustrated and The Daily Collegian about Penn State center and Blackhawks prospect Evan Barratt
• What about that Brandon Saad / William Nylander trade speculation?
• Can Dylan Sikura save the organization?
• Positive stuff about Jeremy Colliton.
• We spend a good hour focussing on some great listener and reader questions

Please subscribe, rate this episode, and even write us a review. Reviews will be read on the air.

Also, Please help spread the word to more #RinkRats and visit our sponsor www.PUCKHCKY.com. Use the discount code “THERINK” for 10% off all orders.

The post The Blackhawks Rinkcast – Episode 36 – Colliton Away appeared first on The Rink.

As Blackhawks fans began descending on the United Center, the Blackhawks hosted a “purple carpet” event for those currently battling cancer and those who have lost loved ones to the terrible disease.

Later in the evening, fans saw Eddie Olczyk skate for his One Last Shift that the Blackhawks have done for team alumni. Five strong kids battling cancer and Make-A-Wish guest Carter Holmes joined the players on the ice for the pre-game festivities. It was a beautiful event put on by the Blackhawks prior to Sunday’s game.

A special moment in the @UnitedCenter for #HockeyFightsCancer Night.

Who do you fight for? https://t.co/DsnVsSQEQw

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) November 19, 2018

Incredible to have cancer survivor and #Blackhawks TV analyst Eddie Olczyk back on the ice for #OneMoreShift on #HockeyFightsCancer night! https://t.co/hKBhln9SFR

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) November 19, 2018

Notable line and personnel changes were announced a few hours prior to game time. The “wiley veteran” Chris Kunitz was replaced by Alexandre Fortin in the lineup and Jan Rutta switched spots with Brandon Manning. The line combinations were as follows:

Saad – Toews – Kane

Fortin – Kampf – Kahun

DeBrincat – Anisimov – Schmaltz

Martinsen – Kruger – Hayden

Keith – Seabrook

Gustafsson – Jokiharju

Forsling – Rutta

Crawford

Head coach Jeremy Colliton loaded up his top line with the three big guns for the Blackhawks. The middle six also featured some interesting line combinations going into the action against division opponent Minnesota.

First Period:

The early portion of the period was highlighted by quality play from the Blackhawks, especially by the top line. They were creating chances on Wild goaltender Alex Stalock early on. In the first five minutes of the period, Brandon Saad had a great look on a quality cross ice pass from Patrick Kane, although the shot was stopped by a lightning fast Stalock blocker.

Around the eight minute mark of the period, the Blackhawks went to the power play for the first time of the game. After setting up in their 1-3-1 look at the 8:26 mark, Patrick Kane set up on the right-wing boards scanning the ice for an open teammate. Kane found a lane about the width of the puck itself, hitting Jonathan Toews’ blade in the blue paint and giving the Blackhawks the 1-0 lead.

As the period continued, the Blackhawks fired quality shots on net against the Wild. Minnesota had a few shifts where they controlled play themselves as well, but Chicago maintained their lead on the strong play of netminder Corey Crawford.

Late in the period, as the Blackhawks sped up ice, an Alexandre Fortin pass was out of Brandon Saad’s reach. However, Saad out raced Wild defenseman Matt Dumba, after getting him to spin the wrong direction, and gain possession going in on a mini-breakaway. Stalock went for the poke check, but Saad pulled the puck back and finished on the backhand to give the Blackhawks the 2-0 lead late in the first.

Then, the Saadfather broke out all the moves and made it 2-0 pic.twitter.com/T90I9ddcys

— Blackhawks Talk (@NBCSBlackhawks) November 19, 2018

The Blackhawks went to the dressing room up 2-0 on the score sheet and owning a lead in shots on goal (16-11).

Second Period:

The Minnesota Wild came out looking like a different team in the second period. They played with much more pace and presented a much larger challenge for the Blackhawks’ defense. Despite their push, Corey Crawford stood tall and kept the Wild off the scoreboard early in the second.

The Blackhawks sent the visitors to the power play around the seven-minute mark of the period. At 7:56, the Wild capitalized on a Mikko Koivu pass to the front of the net. In similar fashion to Toews’ goal in the first, Zach Parise tipped home the Koivu pass and Minnesota cut the Chicago lead in half.

The Wild controlled a lot of the puck possession in the second period. There were numerous shifts where the Blackhawks, even their top line, had trouble clearing the puck out of their own zone. After a handful of good defensive plays and more Crawford saves, the Blackhawks outlasted the wild and went into the second intermission up 2-1. Minnesota took the shot advantage away from Chicago after two periods (26-23).

Third Period:

The third period opened in similar fashion to the second period. Minnesota continued to pepper Corey Crawford with shots, but the netminder stood tall.

Despite, the flurry of Wild shots, the Blackhawks defense tightened up just enough to keep the game’s score from moving. The first star of the game proved his worth. Corey Crawford was arguably the headline of the game. He was spectacular throughout this game, keeping every quality chance for the Wild out of his net.

