Dach-Toews-Kane
Cat-Strome-Saad
Nylander-Kampf-Kubalik
Shaw-Carpenter-Caggiulla



Saad has been flying around so put him back in the top 6. The Toews-Cat-Shaw line has simply not been very good and Shaw has also taken a bunch of bad penalties in the O-zone. Reward Nylander with a promotion to line 3, I think that would be a threatening 3rd line offensively with Nylander-Kubalik winger duo. Plus, that 4th line would make Mr. Rogers want to punch someone with how tough and pesky they would be to play against.
- EnzoD

20-19-8
12-17-88
64-77-65/91
82-22-91/65


I'm not much at line building but, Toews can't carry a line on his own, Kane can.

Line 1 gives Toews 2 guys who work well together and are playing well.
Hopefully line 2's best defense is a good offense
Line 3 gets Dach some center time with a fairly responsible Kampf.
Line 4 Carpenter and the Drake or Shaw would be okay.

Regardless, the 1st 2 lines aren't working well. Maybe time to start spreading the wealth from lines 3 and 4.

Reward Nylander but punish Caggiula? For what reason?
- Ogilthorpe2

There is no rhyme or reason, it's called Roulette wheel Blackhawk line up, stay tuned tomorrow will feature a new lineup.

I know it's early but i have to say with many going on and on about all these poop players we traded for or signed, Maata, deHaan, Carpenter, Shaw, Lehner, Kampf, even Smith have played really well for where they are slotted on this team, really well

Where did Kampf get the extra step the way he closed off on the breakaway was really impressive

There is no rhyme or reason, it's called Roulette wheel Blackhawk line up, stay tuned tomorrow will feature a new lineup.
- paulr

I thought it was a dart board

What no dissertation on how you are so right and throw some moronic statements in there that make only sense to you?
- BetweenTheDots

Don’t forget the emojis. Must use emojis!

All the progress on d, bottom 6 playing well, good goaltending etc., is all definitely a positive, but until the big boys step up, they're not gonna do anything, you win with your best players, end of story.

Thanks. Your insight is always appreciated. Put on you GM hat. Who would you call up? Who would be your 3rd pair Gus, K4, someone from the Rock. What side would they play?
- -Doh-

Gilbert or Carlsson. With a defensive defenseman in Murphy injured, it makes sense to call up an equivalent farmhand. That's definitely not Boqvist.

I wouldn't be upset if it's Holm that gets recalled but Gilbert and Carlsson fit the mold of the type of D-man needed.

Bad thing, the Hawks have 5 good veteran NHL defensemen. Get past that, this team's depth on "D" is not toally ready to make an impact. Koekkoek is not a NHL defensemen, Gus is still lost in his own zone. The Hawks need to stay healthy from the Top 5 on "D", that's why losing Murphy really stings right now. The Hawks have looked better since de Haan came back and the top 5 have been healthy, now unfortunately it feels a little like we are back to square one. Also, give Lehner the net for the time being and see if you can go on a little run. Lehner's play has been incredible, outside of one start from Crawford, he has not been very good at all.

Lots of fans throwin out line combos so I’ll throw out mine again:

Saad-Toews-Kubalik
-This might get Toews going. 20 and 8 have been great and this line would play a complete 200 ft game.

Caggiula-Dach-Kane
-I like 77 with 88 and Drake would provide the toughness, energy, and grit to complement the skill of his line mates.

DeBrincat-Strome-Nylander
-Reunite Cat and Strome and reward Nylander for his effort by putting him on a scoring line.

Shaw-Kampf-Carpenter
-Would instantly become one of the better 4th lines in the NHL.

That’s a great way to spread out the depth, using firepower to create 3 legit scoring lines as well as 2 shutdown lines(1st and 4th).

Did you lose your pom poms? They are playing ther best hockey they've played for 3 years and you think not having Schmaltz in the line up is the problem? Okay
- BetweenTheDots

Playing the best hockey in 3 years ,that not saying much. I have not like what I am seeing so far . Was always a Schmaltz fan ,though he was given up on to early . Not saying he could fix what is wrong with this team out of the gate ,but right now he would be doing much more then Strome .

