These D pairs are frustrating. Why have 2 young defenders playing on their opposite side when it makes sense to just swap them on the lineup card. Jokiharju should play RHD with a solid partner in Keith and Gustafsson should play LHD in sheltered ES minutes with Seabrook.
- AEL_Fox

It is an adjustment, but a guy with the skill and IQ of Jokiharju...he's definitely played his off side previously and shouldn't be an issue. For a guy with mobility issues like Seabrook, he should NOT play his off wing bc it requires more 360 movement to accept passes and adjust your body to make plays with the puck.. Young high skill/skater like Jokiharju..it will only help him to have the off-side experience. My gripe is that Jokiharju only played 12minutes last game. Yes, he got out-muscled by Tuch on their goal, but Alex Tuch is a beast that would do that to many defenseman bigger and older than Joki. Let the kid play and develop. There's no reason that Collitan should be shortening the bench in a development season like this.

Right he is terrible I said that at the beginning of the year when Q the goalie shouter continued to roll him out ,and refused to play the better goalie at the time Forsberg .It is idiotic to play Ward over Forsberg at this point ,kind of like playing Kunitz over young players .. Wave him do what ever it takes bar moving any prospect or picks to get rid of him .I said EDM because they are crazy enough to bite on just about anything . Tor is getting both their goalie back as of today .
- oldduffman

No movement clause means you can't waive him. What part of this do you not understand? I'm not sure you know anything at all about hockey or this team except everything was all Quenville's fault. You're probably one of the people on here that posted the hawks would have 8 cups if Q wasn't the coach.

Trouble with Ward is with an over 35 contract and an NMC all they can do with him is healthy scratch him. He cant go to Rockford, and Rockford needs two goalies.
- Return of the Roar

He doesn't understand what MNC means. Or anything else for that matter. He's a broken record.

These D pairs are frustrating. Why have 2 young defenders playing on their opposite side when it makes sense to just swap them on the lineup card. Jokiharju should play RHD with a solid partner in Keith and Gustafsson should play LHD in sheltered ES minutes with Seabrook.
- AEL_Fox

Maybe there's a bigger picture? Why not have any defender learn to play either side and more importanly be comfortable on either side? That gives a coach all kinds of options in all situations. What if it didn't matter who the coach threw out in a certain situation? Two lefties on the PP, two righties on the pk, two lefties to shutdown a line or even a righty and a lefty together? Also what if a coach is thinking beyond the linear way most teams play and wants to introduce a fluid attack where position on the ice isn't as relevant as it is now? The Soviets would use this strategy with the defense and forwards when the opposition employed zone defenses. I'm sure the Hawk coaches have explained what they are trying to do with the players.

Get on the phones Stanley!

Oilers organization is on a full court press to find help at forward. Scouts and staff deployed en masse.

Cap situation could make it tough, but first round pick, a goaltender, maybe a young developing forward likely all in play.

— Ryan Rishaug (@TSNRyanRishaug) January 14, 2019

Get on the phones Stanley!

Oilers organization is on a full court press to find help at forward. Scouts and staff deployed en masse.

Cap situation could make it tough, but first round pick, a goaltender, maybe a young developing forward likely all in play.

— Ryan Rishaug (@TSNRyanRishaug) January 14, 2019

- DarthKane

Saad for Nurse

Great OT coaching. Winning faceoff only to have your 2 best offensive players skate around center ice for 40 seconds and go for a change.

All lines and pairings are the same, but Ward starts. I kind of figured that.

DeBrincat — Toews — Kahun

Anisimov — Strome — Kane

Saad — Kampf — Caggiula

Kunitz — Kruger — Hayden

Keith — Gustafsson

Jokiharju — Seabrook

Dahlstrom — Murphy

Ward

Delia
- I Am The Breadman

A fourth line for the ages.

It is an adjustment, but a guy with the skill and IQ of Jokiharju...he's definitely played his off side previously and shouldn't be an issue. For a guy with mobility issues like Seabrook, he should NOT play his off wing bc it requires more 360 movement to accept passes and adjust your body to make plays with the puck.. Young high skill/skater like Jokiharju..it will only help him to have the off-side experience. My gripe is that Jokiharju only played 12minutes last game. Yes, he got out-muscled by Tuch on their goal, but Alex Tuch is a beast that would do that to many defenseman bigger and older than Joki. Let the kid play and develop. There's no reason that Collitan should be shortening the bench in a development season like this.
- EnzoD

While you have a point you also have to factor in the business side of this. Imagine selling a guy tickets for $500 a pop (or whatever the cost) and say we're here to develop? Chicago and anywhere isn't like Toronto where not only would fans pay to see you and I play, they'd buy our jersey from the sports store.

Hey TC, how did you come up with the Justin Lowe moniker? Is there a story?

Great OT coaching. Winning faceoff only to have your 2 best offensive players skate around center ice for 40 seconds and go for a change.
- Newgod77

17 SECONDS!!!!!

I got this from SCH, and I don't see Koekkoek, so it could be wrong. If it is, don't shoot the messenger. I do agree with your complaints in general about JC.
- I Am The Breadman

No worries, I knew were just the messenger!

Once Koekkoek arrives, I'd expect Dahlstrom to sit even though I would rather not.

Watch, Jokiharju will get the healthy scratch. Sort of kidding but sort of not, unfortunately the way Colliton doles out TOI.