The game wore on and neither team could generate any scoring. With roughly 2:30 remaining, the Wild pulled their goaltender for the extra attacker. One notable chance on net came off the stick of Jared Spurgeon, who rifled a slap shot on Corey Crawford from in close. Crawford stood tall to deny the bid. With about a minute remaining, the Wild charged up ice and looked to make a long stretch pass. The play was read and after the puck tipped off Patrick Kane’s stick, Jonathan Toews gathered the puck at his own blue line and fed and absolutely beautiful pass to a flying Dominik Kahun. Kahun skated in all by himself to tap in the empty net goal and give the Blackhawks a 3-1 lead.

The Wild tried to generate more offense late, but time ran out on their comeback attempt and the Blackhawks beat the Wild 3-1. The Blackhawks lost the shots on goal battle as they were outshot 40-28.

The Good:

• The Will to Win: The Blackhawks found a way to win despite numerous metrics being in favor of the visiting team. Minnesota controlled puck possession throughout the game, but the Blackhawks were able to get another power play goal in this game, giving hope that the special teams are continuing to improve. A great individual effort by Saad also gave hope that key contributors for this team are finding their stride.
• Corey Crawford: What a difference maker he has been in the last three games. After giving up a total of two goals in the last three games, Crawford continues to prove his worth. Without him, this team could easily only have one or two wins. Crawford was named number one star of the game and there was no one more deserving than he.

The Bad:

• Too Many Shots: This team cannot give up 40 shots every game and think they will win. The defense looked better in some areas during this game, but the defense needs to tighten up and allow less chances to their opponents. Otherwise, Crawford may win the Vezina this year if tonight’s game is an example of how the Blackhawks will have to win.
• Lack of Depth: After Jeremy Colliton loaded up the top line with Saad, Toews and Kane, the rest of the lineup looks to lack some depth. Kampf was listed as the second line center and DeBrincat and Schmaltz were playing on the “third line”. The top line was by far the best line all night. However, this is not a recipe for sustained success. Other players need to step up and make some plays.

The Blackhawks hit the road for a three game road trip over the Thanksgiving holiday. This road trip begins in the nation’s capital on Wednesday night as the Blackhawks pay the defending Stanley Cup Champion Washington Capitals a visit. Puck drop is at 6:00pm CST.

The post RECAP: Blackhawks Win 3-1 Over The Wild appeared first on The Rink.

The lineup was very similar to the one that stole a win from the Blues just a few nights prior. Brandon Davidson went on the IR and Marcus Kruger was activated. He took Luke Johnson’s place on the fourth line. The lines were as follows:

Schmaltz – Toews – Kane

DeBrincat – Kampf – Kahun

Saad – Anisimov – Hayden

Kunitz – Kruger – Martinsen

Keith – Seabrook

Gustafsson – Jokiharju

Manning – Forsling

Crawford

First Period:

Early action in the first period was highlighted by back and forth chances for both the Kings and Blackhawks. Neither team could crack the opposing goaltender as the game remained scoreless early on.

Kings goaltender Calvin Petersen, Notre Dame alumnus, was making his first career start Friday night at a place he was very familiar with. Petersen played high school hockey in the Chicagoland area and his college hockey an hour and a half east in South Bend, Indiana. Petersen made some incredible saves early on. Despite the best look in the first period for Chicago being a wide shot by Patrick Kane on an open look, Petersen slammed the door on all other quality chances early.

Corey Crawford was also spectacular in the opening frame. Mid-way through the first period, Crawford made an incredible point-blank save on an Adrian Kempe shot in the slot. Kempe was wide open after Blackhawks’ center David Kampf got caught beneath the goal line with both Chicago defenders. Crawford made the incredible save in the end and kept the Kings off the board.

Crawford makes a nice save on Kempe. No. 9 had all day to shoot because three #Blackhawks were caught behind the net. pic.twitter.com/aeT48X4p5w

— Cristiano Simonetta (@CMS_74_) November 17, 2018

In the late half of the first period, Tyler Toffoli had an excellent attempt in front after Jeff Carter distributed a puck from beneath the goal line to the front of the blue paint. It was hard to tell, but it looked like Crawford was able to get a tiny piece of the puck and keep what could have been an easy goal out of his net.

The Blackhawks entered the intermission trailing the Kings 10-8 in shots on goal. Strong play from both goaltenders kept the game scoreless after one period.

Second Period:

Early in the second period, the Blackhawks were granted a great opportunity on the power play. They went 1-for-2 on the man advantage Wednesday night and looked to build off that performance going into the game against Los Angeles. However, fans were treated to the more likely scenario, as the power play could get nothing started. All shots on net were not high danger chances and allowed the young visiting goaltender to make some easy saves.

At the 10:29 mark of the period, the Blackhawks were exiting the zone when Duncan Keith found Erik Gustafsson headed up ice. Gustafsson looked like he was tripped on the play but no penalty was called and the Kings went flying up the ice.

Tyler Toffoli carried the puck over the blue line on the right wing boards, crossed over to the left wing side and fired a shot on net. The puck looked to be going wide but it glanced off Duncan Keith’s leg. The puck snuck through Crawford’s five-hole on the deflection and put the Kings up 1-0.