Another thing that drives me crazy is, i see Toews, Kane and Strome do this, an opponent has a puck along the boards, they skate up to the opponent and at the last minute peel off like they are going to intercept the pass. Just do your job engage the player and trust your teammate to cover where the pass is going if you don't end up stealing it. If they peel off and the player holds it they have all this time and space to make a pass, Toews did this several times in the 3rd period last night, just do your job

Playing the best hockey in 3 years ,that not saying much. I have not like what I am seeing so far . Was always a Schmaltz fan ,though he was given up on to early . Not saying he could fix what is wrong with this team out of the gate ,but right now he would be doing much more then Strome .
- oldduffman

Interesting but you liked what you saw last year?

I cannot believe the only entry the Hawks have on the power play is to throw the puck back to Kane and let him try to beat a couple of guys and set up the Power Play. Shocking that this is the only thing I ever see the Hawks do, they are a NHL team right? Part of their reason their power play sucks so bad is they are oh so predictable and stationary when they are in the zone. I cannot stand watching their power plays, makes me sick with that kind of talent that looks that bad!!

To be fair, Maata was a member of the Penguins, and being married to a pens fan I can tell you at least 50% of that team is injured at any given moment
- Jance[Hyperbole aside, they usually are up there in man-games lost due to injury to the point I suspect some sort of issue with the training staff]. Also, part of Maata's injury history also includes cancer.

So hopefully now that he's off the penguins, the penguins' injury curse is also gone.

Good post about Maatta and his time with the Penguins.

Another thing to keep in mind is based on articles I remembering reading about him after the trade where he was described as a workout fiend who is dedicated to continually improving himself. He's tough to get off the ice once practices end and even harder to leave the gym.

He's not a physical freak like Keith but I love that commitment and work ethic by Maatta.

I know the advanced stats depict a different perspective but I feel that Maatta has been the best defenseman on the team so far. An unsung hero in my book.

Same with Carpenter at forward.

Time to move Saad up and drop Shaw to the 3rd line. Throw Saad some type of bone, as he has been absolutely incredible so far this season. Hawks must do something to light a fire under Toews's ass and maybe playing with Saad would help. How about load up a line with Saad-Toews-Kane and go with 12-77-17, 65-64-8, and 91-22-92.
Like to see some stability and chemistry begin to develop because I think this team has an opportunity to surprise some people this year!!

Lots of fans throwin out line combos so I’ll throw out mine again:

Saad-Toews-Kubalik
-This might get Toews going. 20 and 8 have been great and this line would play a complete 200 ft game.

Caggiula-Dach-Kane
-I like 77 with 88 and Drake would provide the toughness, energy, and grit to complement the skill of his line mates.

DeBrincat-Strome-Nylander
-Reunite Cat and Strome and reward Nylander for his effort by putting him on a scoring line.

Shaw-Kampf-Carpenter
-Would instantly become one of the better 4th lines in the NHL.

That’s a great way to spread out the depth, using firepower to create 3 legit scoring lines as well as 2 shutdown lines(1st and 4th).
- SimpleJack

I like a lot if Nylander continues to bust his backside. That 3rd line scares me if they are forced to defend though....

Interesting but you liked what you saw last year?
- BetweenTheDots

No not till the coaching change ,then it took some time but by the end of the year the team was playing pretty.

I like a lot if Nylander continues to bust his backside. That 3rd line scares me if they are forced to defend though....
- bhawks2241

I actually like the amount of grit and back checking I’ve seen from all 3 of those guys so far this season, especially Cat and Nylander.

What no dissertation on how you are so right and throw some moronic statements in there that make only sense to you?
- BetweenTheDots

Wow....hair triggered...

Since you asked, and you may want to read this from your "safe room", I am flattered that you look to me to balance the scales of right and wrong, but I have always looked at my time here as an escape from reality, when time allows. I am not much for score keeping....as it has zero affect on the outcome of anything real.

