The Blackhawks are in Detroit for the next two-game set versus the Red Wings. Winning both games is doable but can the Hawks play fundamentally solid from start to finish?
While the Hawks had a fairly easy time sweeping the Wings three weeks ago, an emphatic performance where the team shines for a full 60 at ES, PP, and PK would boost growth.
Some players could also use a jump start: Dylan Strome, Adam Boqvist, and Collin Delia. Even though Dominik Kubalik has become a more well rounded player, his scoring needs a spark, too.
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Game Day
Game 17, February 15:
Blackhawks @ Red Wings
6:30pm CST
Records:
Blackhawks, 7-5-4, 18 Pts (5th)
Red Wings, 4-10-2, 10 Pts (8th)
Season Series:
2-0-0
Power Play:
Blackhawks, 17-49, 34.7% (2nd)
Red Wings, 4-51, 7.8% (30th)
Penalty Kill:
Blackhawks, 41-51, 80.4% (15th)
Red Wings, 33-46, 71.7% (27th)
Power forward Tyler Bertuzzi was a handful for the Hawks in the last series but he is on IR thus not able to play. Backup goalie Calvin Pickard is on the COVID-19 Protocol List.
New to the Detroit lineup since the last meeting are forwards Filip Zadina, Robby Fabbri, and Adam Erne plus defenseman Jon Merrill. Zadina and Fabbri could be ones to watch.
Dylan Larkin, Anthony Mantha, and Bobby Ryan are always dangerous. Valtteri Filppula and Luke Glendening have been Hawks killers in the past. Erne is a heavy hitter.
The Wings projected lineup (per DailyFaceoff.com):
Brome - Larkin - Zadina
Ryan - Fabbri - Mantha
Filppula - Namestnikov - Gagner
Glendening - Nielsen - Erne
Nemeth - Hronek
Staal - Stecher
Djoos - Merrill
Bernier
Greiss
For the Chicago lineup, expect 12F/6D until Adam Boqvist is ready to play. At that point, though, reversion to 11F/7D could occur again with perhaps the following blueline:
Keith - Mitchell
de Haan - Beaudin
Zadorov - Boqvist
Carlsson
The calculus gets more complex once Connor Murphy's hip injury is healed. He likely forces Lucas Carlsson to sit unless Boqvist flounders leading to a possible demotion to the AHL.
At forward, Lucas Wallmark and Ryan Carpenter are also off COVID protocol. Wallmark is closest to potentially playing against Detroit. Carpenter needs more time to get up to speed.
When both are ready for game action, Matthew Highmore and Reese Johnson are the candidates to sit. The question then becomes whether there will be 11 or 12 forwards starting.
Here are lines to consider if there are 11 forwards:
DeBrincat - Suter - Kane
Kurashev - Strome - Kubalik
Janmark - Wallmark - Soderberg
Hagel - Kampf
In this scenario, Wallmark gets the nod over Carpenter given that he has value on the PP in addition to ES and PK. Wallmark is also better at faceoffs being second best after David Kampf.
Then if there are 12 forwards, Carpenter slots in:
DeBrincat - Suter - Kane
Kurashev - Strome - Kubalik
Janmark - Wallmark - Soderberg
Hagel - Kampf - Carpenter
Kevin Lankinen could get both starts but the Wings may be a good opportunity to throw Delia out there for a game. Malcolm Subban may not start again until later in the two-week road trip.
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Youth Push
Since the season started, the Chicago youth have been pushing the pace on the ice with their work ethic and compete level that head coach Jeremy Colliton has stressed since the offseason.
That's a good thing for a rebuilding team without two of its best players in Jonathan Toews and Kirby Dach and without Alex Nylander and Brent Seabrook who both had high expectations.
Furthermore, the youth are actually being impact players at both ends and many of them are producing offensively. In other words, they're not just treading water but swimming strongly.
With this early success that looks to be trending upward as they gain NHL experience and physically mature, are the rookies and other youngsters pushing older players out of a job?
For example, Philipp Kurashev is not only proving his case for a top 9 role but may have top 6 potential and at his natural center position. That would be a boon for the Hawks.
Where does that leave Strome, though? One factor is Toews' health. If he bounces back, Toews and Dach are the top centers with Strome next. Kurashev could play wing.
However, if the Hawks feel Kurashev has a better all-around game with capacity to generate offense at a 0.50-0.67 PPG clip, then Strome could be expendable and traded for futures.
In a similar vein, Pius Suter is at his best when he's in the top 9 yet is proving he can excel in the top 6. That is something Nylander hasn't been able to do in Buffalo or Chicago.
Nylander's ELC expires this offseason. He wouldn't net much in a trade and could be re-signed cheaply given his mediocre track record and the fact that he's not playing this season.
Does Suter make Nylander irrelevant? Or does Nylander get more kicks at the can to demonstrate his worth? Brandon Hagel's 3rd line ability could also complicate Nylander's future.
Then on the backline, Nicolas Beaudin has impressed so much that trading Calvin de Haan makes sense. Similarly, Ian Mitchell is thriving so there's no rush for Seabrook to rejoin the team.
Another factor to consider is what will general manager Stan Bowman do with all of the players on expiring contracts. Some will be traded by the TDL while others may get re-upped.
At forward, Carl Soderberg and at least one of Mattias Janmark and Wallmark are likely not on the team next season. Suter, Hagel, and Kampf are almost for certain to be retained.
For the blueliners, Nikita Zadorov's fate could rest on whether Carlsson re-signs and/or Wyatt Kalynuk cracks the roster next season. Boqvist is pretty much a lock as a starter.
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Rockford Updates
Despite giving up a 2-0 lead to eventually lose in overtime, the IceHogs were in it to the end versus the Iowa Wild on Saturday evening. Two newbies making their debut stood out most.
Starting Lineup
Michael Krutil didn't play so the 3rd D pair was Isaak Phillips with Cole Moberg. Both made their pro debut in Saturday's game and ended up being the best defensive duo for the Hogs.
Game Recap
1st Goal: B Morrison (1-0)
Brad Morrison scored the first of his pair after a give-and-go with Chad Yetman. The play started with Morrison chipping the puck ahead to Yetman then made a beeline to the slot.
2nd Goal: B Morrison (2-0)
A quick transition up ice from Yetman to Mitchell Fossier led to a shot on goal from the left wall that Morrison banked into a wide open net after he again drove hard to the cage.
Goals Against
The Wild's first goal was the result of the Hogs forwards playing too far up ice and not getting back in time to support Chad Krys and Cody Franson on a 3-on-2 the other way.
Iowa's next goal on the PP was off of Moberg's bad pass in the Rockford end that was easily intercepted. Krys defended multiple Wild players with no help from his mates.
Matt Tomkins was just plain beat on the OT game winner. Prior to that was an Iowa penalty shot after Alec Regula got caught deep committing a penalty as he scrambled back.
Player Notes
Moberg is a no frills defenseman. He's physical when he protects the net, gets pucks in deep on the rush, and fires shots from the point any chance that arises.
Phillips jumps in on offense but regularly gets back. He also has a wide wing span that he leverages to his advantage when shutting down passing and shooting lanes.
Together, Moberg and Phillips provided a D pair with size and muscle. They body opponents off the puck. Sometimes they simply post up and let the opponent run into them.
Regula needs to better manage the puck while under pressure which often leads to him losing possession or making ill-advised plays.
Yetman and Fossier were both quietly persistent and effective on the forecheck and backcheck.
Tim Soderlund and Andrei Altybarmakian play with a frenetic zest that they need to parlay into productive results or else they will end up just wasting energy.
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See you on the boards!
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