Late in the period, on a Blackhawks power play, Petersen made a spectacular save to deny a quality chance from entering the back of the net. The young netminder made numerous high quality saves late in the period. Chicago had three power play chances in the period but were unable to capitalize. A late slashing penalty by Toews sent the Blackhawks in to the intermission down a man. The Kings led 1-0 and led 22-20 in shots on goal through two frames.

Third Period:

The Blackhawks killed the Kings penalty to open the third period, but still could not get anything going offensively for themselves. Down 1-0, Chicago needed to find life and push back if they wanted any chance of winning against Los Angeles.

At the 2:39 mark, the Blackhawks’ luck changed with newly activated Gustav Forsling adding some much needed playmaking to the Chicago back end.

Forsling dumped a puck deep around the boards and Brandon Saad picked it up on the right wing boards. Saad sent it low to Jonathan Toews and drove to the front of the net. Toews was able to free himself from the Kings defender and put a perfect give-and-go pass on Saad’s blade.  Saad quickly shuffled the puck past Petersen and tied the game for the Blackhawks.

As Eddie Olczyk says, “good things happen when you go to the net”, and the Blackhawks found some good fortune as they beat young Petersen for the first time all night.

Crashin' the net #Blackhawks pic.twitter.com/qmt0xSa0BN

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) November 17, 2018

Chances were exchanged for the remainder of the period but the game found its way to extra time as the teams were tied at one goal a piece.  The Blackhawks were, however, able to reclaimed the shots on goal advantage (34-32) after three periods.

Overtime:

Neither team could generate anything in overtime, as only one shot on goal was registered between both teams. The best play of the period came from the Forsling – Anisimov – DeBrincat combination.

About half way through the extra time, the aforementioned combination played catch in the offensive zone. Forsling made a cross ice pass to DeBrincat near the blue line. Alex DeBrincat skated half-way down the right wing boards before dropping the puck back to Artem Anisimov. Anisimov found a crashing Gustav Forsling out in front but the tipped puck was soaked up by Petersen.

The Kings nearly struck gold when Anze Kopitar batted a puck out of mid-air late in overtime. However, the puck hit the post, narrowly missing the back of the net and sending the Kings home happy. Although a great chance, the Blackhawks and Kings needed a shootout to determine a winner.

Shootout:

The Kings and Blackhawks only needed four shooters to decide Friday’s outcome. Jonathan Toews shot first for Chicago and was denied by Petersen. The Kings then sent Ilya Kovalchuk out to face Corey Crawford. After being sent back because of an early start and an unready linesman, Kovalchuk converted low glove side on Crawford to put the Kings up 1-0.

The second round saw Patrick Kane get denied by Petersen after attempting his trademarked slow move in on the goaltender. Kane attempted to put the puck over Petersen’s left pad but could not convert. The Kings sent out Kopitar to try and give the Kings only their sixth win of the season. Kopitar easily beat Crawford and the Kings beat the Blackhawks 2-1 in a shootout.

The Good:

• Chances: Chicago was able to generate great chances throughout the entire game. Numerous high quality saves were required by Calvin Petersen to keep the Blackhawks off the board. Chances from Kane, Forsling and others could have easily been goals had it not been for great goaltending for the visitors.
• Goaltending: As mentioned above, goaltending was really good for both teams until the shootout where Corey Crawford was 0-for-2. However, Crawford was spectacular once again for the Blackhawks, making some great point-blank saves on Kings forwards. Crawford gave the home team a chance to win, and really, that’s all you can ask for from your goaltender.

The Bad:

• Turnovers: Many careless turnovers for the Blackhawks resulted in quality chances for the Kings. Crawford came up big on most of them, but a turnover from Gustafsson (on a play that could have been a penalty) led to the opening goal of the game for the Kings. If the Blackhawks defensemen can clean up the turnovers, they may be able to rattle off some wins and keep Crawford from having to carry the team on his back.
• Depth scoring: Although third-liner Brandon Saad scored the lone goal for the Blackhawks, it came when he was added to the top line left wing with Toews and Kane. The Blackhawks have become a one line team, similar to the Artemi Panarin days. The depth players have not been scoring at all. DeBrincat has gone cold and others like Nick Schmaltz and Dominik Kahun have disappeared from the scoresheet. If for some reason the Blackhawks’ players don’t want Jack Hughes in their locker room next season, they will need scoring from other players besides Toews, Kane and Saad if they expect to compete.

The Blackhawks return to action on Sunday, November 18th for Hockey Fights Cancer night at the United Center. Eddie Olczyk will participate in the Last Shift program for the Blackhawks and likely be recognized for winning his battle with cancer. Chicago will wear their purple jerseys in warmups as they take on divisional foe, the Minnesota Wild, at 5:00pm CST.

The post RECAP: Blackhawks Lose to The Lowly Kings 2-1 in a Shootout appeared first on The Rink.

