Theo Fox: Games 24-25 vs Lightning
A preview to the Blackhawks 3-game series against the Lightning in a measuring-stick test to see how much the team has grown since being dominated in the season opener.

Plus, a recap of the IceHogs 9-4 thrashing by the Griffins.

Thank you, Theo.
Big test for the 'Hawks. Continuing the compete level is the key.

Nice write up Theo. All we can ask for is improvement, Hawks need to keep the SOG against down, at the very least in the low 30’s, otherwise we will get similar results to the early season matches.

Optimistically excited about the game tonight. Would like to see the Hawks break through on Vasilevskiy early to get some confidence. If Tampa gets up a couple, they really lock teams down. If they get down a couple, they tend to give up 4 or 5. Lankinen has shown he can stop 40, but it would be nice if he only had to stop about 28. And don't take penalties against that PP unit. Yep, a lot of things need to go right, but a couple early goals would make it so much easier.

I will take one early as in his last 3 games Vasilevsky has shut out Dallas twice and Carolina.

Amazing how so many people had Delia as the front runner to be the guy in net this year and he has been terrible. His stick handling is especially scary. There is no way that can work at the NHL level, so his cup of coffee is probably done like Darling.

So why isn’t Coach C trying Soderberg with Kane & D-Cat? I’m thinking he could be the Anisimov of that line and clog the middle and free them up to wheel and deal.

Suter is not big, so that line has skill but no size and I think that’s the problem it has 5-on-5.

Palat - Point - Johnson
Killorn - Cirelli - Stamkos
Goodrow - Gourde - Coleman
Maroon - Colton - Joseph

Hedman - Rutta
McDonagh - Cernak
Sergachev - Foote

Vasilevskiy
McElhinney

Some notes about these projected lines...

Stamkos will almost certainly lineup along with Point and Palat. Cooper experimented around with juggling his lines to spark some offense against Carolina, but I expect he will revert back to the Palat-Point-Stamkos top line. Johnson will likely slot back into the 2RW spot.

Coleman might have earned a longer look in the top-6, he might take Johnson's usual spot at 2RW and bump Johnson down to 3RW.

Imagine the criminal luxury of using Sergachev as a third-pairing guy. In reality, Sergachev is being deployed like a floater. Coop inserts him in almost any situation and with any partner. He is the best Lightning d-man at playing on his off-side, so he gets moved around a lot. He'll take some shifts with Hedman, which is always fun to watch for Bolts fans and terrifying for opponents.

McElbackup will get one of these starts. He has been Jekyll-Hyde so far this season, so his start might be a good shot at 2-points for the Hawks.

Boqvist for Eichel straight up. Let’s GOOOO!

Boqvist for Eichel straight up. Let’s GOOOO!
- Assman22

Buffalo has to throw in The Joker.

Some notes about these projected lines...

Stamkos will almost certainly lineup along with Point and Palat. Cooper experimented around with juggling his lines to spark some offense against Carolina, but I expect he will revert back to the Palat-Point-Stamkos top line. Johnson will likely slot back into the 2RW spot.

Coleman might have earned a longer look in the top-6, he might take Johnson's usual spot at 2RW and bump Johnson down to 3RW.

Imagine the criminal luxury of using Sergachev as a third-pairing guy. In reality, Sergachev is being deployed like a floater. Coop inserts him in almost any situation and with any partner. He is the best Lightning d-man at playing on his off-side, so he gets moved around a lot. He'll take some shifts with Hedman, which is always fun to watch for Bolts fans and terrifying for opponents.

McElbackup will get one of these starts. He has been Jekyll-Hyde so far this season, so his start might be a good shot at 2-points for the Hawks.
- GalacticStone

Thanks for the info. Sergachev is a really good player, and what a steal of a trade. What happened to Johnson? Is he just wearing down? Fallen out of favor? He was always very well thought of outside of Tampa.

All teams will have to submit their protection lists by 5:00 PM EST on July 17th. Apparently, the Seattle Kraken will then be able to interview any unprotected RFAs and UFAs who can be signed to deals before the actual expansion draft.

