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Chicago Blackhawks Blogger •
1) I go with Antti Niemi tomorrow night versus the Canucks.
And it's not so much about taking the pressure off Cristobal Huet (even though that's the wise move). And it's not even so much about giving the team the best chance to win (also, DUH).
It's about really seeing what the team has in Niemi.
Vancouver, highly motivated to send a message to the Hawks and the rest of the league after the upstarts vanquished them in the second round of the playoffs in '09, will put more pressure on Niemi than he's seen yet thus far this season.
Practice and preseason games and even easy starts against Florida can only tell you so much about a goalie. Big pressure in big games is the ultimate litmus test.
If/when Niemi has a bad game, especially a really bad game, the best thing for Huet would be to come in in a relief role and play well. Especially in a big game at home.
Or, if Niemi withstands these tests, then the goaltending situation is less of a problem. N'est-ce pas?
2) I go with these lines (assuming overall health of the team) when Marian Hossa comes back:
Sharp-Toews-Hossa
Byfuglien-Bolland-Kane
Ladd-Madden-Versteeg
Kopecky-Ebbett-Brouwer
Those might be the four best lines on one team in hockey. The first three lines have obvious talent and potential. But the fourth line is one that will not only play defense and punish people physically (with Brouwer), but it will score. All three of those players have offensive skill and above average hockey sense.
And maybe the best thing the Hawks can do to offset their goaltending issues (hopefully while sorting them out) is put maximum pressure on the other team's goalie.
3) I'm not pushing the panic button on the goaltending situation, while taking a hard look at my defensive pairings.
I still think over the course of the season, the goaltending is going to get better. If Huet sticks around, he can play much better and probably will. However, the third defensive pairing is a problem that isn't going to go away until there's a personnel move of some sort.
RANDOM SHOTS:
2008 third rounder Shawn Lalonde is the 10th ranked player and 3rd ranked defenseman in the OHL in TSN's player ratings. Lalonde's talent is obvious, an elite skater with above average offensive instincts. And he's tough. There's a very telling YouTube video of him squaring off with (and soundly beating) much larger Wild prospect Tyler Cuma in the preseason. Lalonde is also a righty shooter. Along with Niklas Hjalmarsson and 2009 first rounder, Dylan Olsen, Lalonde is definitely part of the Hawks' future blueline, most likely in a top 4 role.
Akim Aliu only has 3 points in 6 games at Rockford, but he is +2.
Corey Crawford is off to a good start at Rockford, backed up by Joe Fallon.
The Andrew Ebbett pick up could pay big dividends for the Hawks, not just in terms of his contribution to the fourth line, but also as a potential replacement throughout the season for Dave Bolland, who is battling back spasms off and on.
UPDATE: 2009 5th round draft pick, Marcus Krueger, a C/W out of Sweden is ripping it up in the Swedish Elite League: 14 points in 10 games. A source told me this summer that Krueger was a personal pick of Scotty Bowman.
Krueger is very slight of build currently but has high end skills and vision.
JJ
And it's not so much about taking the pressure off Cristobal Huet (even though that's the wise move). And it's not even so much about giving the team the best chance to win (also, DUH).
It's about really seeing what the team has in Niemi.
Vancouver, highly motivated to send a message to the Hawks and the rest of the league after the upstarts vanquished them in the second round of the playoffs in '09, will put more pressure on Niemi than he's seen yet thus far this season.
Practice and preseason games and even easy starts against Florida can only tell you so much about a goalie. Big pressure in big games is the ultimate litmus test.
If/when Niemi has a bad game, especially a really bad game, the best thing for Huet would be to come in in a relief role and play well. Especially in a big game at home.
Or, if Niemi withstands these tests, then the goaltending situation is less of a problem. N'est-ce pas?
2) I go with these lines (assuming overall health of the team) when Marian Hossa comes back:
Sharp-Toews-Hossa
Byfuglien-Bolland-Kane
Ladd-Madden-Versteeg
Kopecky-Ebbett-Brouwer
Those might be the four best lines on one team in hockey. The first three lines have obvious talent and potential. But the fourth line is one that will not only play defense and punish people physically (with Brouwer), but it will score. All three of those players have offensive skill and above average hockey sense.
And maybe the best thing the Hawks can do to offset their goaltending issues (hopefully while sorting them out) is put maximum pressure on the other team's goalie.
3) I'm not pushing the panic button on the goaltending situation, while taking a hard look at my defensive pairings.
I still think over the course of the season, the goaltending is going to get better. If Huet sticks around, he can play much better and probably will. However, the third defensive pairing is a problem that isn't going to go away until there's a personnel move of some sort.
RANDOM SHOTS:
2008 third rounder Shawn Lalonde is the 10th ranked player and 3rd ranked defenseman in the OHL in TSN's player ratings. Lalonde's talent is obvious, an elite skater with above average offensive instincts. And he's tough. There's a very telling YouTube video of him squaring off with (and soundly beating) much larger Wild prospect Tyler Cuma in the preseason. Lalonde is also a righty shooter. Along with Niklas Hjalmarsson and 2009 first rounder, Dylan Olsen, Lalonde is definitely part of the Hawks' future blueline, most likely in a top 4 role.
Akim Aliu only has 3 points in 6 games at Rockford, but he is +2.
Corey Crawford is off to a good start at Rockford, backed up by Joe Fallon.
The Andrew Ebbett pick up could pay big dividends for the Hawks, not just in terms of his contribution to the fourth line, but also as a potential replacement throughout the season for Dave Bolland, who is battling back spasms off and on.
UPDATE: 2009 5th round draft pick, Marcus Krueger, a C/W out of Sweden is ripping it up in the Swedish Elite League: 14 points in 10 games. A source told me this summer that Krueger was a personal pick of Scotty Bowman.
Krueger is very slight of build currently but has high end skills and vision.
JJ
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