Nick Schmaltz took a seat as a healthy scratch, which was arguably the game’s biggest story line for the Blackhawks. After a bad turnover the night before, and being invisible most of the game, Schmaltz was the recipient of a message from head coach Joel Quenneville. Patrick Kane also returned after missing the previous game with an illness. The line combinations were as follows:

DeBrincat – Toews – Kahun

Saad – Anisimov – Kane

Fortin – Johnson – Hayden

Kunitz – Kruger – Martinsen

Keith – Jokiharju

Gustafsson – Seabrook

Manning – Davidson

Ward

First Period:

The first period began quite slowly for the Blackhawks. There wasn’t much action that was worth noting early on.

One thing the Blackhawks were able to successfully do is put shots on net. Chicago outshot Edmonton 15-8 in the opening frame. Oilers goaltender Mikko Koskinen was spectacular in the first period, showing why Edmonton spent $2.5 million for him to come over from the KHL and be their backup to Cam Talbot.

Chicago found some life late in the period as Alexandre Fortin drew a holding penalty on Adam Larsson. In typical fashion for this 2018-19 Blackhawks team, they were unable to do much on the power play. The power play units were shaken up a bit due to the Schmaltz scratch. The top unit consisted of DeBrincat, Toews, Johnson, Saad and Gustafsson while the second unit consisted of Anisimov, Kunitz, Kane, Keith and Seabrook. Neither unit was able to generate any solid chances.

Cam Ward was excellent early on, keeping the Oilers off the score-sheet after they generated 4 high danger scoring chances with only 8 shots on net.

Second Period:

The second period did not open well for the visitors. Eighteen seconds into the period, Oilers’ captain Connor McDavid passed a puck from the half wall to Ryan Nugent-Hopkins at the right wing dot. Nugent-Hopkins quickly dished the puck down low to Drake Caggiula who was on the doorstep of the blue paint. After making a half spin to the net, Caggiula slipped the puck through Ward’s five-hole and gave the Oilers the 1-0 lead.

The Blackhawks were able to generate a few quality shots in the second period, one such shot was a chance from Brandon Saad, who followed up a Brandon Davidson shot. Saad’s quality chance was turned aside by Koskinen once again, after making numerous quality saves through the first two periods.

After a Nugent-Hopkins near miss with 6:47 remaining, the Oilers went to the power play due to slashing penalty on Henri Jokiharju. However, Chicago went on offense while killing the penalty, creating numerous quality chances on Koskinen. Jonathan Toews had a breakaway which was stopped by Koskinen, and Saad narrowly missed on the follow up attempt. Artem Anisimov, Brandon Manning and Alex DeBrincat also had shorthanded chances, but could not bury any of them to tie the game.

Chicago forward Andreas Martinsen drew a silly penalty with just under two minutes remaining after catching an edge and falling into Koskinen. The goaltender interference penalty gave the Oilers a late power play chance.

On the same man advantage, Jonathan Toews made the smart clearing play by trying to put the puck up off the glass and out of the zone. However, as the puck was leaving the zone, it was knocked down and the Oilers regained possession. Tobias Rieder took a pass from Jason Garrison at the left faceoff circle and dropped it back to Garrison. Garrison fired a hard one-timer and beat Ward clean, giving Edmonton a 2-0 lead heading into the second intermission.

Chicago maintained the shot advantage, 31-17, despite the Oilers commanding the scoresheet.

Third Period:

Chicago opened the third period with a bit of energy. Down 2-0, the team needed to desperately score to get back into the game. Joel Quenneville started tinkering with the lines at the end of the second and to begin the third. Dominik Kahun was playing down on the third line and, at times, loaded up with Kane, Saad and Toews.

At the 6:49 mark, while Chicago was on the power play, Edmonton started up ice after a turnover by the visitors. The home team would capitalize on the shorthanded 2-on-1 and they would take a 3-0 lead. Caggiula registered his second goal of the contest. Blackhawks defenseman Erik Gustafsson was back on the play and did not do much to negate the chance.

After some back and forth, Chicago made a huge mistake that would remind fans of the Vancouver game the previous night. At the 10:38 mark, a Brandon Davidson pass was picked off at the Chicago blueline and the Oilers had a clean 2-on-0 chance in on Cam Ward. Alex Chiasson tapped in the pass from Rieder and made the game 4-0. Oilers’ center Leon Draisaitl also picked up an assist on the play.

Edmonton continued to dominate the pace. Late in the period, around the 3:00 mark, tempers boiled over after a high hit from former Oiler Brandon Davidson on defenseman Darnell Nurse. Nurse got up and dropped his gloves and ran after Davidson, who also dropped his. Referees and teammates stepped in before a fight ensued, but Davidson received a game misconduct and a major penalty for the hit and Nurse received a two-minute minor and a ten-minute misconduct penalty. Both were sent to the locker room as Chicago went to the penalty kill for the remainder of the period.

The ensuing Oilers power play would not result in a goal and the Blackhawks lost to the Oilers 4-0, despite Chicago owning the shot advantage 40-29.

The Good:

Brandon Saad/Alexandre Fortin: The two forwards were the most noticeable players in the game. Saad was all over the ice generating chances again after a big game in Vancouver. Fortin drew multiple penalties because of his speed and effort. These two need to continue to play this way and hope the rest of the roster plays up to their pace.