I don't have a problem with playing Joki on his off side because the objective at this point should be to build for the future and if Joki shows he can play either side equally well that would be a good thing to know when constructing the 2019/20 team.

The mindset should be geared to the future, not trying to squeeze out wins this season.

No worries, I knew were just the messenger!

Once Koekkoek arrives, I'd expect Dahlstrom to sit even though I would rather not.

Watch, Jokiharju will get the healthy scratch. Sort of kidding but sort of not, unfortunately the way Colliton doles out TOI.
- AEL_Fox

Some of the shine has worn off Dahlstrom a bit. Muprhy has covered for his mistakes quiet a few time the last 3-4 games. Think this speaks to how well Murphy is playing.

He is more a bottom pairing guy. I also think opposing teams are realizing that you can beat Dahlstrom wide b/c he isn't the fastest skater, and then out muscle him to the front of the net, despite him being a bigger defenseman.

A fourth line for the ages.
- Beaver-Warrior

I really don’t get why Kunitz is playing.

No worries, I knew were just the messenger!

Once Koekkoek arrives, I'd expect Dahlstrom to sit even though I would rather not.

Watch, Jokiharju will get the healthy scratch. Sort of kidding but sort of not, unfortunately the way Colliton doles out TOI.
- AEL_Fox

Okay, just clearing myself of the head biting, haha.

Dahl had a bad game, so he's safe in JC's eyes. I laughed at your Joki comment ... and agreed.

Great OT coaching. Winning faceoff only to have your 2 best offensive players skate around center ice for 40 seconds and go for a change.
- Newgod77

It's the way OT is played these days - get possession, don't give it up, don't be aggressive, wait for the defense to make a mistake.

The problem was (IIRC) that the wrong guy shot the puck - Keith.

Some of the shine has worn off Dahlstrom a bit. Muprhy has covered for his mistakes quiet a few time the last 3-4 games. Think this speaks to how well Murphy is playing.

He is more a bottom pairing guy. I also think opposing teams are realizing that you can beat Dahlstrom wide b/c he isn't the fastest skater, and then out muscle him to the front of the net, despite him being a bigger defenseman.
- bhawks2241

Its his first year at the NHL level. Of course he is going to have some down periods. Its a process.

All lines and pairings are the same, but Ward starts. I kind of figured that.

DeBrincat — Toews — Kahun

Anisimov — Strome — Kane

Saad — Kampf — Caggiula

Kunitz — Kruger — Hayden

Keith — Gustafsson

Jokiharju — Seabrook

Dahlstrom — Murphy

Ward

Delia
- I Am The Breadman

Per Lazerus:

Slater Koekkoek could make his debut tonight. Jeremy Colliton said they were still weighing lineup options. Kunitz and Hayden were on the ice late (usually a sign of a scratch), but Colliton wouldn't commit to that, either. Blackhawks didn't skate lines, either. #subterfuge

It is an adjustment, but a guy with the skill and IQ of Jokiharju...he's definitely played his off side previously and shouldn't be an issue. For a guy with mobility issues like Seabrook, he should NOT play his off wing bc it requires more 360 movement to accept passes and adjust your body to make plays with the puck.. Young high skill/skater like Jokiharju..it will only help him to have the off-side experience. My gripe is that Jokiharju only played 12minutes last game. Yes, he got out-muscled by Tuch on their goal, but Alex Tuch is a beast that would do that to many defenseman bigger and older than Joki. Let the kid play and develop. There's no reason that Collitan should be shortening the bench in a development season like this.
- EnzoD

Agree that the TOI allocation could be better, especially for Jokiharju.

I really don’t get why Kunitz is playing.
- walleyeb1

Especially with Hayden in the lineup. One or the other, not both.

As for playing Gustafsson on his offside - maybe it's more about playing him with Keith to give him more TOI and scoring opportunities to showcase him for a TDL deal. He certainly has good offensive skills but he is still bad in the d-zone. If the plan is to have Boqvist make the team next season - how many good offense but not so good defense guys can we have in the lineup when we're trying to win again? We don't know if Boqvist will end up being a better defender than Gustafsson but he probably won't be a good defender as a skinny 19 year old next season. I'm in favor of trading Gustafsson if Stan can get a decent return for him - sell high. Boqvist will be at least as good offensively as Gustafsson. The hope is he'll eventually be a lot better defensively.

Maybe there's a bigger picture? Why not have any defender learn to play either side and more importanly be comfortable on either side? That gives a coach all kinds of options in all situations. What if it didn't matter who the coach threw out in a certain situation? Two lefties on the PP, two righties on the pk, two lefties to shutdown a line or even a righty and a lefty together? Also what if a coach is thinking beyond the linear way most teams play and wants to introduce a fluid attack where position on the ice isn't as relevant as it is now? The Soviets would use this strategy with the defense and forwards when the opposition employed zone defenses. I'm sure the Hawk coaches have explained what they are trying to do with the players.
- paulr

Fair enough. If the reasoning is for developmental purposes towards versatility, then I'm all for it. It's just frustrating to shake up the D pairs when they really don't need to be shaken up.

No movement clause means you can't waive him. What part of this do you not understand? I'm not sure you know anything at all about hockey or this team except everything was all Quenville's fault. You're probably one of the people on here that posted the hawks would have 8 cups if Q wasn't the coach.
- GPHawksfan

Your a Richard why don't you Puck off

I really don’t get why Kunitz is playing.
- walleyeb1

Cause Perlini sucks?