News flash...everyone here is full of poop. But it is OK. Its supposed to be fun. I like it when it is challenging. I actually work on my writing and reasoning skills. And sure, I get a little annoyed with coming here and finding the same dippoop comments day after day. Its not the comments, but the reflexive obsession to shift focus and blame to some focal point, that seems to serve as a comfort blanket to those either too lazy or incapable of come up with an original thought. (Keep beating that HORSE!!!)

Some act like Uncle Rico or Al Bundy just unable to face the fact that the calendar has turned over many times and some really cool things are in the rear view mirror. I am in this moment, grateful for the past and looking forward to the future. I also realize that my participation as a fan had zero affect on the team winning 3 cups....(as tough as that is to swallow for me)

16 teams make the NHL Playoffs and doing so is no small accomplishment in the most competitive league in sports history. For some fans, I know making the playoffs is not enough, as they have developed a higher expectation and taste for the finer things. But make no mistake about it, while we all wish in some way it was otherwise, nothing said or done or posited by anyone, including myself, has ANY (ZERO) affect on the outcome of any game or season. I accept that, and in doing so, enjoy the board for what it is: ENTERTAINMENT

That is probably a little longer of a dissertation than I even planned....

I actually like the amount of grit and back checking I’ve seen from all 3 of those guys so far this season, especially Cat and Nylander.
- SimpleJack

That is true. Dcat has been much harder on the puck. Nylander can carry the biscuit on that line too. Hopefully that line would get Strome going too. He seems to be fighting the puck a bit the last few games.

I know it's early but i have to say with many going on and on about all these poop players we traded for or signed, Maata, deHaan, Carpenter, Shaw, Lehner, Kampf, even Smith have played really well for where they are slotted on this team, really well

Where did Kampf get the extra step the way he closed off on the breakaway was really impressive
- BetweenTheDots

There is no rhyme or reason, it's called Roulette wheel Blackhawk line up, stay tuned tomorrow will feature a new lineup.
- paulr

Paul, honest question here.

I see the PP handcuffing itself a bit. I like the Kane, Gus, ADB umbrella, however, with how they are configured down low, there are no real options. Washington and Tampa have the Oshie/Point pop out option, which allows the puck to go down to the goal line (Strome or Toews) and provides another play option (with a right shot player). PKs vs those teams have to collapse down closer to the goal to defend, which opens up Point shots and cross ice (Stamkos/Ov).

Assuming I have adequately described my perception, Should the Hawks look to insert Shaw/Nylander into the spot Toews has been occupying and have toews replace Strome, or leave STrome? This may loosen things up top for point shots and cross ice one timers....

Paul, honest question here.

I see the PP handcuffing itself a bit. I like the Kane, Gus, ADB umbrella, however, with how they are configured down low, there are no real options. Washington and Tampa have the Oshie/Point pop out option, which allows the puck to go down to the goal line (Strome or Toews) and provides another play option (with a right shot player). PKs vs those teams have to collapse down closer to the goal to defend, which opens up Point shots and cross ice (Stamkos/Ov).

Assuming I have adequately described my perception, Should the Hawks look to insert Shaw/Nylander into the spot Toews has been occupying and have toews replace Strome, or leave STrome? This may loosen things up top for point shots and cross ice one timers....
- TrueGrit

Kubalik did a very nice job last night creating chances on PP2. Nylander did not look out of place in his short time either. I think we may start seeing some changes to the PP units shortly. JC already started in game. We shall see what the results are.

Well this is good to hear:


Ben Pope‏ @BenPopeCST

Kane, Keith and Shaw — who all missed practice today — are all fine health-wise.


I got really nervous when Kane went Knee to Knee.

Good post about Maatta and his time with the Penguins.

Another thing to keep in mind is based on articles I remembering reading about him after the trade where he was described as a workout fiend who is dedicated to continually improving himself. He's tough to get off the ice once practices end and even harder to leave the gym.

He's not a physical freak like Keith but I love that commitment and work ethic by Maatta.

I know the advanced stats depict a different perspective but I feel that Maatta has been the best defenseman on the team so far. An unsung hero in my book.

Same with Carpenter at forward.
- AEL_Fox

I'll respectfully disagree. It's been Murphy, and it's not even close.

CF 55.25; xGF 59.22; SCF 55.17; HDCF 60.61, OffZStart 37.04