Cam Ward: Cam Ward was spectacular despite what the score-sheet showed. He made 7 saves on 9 high danger shots for the Oilers and kept the game from being a complete circus blowout. He deserves some credit because the team in front of him did not play well enough to keep those four pucks out of the net. 

The Not So Good:

Power play: Once again, the power play continues to struggle. Chris Kunitz on the power play is interesting. Kahun is a much better player for that situation and would likely help Kane create more offense. Instead, the entire second power play unit went through Kane and it became very predictable.

Sense of Urgency: The Blackhawks did not have enough energy to even try and squeak a win out in Edmonton. After going down 2-0, the team seemed to lose a bit of their step. Early in the third, they found some, but it wore off as the period progressed. They were visibly tired and started to give up on some plays that may have helped change the momentum of the game.

Turnovers: Another very bad turnover at Chicago’s blue line resulted in a 2-on-0 and a goal for Edmonton in the third period. It’s not exactly easy to give up a 2-on-0 when the puck hasn’t even left your own zone, but somehow it happened. The careless turnovers have kept Chicago from gaining at least 2 of a possible 4 points in the last two games.

Fun Fact: Edmonton, although being outshot by the Blackhawks 40-29, was outpacing Chicago 13-8 in high danger chances, ultimately showing which team had more quality chances on net.

The Blackhawks return to action on Saturday night, November 3rd, in Calgary to take on the Flames. Puck drop is at 9:00pm CST on NBC Sports Chicago.

The post RECAP: Blackhawks shutout by Edmonton Oilers 4-0 appeared first on The Rink.

New York Rangers (3-5-1) at Chicago Blackhawks (5-2-2)

7:30pm Central/6:30pm Eastern

United Center

TV/Radio: NBCSCH,MSG/WGN

PROJECTED GOALIES:

Chicago:

Corey Crawford (.946 SV%, 1.69 GAA)

New York:

Henrik Lundqvist (.921 SV%, 2.55 GAA)

Team statistics:

Power Play

Chicago (12.9%, 26)

New York (23.3%, 14)

Penalty Kill

Chicago (75.0%, T-19)

New York (72.4%, 23)

Shots for/against per game

Chicago (35.3, 3 – 35.8, 27)

New York (33.0, T-9 – 34.1, T-22)

Shooting%

Chicago (10.4%, 13)

New York (7.7%, T-27)

Faceoff%

Chicago (49.2%, 213

New York (49.4%, T-20)

Avg. height/weight

Chicago

6’1” 195lbs

New York

6’1” 200lbs

PROJECTED LINES/PAIRINGS:

Chicago

DeBrincat-Toews-Kahun

Saad-Anisimov-Kane

Fortin-Johnson-Schmaltz

Kunitz-Kruger-Hayden

Keith-Jokiharju

Gustafsson-Seabrook

Manning-Rutta

New York

Kreider-Zibanejad-Zuccarello

Chytil-Hayes-Fast

Vesey-Howden-Buchnevich

McLeod-Namestnikov-Spooner

Skjei-McQuaid

Staal-Pionk

Smith-Shattenkirk

Analysis:

Brandon Saad found the back of the net twice on Tuesday, albeit one an empty net score, and has played well the past few games. Saad looking like his former self generates scoring balance through the Hawks’ lineup. However, a few games do not make a season.

The Hawks start Corey Crawford in goal tonight. The 33-year old has been outstanding in his three starts with a .946 save percentage.

New York currently holds down last place in the Metropolitan Division. Mika Zibanejad, top line center for the Rangers, leads the team in goals (5) and points (9).

The “Jekyll and Hyde” Blackhawks should see this game as an easy two points but these Hawks have yet to show the consistency to think that way.

Comment below in our live game thread tonight!

And look for the internet’s most robust recap of the game later tonight or early tomorrow on the-rink.com. 

The post Preview/Game Thread: Blackhawks vs. Rangers appeared first on The Rink.

Debrincat – Toews – Kahun
Saad – Anisimov – Kane
Fortin – Johnson – Schmaltz
Kunitz – Kruger – Hayden

Keith – Jokiharju
Gustafsson – Seabrook
Manning – Rutta

Crawford

Recap:

The Blackhawks, still thrilled to have their star goaltender Corey Crawford back between the pipes, didn’t take long to get going with back to back power play opportunities.

On the second for four power plays in the period, Brandon Saad banged in his first of the year right in front of the net 5:24 in the period to put the Hawks up to an early 1-0 lead. While Anaheim spent most of the period on the penalty kill, they did manage a few good scoring chances. But none good enough to get past Crawford. While there was only one tally this period, the Hawks dominated the first. Spending the majority of the period in the offensive zone, protecting the puck, and outshooting the Ducks 16-6.

Net front presents, er, presence

#Blackhawks pic.twitter.com/3lgTatV23O

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) October 24, 2018

The second period carried over that same energy. Each team exchanging quality scoring chances, but outstanding goaltending stealing the show. Watch Ducks goalie John Gibson absolutely rob Patrick Kane on a great rebound chance.

