Gaaaame on!
Introductions aside, now we can get into talking hockey.
Marcus Foligno's face wasn't the only thing that was shattered on October 12th when the Wild beat the Hawks 5-2 on home ice; the Blackhawks confidence was displaced as well. Including that loss, the Hawks 3-5-1 record since then had fans, the coaching staff and the players themselves searching for their identity.
For the Wild, this win proved to be costly. Along with the Foligno injury, Charlie Coyle and El Nino Niederreiter were placed on the IR after the next day.
Injuries were nothing new to Bruce Boudreau's team. They started off the season renting out a wing in the sick bay. They have been slowly getting healthier with all bodies expected to be back tonight, with the exception of Zach Parise and Coyle.
Back to the Hawks; they are coming off a 3-0 win on Wednesday vs. the Flyers as they head to St. Paul to attempt to keep it going. This rivalry is still alive and well. The Hawks lost the 1st matchup last year as well against the Wild, and then reeled off 3 straight wins vs. Minny throughout the year. Let’s see if the script will be the same in 2017-18.
The Blackhawks' victory vs. the Flyers was not what I would call "pretty", but a win's a win. They key was that Quenneville was able to roll out all 4 lines with ease. The combinations still don't feel 100% to me, but getting warmer.
Let's roll through the expected lines for tonight's game.
Debrincat had a solid game alongside the Captain and Lt. Panik.
Saad and Kane had some magical moments while Schmaltz looked, at times, like he needs to snag #88 and #20's magic potion to get back up to speed. He appears to be distracted on some shifts, whether still nursing an injury or a little timid from said injury.
I'm ecstatic to see Hayden get promoted to the 3rd line. I had reservations coming into this season about the big fella. I liked what he brought late last year, but was (/am) skeptical of his skating. He's proving me wrong by constantly bringing it EVERY SINGLE GAME.
"He wins the battles all over the ice. It's helpful, we always have the puck", Anisimov said of his new linemate after practice yesterday.
The Hawks aimed to be "harder to play against" as Stan reshaped their roster this summer. Hayden was a player with the exact style Bowman was referring too.
With Anisimov's play trending in the right direction the last few games (3 G in last 3 games), he's got me hopeful that soon, the Blackhawks will have a productive 3rd line. I think this has been missing all year.
Patrick Sharp is what he is at this point and we shouldn't be crossing our fingers that he's going to wake up a 10-years younger, rejuvenated "Sharp-Shooter", and start filling the net. He's been good for the age and contract, but I don't expect him to be a game breaker.
The most consistency this year has been coming from the 4th line. The BANGER line. I know there has been a lot of shade thrown at the likes of Lance Bouma and Tommy Wingels so far this season, but come on! After watching the Hawks get pushed around the last few years, how can you tell me, you "hate" seeing these guys throw their bodies around with no regard for their future selves?
Do I think Lance Bouma is an amazing hockey player? No.
Is Tommy Wingels going end-to-end and score on Devyn Dubnyk or Carey Price this weekend? I'm going to go with no.
It's been hinted for years now, that the Hawks stars love to have these types of players in the lineup to go into battle with them every night.
I've played a lot of hockey in my life and I've always been a smaller cat out there on the ice. There was no stronger bond I've personally experienced with my teammates than pushing back or answering the bell when your opponent got out of line. In your brain, it was the equivalent of banding together and conquering a bully.
So, count me in the Team Banger Line camp. Hartman is Shaw 2.0 to me in the way he's being utilized by Q. I see him coming off that 4th line eventually, but in the meantime, would be nice to see those guys continue to have success.
At the other end, the defense was ok, but Q rarely messes with a winning lineup, so expect the same 6.
Can Franson show that he can be an everyday player for this Blackhawks team? He had an unexpected calming effect last game playing alongside Keith. The veteran presence was something that they have been missing all year in my opinion.
Seabrook had a Seabrook type game. Some really strong reads by using his experience and smarts, combined with shifts that resembled how my 12-year old nephew would look out there (not taking a jab at my nephew, I love him and he's a great little hockey player. It's just that, well… he's 12).
I see Kempny and Murphy having a stronger game. I really do. It must be really difficult to be constantly looking over your shoulder and wondering no matter how you play, you're destined to be heading to crushing popcorn in the Press Box for the next week. They will however, have to get comfortable out there, and fast!
I do want to zone in on Rutta for a couple quick thoughts. He was the victim of getting beat off the rush at times on Wednesday, however, it was his first game on his off-side (LD), and so, for now, I'll chalk it up to him being uneasy.
If you really want to see his worth, keep an eye on how he plays with a man down. It's quite remarkable that an unknown 27-year old, playing in the Czech league last year has slid into a top 4 role in Chicago. Would he be getting an opportunity like this is he signed with, let's say, Nashville or this Wild team? I doubt it. He and his agent must be thrilled at the decision to sign in Chicago and he's taking the most of his playing time.
Speaking of that, he played 3:00 minutes on a perfect PK the other night. He skated 19+ minutes overall, good for third in TOI for Ulfie's defense. Although this lineup showed more chemistry than we’ve seen in a while, they will have to bring it again tonight. Coach Q gave the lads a tongue lashing the practice prior to the Flyers win. I was hoping to see a fiery start with the look of a bunch of ticked off teenagers mad at their dad for yelling at them. Instead, we got a slightly aggressive beginning from Q's team, which actually saw the Flyers get early scoring chances.
How will Toews and Co. respond tonight? I'm sure you will all be monitoring closely and sharing your thoughts on the boards shortly after puck drop.
Let's hope the kids behave and make their parents (Q) proud tonight. If not, Q might ground them and put them on extra chores (bag skates) for the rest of the week.
Let's have some fun out there!
JL
--- ICYMI:
* Yesterday, Quenneville mentioned that Jordan Tootoo is "close to returning". Honestly, I love Tootoo's character, but he's not near as effective as Wingels, Louma, Hayden or Kero. The Blackhawks were sending him to Rockford at the same time he was mysteriously injured. I suspect he will be sent down to the AHL again in the next week or so.
* Gustav Forsling skated today and Q mentioned he "could be" in the mix vs. the Habs on Sunday. We'll see.
* Rockford IceHogs lost 3-1 last night against the Milwaukee Admirals. This is the first time this season Jeremy Colliton’s team has dropped consecutive games. They now sit 7-4 on the season. Tyler Sikura (Dylan’s older bro) scored the lone goal.
--- Who we got tonight: Minnesota Wild
Season Matchup: Minnesota ✔ Chicago
5-4-2 = 12 pts (2 behind Hawks w/ 2 games in hand) 6th in Central Last game: WON vs. Canadiens (6-3) GF: 37 / GA: 33 PP% = 18.4 %(15th in NHL) vs. CHI's 13.6% (27th) PK% = 81% (17th in NHL) vs. CHI's 83.3% (11th) Sniper: Chris Stewart – 6 goals Producer: Jared Spurgeon – 9 points Tough Guys: Mikko Koivu – 12 PIMs / Marcus Foligno – 31 hits