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Quick 10: Weekend Sweep of the Bottom Dwellers

December 11, 2017, 8:02 AM ET [109 Comments]
Tyler Cameron
Chicago Blackhawks Blogger • RSSArchiveCONTACT


Just as we all predicted, 2 dominating wins vs. the worst team in the East and the worst in the West. Wait, that didn't sound right. The Hawks got 2 wins, but it wasn't in dominating fashion at all.

It would have been a great chance for this team to get in sync in all facets; 5-on-5, the PP and wake up on a Monday morning feeling great about their team game.

Instead, they can feel good about 4 points, but still have a lot of uneasy feelings, I'm sure.

Here is the Quick 10 from last night:

1) With Tommy Wingels' goal last night, I wanted to look into the % of goals by each line in how they are currently constructed. If you're curious, read ahead:

Line #1: Saad (10) –Toews (8) – Debrincat (12) = 34% of overall goals
Line #2: Schmaltz (5) – AA (13) – Kane (10) = 32%
Line #3: Sharp (3) – Vinnie (0) – Panik (5) = 9%
Line #4: Bouma (3) – Wingels (4) – Hayden (4) = 13%

Not only have the BANGER line been bringing it every game, but 11 goals by your 4th line is a great showing.

2) Hold on a second, look above, Artem Anisimov is leading this team with 13 goals this year. Who placed that bet in Vegas in September?

He has his faults, but the pros in #15's game far outweigh those; even his contract. He's a 2nd line centre who is performing and responsible defensive, I'll take that any day.

3) Ok, it was "funny" for a bit, but seriously, what's happening with this Power Play? Where's Barry Smith when you need him? Or is he still around?

Patrick Kane watches a ton of hockey and had some interesting comments about how "easy" teams like the Lightning make it look.

Maybe Kane should be running the PP because his 173 PPGs trump the guys behind the bench who only have a combined 106 goals on the man advantage during their 3,071 regular season games:

Quenneville – 6 PPGs
Dineen – 91 PPGs
Samuelsson – 8 PPGs

I know people can change and learn, but still…

4) I didn't think Hinostroza would come up and save the Hawks season, but I was clamoring for his return to the NHL to inject this team with more speed.

He's played 2 games so far and doesn't have a point to show for it. He does have 9 shots though and his jump on that 3rd line has been really noticeable. I expect to see that continue and he'll chip in with some points soon.

5) Oesterle with a difficult task of jumping back into the lineup after an 11-game stretch. Well, he was up to the task and Quenneville was clearly happy with his play by rewarding him with 20+ minutes of ice time (good for 3rd by any skater).

"Oesty" (as Tommy Wingels referred to him by) had a key play by jumping into the rush, creating speed in the neutral zone and picking up a secondary assist on Wingels goal.

He had 4 SOGs, was a +1, landed 2 hits and 3 blocks throughout this contest. Needless to say, I think it's worth exploring what you have in the 25-year old, Michigan native.

6) The Patrick Kane line, much like the rest of the Hawks struggled in the first 60 minutes. However, Schmaltz-AA-Kane really had issues in their own end for the majority of this game.

They really turned it around with a couple goals in the 3rd, led by Kane's 2 assists.

7) Seabrook and Murphy started the game and both have looked a lot better of late. Seabrook has even looked "speedy" on some plays. I know, it may sound crazy, but his positioning, gap and anticipation have been a 180 degrees shift from his struggles earlier in the year.

8) Over the course of the summer, there were a lot of Anthony Duclair trade rumours. The 22-year old fought through some traffic to snipe his 7th goal of the season on Corey Crawford last night. He had the lone ‘Yotes goal and had a noticeable drive to his game.

Duclair ended up signing a 1-year / 1.2 million deal this summer. John Chayka was able to negotiate a show-me-your-worth type deal with the speedy winger but it's believed he's still very much available.

Count me in as someone who would be interested. He's fast, fearless and versatile. Keep an eye on this guy.

9) I'm a firm believer that Ryan Hartman still likes Richard Panic(k). He claimed on Sunday morning that this was a mistake and I believe him. These guys know better than that and I truly believe it was just a case of fat finger/accidental "like".

Regardless, #38 is in the doghouse now and with this team winning, he will remain there. It's his chance to shine in the bag skate practices and weight room. He's better than he's shown in the last couple weeks and this time off could really help him clear his head and regain his jump.

10) The Hawks take on the Florida Panthers on Tuesday. The same Panthers team that they beat 4-1 just a few weeks ago.

This will be a difficult test at home as this FLA team is better than their record shows and they'll be hungry. Nonetheless, it's a game the Hawks need to take at home as their opponent on Thursday has been a thorn in their side lately, the Winnipeg Jets.


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I'll have another update for you on Tuesday.

JL
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