.@JohnGibson35 out here robbing people again. pic.twitter.com/RsOlMqiefM

— NHL GIFs (@NHLGIFs) October 24, 2018

10:34 into the second, Anaheim forward Richard Rakell intercepted a pass from Jonathan Toews for a breakaway and roofed it behind Crawford to even up the score 1-1. Things really started heating up when everyone’s favorite cat, Alex Debrincat, squared off against the 8 inches taller Josh Manson to give a spark to everyone within a 20 miles radius of the United Center. The second period showed less penalties and a more balanced effort from both teams. Blackhawks end the second outshooting the Ducks 28-17 and tied 1-1.

The third period began with the game up for grabs. At 7:47 Patrick Kane ripped home his 8th goal of the season on a great fake-shot-pass from Erik Gustafsson to give the Hawks the lead 2-1.

Gustafsson sets up Kaner and No. 88 tallies his eighth goal of the season!#Blackhawks #CHIvsANA pic.twitter.com/siedfAlrrz

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) October 24, 2018

The Hawks played solid puck possession to protect their 1 goal lead until late period danger due to a holding penalty from Marcus Kruger. This gave Anaheim a 6-4 man advantage with the empty net. But Jonathan Toews got his revenge, stripping the puck from Ryan Getzlaf to set up Brandon Saad on the empty net game winner and his second of the evening. Blackhawks get the win by a score of 3-1 outshooting the Ducks 38-25.

My Thoughts:

• If the Hawks can be this solid of a puck possession team and have this kind of goaltending going forward, they can make noise in the postseason.  Of course this was against a team that has the fewest shots on net per game and gives up more shots than the Blackhawks.
• Captain Jonathan Toews played in his 800th game tonight. And is currently on pace for his best season yet.
• Alex Debrincat should fight someone every game going forward, just (maybe) someone a bit closer to his same size.
• Corey Crawford is still really good at hockey.

Look for a brand new Rinkcast tonight.  Send your questions in to @TheRinkcast or podcast@the-rink.com

The post RECAP: Blackhawks Defeat Ducks as Saad Gets Two appeared first on The Rink.

Chicago was able to steal a win on Saturday evening on the back of Corey Crawford heroics, as the Blackhawks won 4-1 in Columbus. On Sunday, Chicago looked to rebound and take advantage of a tired Lightning team, who went to overtime with the Minnesota Wild the night before. Chicago’s lines were as follows:

Debrincat – Toews – Kahun
Schmaltz – Anisimov – Kane
Kunitz – Kampf – Saad
Fortin – Kruger – Martinsen

Keith – Jokiharju
Gustafsson – Seabrook
Davidson – Rutta

Ward

First Period

As the first period begun on Sunday night at the United Center, both teams came out visibly tired after having played road games the evening before.  The early portion of the first period was sloppy, as both teams traded chances with nothing to show for it.

After about three minutes, Tampa Bay forward Nikita Kucherov found himself open between two Blackhawks’ defenders as teams were changing. Kucherov skated in hard on net and finished with a backhand past Cam Ward to give Tampa Bay the early 1-0 lead.

Chances continued to be traded throughout the first period. Chicago seemed to have found their spark, as they visibly looked like the better team after Tampa Bay took the lead.

At the 11:40 mark in the first period, Blackhawks rookie forward Alexandre Fortin snuck in behind the defense where he was wide open at the opposing blue line. Jan Rutta found Fortin on a beautiful stretch pass and Fortin skated in on goaltender Louis Domingue. Fortin fired the puck five-hole to tie the game and, finally, give the rookie his first NHL goal.

Alexandre Fortin's first @NHL goal was a BEAUTY!#NHLFirsts #Blackhawks https://t.co/igDeINLTgZ

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) October 21, 2018

Chicago would head to the powerplay on the shift following Fortin’s first career goal, only to waste the opportunity. Neither team was able to generate much for the rest of the period. The teams went to the locker room tied 1-1 after one period. The Blackhawks held the shot advantage 17-12 after the first twenty minutes.

Second Period

The Blackhawks came out slow in the second period, while Tampa Bay quickly took over the pace of play.

At the 4:22 mark in the second period, forward Anthony Cirelli potted his second goal of the season to give Tampa Bay a lead which they would never relinquish. The puck looked to have been stopped by Cam Ward, but the referee never lost sight of it and the Lightning were able to jam the puck in over Ward’s right pad prior to any whistles.

Chicago took a slew of penalties in the middle period, giving Tampa Bay’s dangerous powerplay chances to capitalize. At the 12:07 mark in the second period, Yanni Gourde scored on the powerplay on a nice tic-tac-toe passing play to the visitors a two goal lead.

Not long after Gourde’s goal, the Lightning struck once again. As the puck laid in the blue paint, it couldn’t be controlled by the Blackhawks defense. After numerous attempts to clear the puck, Brayden Point tapped it into the net to extend Tampa Bay’s lead to 4-1 at the 14:01 mark.

There were virtually no for Chicago in the second period, other than Cam Ward fighting for his life, as they gave up a expansion-era record tying 33 shots to Tampa Bay, recording only 6 of their own.

The teams would enter the intermission with a 45-23 shot total after two, and a three goal lead for the visitors.

Third Period

Early on, neither team looked like they wanted to play the third period. The Blackhawks looked completely deflated, while Tampa Bay wanted to get out of Chicago with no injuries and their commanding win.

As play paced back and forth, Tampa Bay finally took advantage of a play at the 9:40 mark in the period. Defenseman Victor Hedman struck with a top shelf snipe on Cam Ward to give Tampa Bay a 5-1 lead. The game looked over at that point, and for a few minutes that seemed to be what Chicago thought too.

However, later in the period, at the 15:17 mark, a Jan Rutta dump into the offensive zone would catch the skate of the linesman, who jumped up on the boards to avoid the puck, and took a perfect bounce onto David Kampf’s stick. Kampf fired the puck past Louie Domingue, who was out of position from the crazy bounce, and make the score 5-2. The Blackhawks looked to have a little life left in them.

Not more than two minutes later, Chicago made their way to the powerplay and pulled Cam Ward to give themselves a two man advantage. Patrick Kane found Nick Schmaltz open on the left wing side only for him to be robbed by Domingue, or so we thought. After review, it was determined that Domingue caught the puck after it had fully crossed the goal line and the goal counted for the Blackhawks, giving Schmaltz his first tally of the season.  Side note, It was also the Lightning’s first powerplay goal against this season.

#Schmaltzy pic.twitter.com/9AWaC8aqjq

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) October 22, 2018

The two late goals were too little, too late however, as Ryan Callahan scored an empty net goal at the 17:55 mark to put the game out of reach. Tampa Bay went on to win 6-3 in Chicago.

The Good:

• Saad: Brandon Saad looked like himself tonight playing on the third line with David Kampf and Chris Kunitz. He was creating chances down low, playing strong on the forecheck and on defense. This type of game has allowed Saad throughout his career, to be one of the better two way forwards in the league. If he can continue this play, look for #20 to start putting some pucks in the back of the net.
• Fortin’s first: Alexandre Fortin (whom we also found out is former NHL goaltender Jean-Sebastian Giguere’s nephew) scored his first NHL goal. He was all over the ice, creating big chances with his speed. Fortin’s speed and hard work are two traits that earned him a contract two seasons ago out of training camp.  Now that he is fully healthy, he has proven himself valuable since prospect camp.
• Ward: Surprisingly, Cam Ward was fantastic in the outing against the Lightning. He faced 54 total shots, and early on, kept Blackhawks in the game. Sadly, too many shots and high quality chances wasted a solid outing from Ward on the tail end of a back to back.

The Not-So-Good:

• Powerplay: The powerplay continues to be terrible for Chicago. They currently sit at #29 in the NHL on the powerplay. Only Vegas and Carolina are worse on the man advantage. If the Blackhawks want any kind of sustained success this season, that powerplay number needs to hover around the middle third of the league.
• Physicality: This team continues to be bullied by just about every team they play. Stan Bowman wanted this team to be tougher to play against, however, they have not been able to match up to other good teams’ physicality. Martinsen and Kunitz are playing to provide that physicality, however both have been completely ineffective.
• Too many shots: Teams in the NHL rarely ever win when giving up 55 shots in a game. When the Blackhawks were dominant between 2010 and 2015, they were usually outshooting teams in the manner that Tampa Bay did tonight. That is a winning recipe when you are outshooting opponents by a large margin. If the Blackhawks are to contend this season, these shot numbers need to  (obviously) decrease dramatically. Otherwise, we will see many more results like last night: really good goaltending overwhelmed by a barrage of shots (and high quality chances).
• Fun fact: Tampa Bay’s 33 shots on net in the second period were tied for the record of shots recorded in one period since the expansion era, which began in 1967.

Chicago stays home as the Anaheim Ducks will visit the United Center on Tuesday, October 23rd. Puck drop is at 7:30pm CST.

The post RECAP: Blackhawks Fall to Lightning 6-3 appeared first on The Rink.

The-Rink.com host Jeff “Gatekeeper” Osborn and co-host John Jaeckel throw together a last minute episode to address the recent insanity following the end of the NHL season.

Happy Fathers Day to all the wonderful fathers out there!

• The “terrible” Michal Kempny is now a Stanley Cup Champ
• The Blackhawks sign Jacob Nilsson, Andreas Martinsen, and Henri Jokiharju
• Corey Crawford is actually alive, ALLEGEDLY
• Then things get interesting as they talk about:
  • Suggestion of a Brandon Saad buyout
  • Talk of a trade involving Marian Hossa for Scott Darling
  • Talk of a trade involving Brandon Saad for Justin Faulk
• We wrap up the episode with some great listener/reader questions.

Please subscribe, rate this episode, and even write us a review. Reviews will be read on the air.

Also, Please help spread the word to more #RinkRats and visit our sponsor www.PUCKHCKY.com. Use the discount code “THERINK” for 10% off all orders.

The post The Blackhawks Rinkcast – Episode 24 appeared first on The Rink.

With opening night less than a week away, the Blackhawks are down to some tough decisions with their roster. We talked at length about the options on Tuesday night’s Shoutcast, but there are some real questions. I’m going to break down some of the upcoming roster decisions or at least try to lay them out in a logical manner. This doesn’t mean Joel Quenneville decide to use the logical method. Lastly, we look at the offense:

Brandon Saad – Jonathan Toews – Richard Panik

This is your first line, and it has been since the day the Blackhawks traded Artemi Panarin for Brandon Saad back in June. We all know what we are going to get from Saad and Jonathan Toews. Richard Panik is a bit more of a wild card. No one believed me when I predicted that Panik could easily replace the 34 points that were sent to Montreal with Andrew Shaw. No only did Panik replace the points, but he eclipsed it. By a decent margin. He played all 82 games, and contributed 22 goals, 22 assists for 44 points. These are all better than Andrew Shaw has ever reached in his career. I don’t expect that Panik will have 22 goals again, but it’s really not all that unreasonable. With Saad on the other wing, Panik will have more room to work. As long as he is in the right place, he will have every opportunity to equal that 44 points. This line is light years better now than it was in April. Expect Jonathan Toews to have a bounceback typical Jonny Toews year, and for Brandon Saad to have a career year. Saad is coming off three straight 50+ point seasons, and this year will be no different. 60 points is not unfathomable.

Alex Debrincat – Nick Schmaltz – Patrick Kane

I know, the Debrincat hater has him not only making the team, but playing in the top 6. If you look at the alternatives, there really aren’t any. Unless they move Nick Schmaltz back to wing, no one else fits the position, and they certainly haven’t been playing Schmaltz at center all preseason only to dump him back at the wing. I think Debrincat will hit the wall in ten games and they will need to re-adjust but, for the moment, it won’t hurt to try this combo out to open the season. Speaking of Nick Schmaltz, this kid has impressed me. He was a pouty little brat, last season, once he was sent to Rockford and it rubbed me the wrong way. Granted he still has that pouty look on his face all the time, but his play has grow leaps and bounds. He was “good” last season, after he came back from Rockford, but this preseason he has been excellent. I would have never placed him at second line center, but that is where he has been the entire preseason. He has not looked out of place either. This makes you wonder what the future holds for new third line $4.55 million center Artem Anisimov. Patrick Kane is; Patrick Kane. I don’t want to say too much or the PC Police will come after me.

Patrick Sharp – Artem Anisimov – Ryan Hartman

If we didn’t expect to have Debrincat or Schmaltz on the second line, we certainly didn’t expect to see Artem Anisimov on the third line. If Debrincat makes the team, I’m fine with Sharp on the third line, and if Debrincat doesn’t, then someone like Wingels or Hayden can slide up. Ryan Hartman is a perfect third line player and will have a solid year once again there. Anisimov is a perfectly fine third line center, but I have my reservations about paying a player $4.55 million for the next 4 years to play on the third line. At some point they have to investigate getting him to waive that no trade clause and clear that cap room. For the near future, he is perfectly fine in the third line role. Even if he can’t win a faceoff to save his life. Circling back to Debrincat, Quenneville toyed with playing him on this third line with Anisimov and Hartman, and I’m not a fan whatsoever. He is not really responsible defensively, yet, and he is not a player that drives possession by himself. He needs to be set up for his chances, by skill players. Anisimov and Hartman are good, but they are good straight line players. They are not going to set Debrincat up with beautiful passes, or dazzling moves. I cannot see this experiment working, and you are not putting him in a position to succeed based on his skillset.

Tommy Wingels – Tanner Kero – Lance Bouma
Tomas Jurco, Jordin Tootoo, John Hayden,Vinnie Hinostroza

This fourth line is a complete mystery. You might as well just throw all the names in a hat and randomly pick them out. What you see above is not what I would select, rather what I think Quenneville and Bowman will decide. Tanner Kero is a fine, responsible fourth line center and should have that position locked down. Tommy Wingels, Lance Bouma and Jordin Tootoo are basically the same player in “small, medium, sort-of-large” sizes. If Quenneville wants to keep one of those three players as a 13th forward for the “grit”, that’s fine by me. Keeping all three is simply preposterous. My honest opinion is that they should keep Wingels and Hayden, waive Bouma or Tootoo, and launch Tomas Jurco into the sun. This is not the year to waste roster spots on players that you mistakenly signed or traded for. The problem with this entire scenario is that the Blackhawks rarely ever admit their mistakes, which means Wingels, Bouma, Tootoo, and Jurco will all make the roster. This leaves Hayden and Hinostroza heading due west to Rockford, even though John Hayden has done everything to make this opening night roster. We are only talking about 6-8 minutes a night for this line, but it is just not the best way to maximize your talent. There I go applying logic again. Please allow me to beat any logic out of my brain with a 2×4.

The post Blackhawks Preseason Roster Breakdown: Forwards appeared first on The Rink.