Buffalo has to throw in The Joker.
- mohel

Pass. We got plenty D. Taylor Hall oppo Kane however would be choice tho

Pass. We got plenty D. Taylor Hall oppo Kane however would be choice tho
- Assman22

How the mighty have fallen? Has Jokiharu regressed? is he just a product of BUF being bad? Have guys like Boqvist, Mitchell, Etc. passed him?

I don't watch enough of BUF to make an educated comment as to his play.

MLB is celebrating Lou Gehrig day today.

Thanks for the info. Sergachev is a really good player, and what a steal of a trade. What happened to Johnson? Is he just wearing down? Fallen out of favor? He was always very well thought of outside of Tampa.
- Chunk

I was suspect of the Drouin-Sergachev trade at first. In hindsight, those fears were unfounded. Sergachev turned out to be highway robbery. I'll take that trade any day.

My theory is that Johnson was never the same after that broken wrist he suffered in the 2015 finals. After that, his production went way down. He also hit the weight room pretty hard and bulked up a good bit on that small frame. That might have hurt his speed a bit, because he seems to have lost a step although he's still pretty quick - he just doesn't have that explosiveness in his acceleration any more.

While Johnson has regressed a bit, Palat has really blossomed. He was always the overlooked member of the old Triplets line and the straw that stirred the drink on that line. Now he's coming into his own.

I was suspect of the Drouin-Sergachev trade at first. In hindsight, those fears were unfounded. Sergachev turned out to be highway robbery. I'll take that trade any day.

My theory is that Johnson was never the same after that broken wrist he suffered in the 2015 finals. After that, his production went way down. He also hit the weight room pretty hard and bulked up a good bit on that small frame. That might have hurt his speed a bit, because he seems to have lost a step although he's still pretty quick - he just doesn't have that explosiveness in his acceleration any more.

While Johnson has regressed a bit, Palat has really blossomed. He was always the overlooked member of the old Triplets line and the straw that stirred the drink on that line. Now he's coming into his own.
- GalacticStone

Goddamit i really don't like hearing that

I will take one early as in his last 3 games Vasilevsky has shut out Dallas twice and Carolina.
- LAHawk

I think a 6-0 loss would be the expected outcome tonight.

Goddamit i really don't like hearing that
- BetweenTheDots

There's a very real chance that Dach's best days are behind him.

Goddamit i really don't like hearing that
- BetweenTheDots

For a shooter, a wrist-injury is like an ankle-injury for a skater. Sometimes it heals up right and sometimes it's never the same. Sucks.

There's a very real chance that Dach's best days are behind him.
- mohel

Yes, and playing in that tournament was the best thing for his career!




Oh sorry, no red font.

Some notes about these projected lines...

Stamkos will almost certainly lineup along with Point and Palat. Cooper experimented around with juggling his lines to spark some offense against Carolina, but I expect he will revert back to the Palat-Point-Stamkos top line. Johnson will likely slot back into the 2RW spot.

Coleman might have earned a longer look in the top-6, he might take Johnson's usual spot at 2RW and bump Johnson down to 3RW.

Imagine the criminal luxury of using Sergachev as a third-pairing guy. In reality, Sergachev is being deployed like a floater. Coop inserts him in almost any situation and with any partner. He is the best Lightning d-man at playing on his off-side, so he gets moved around a lot. He'll take some shifts with Hedman, which is always fun to watch for Bolts fans and terrifying for opponents.

McElbackup will get one of these starts. He has been Jekyll-Hyde so far this season, so his start might be a good shot at 2-points for the Hawks.
- GalacticStone

Is Rutta really a top pairing D-man, or is he there only because of handedness, or because Hedman is strong enough to protect him.

Is Rutta really a top pairing D-man, or is he there only because of handedness, or because Hedman is strong enough to protect him.
- TheTrob

Hedman is so good he's one of those few dmen that make the others look better than they really are.

Buffalo has to throw in The Joker.
- mohel

I'll throw in Dinky to help the cap even out.

There's a very real chance that Dach's best days are behind him.
- mohel

Bobby Douglass threw two touchdowns with a broken wrist on his passing hand.

Yes, and playing in that tournament was the best thing for his career!




Oh sorry, no red font.
- powerenforcer

It was his choice to go. How many other major injuries did Canada have? If it happened during the bubble games last season, would it be any different/better? What about game one this season? They play hockey. Injuries happen. Hopefully he heals up well and picks up where he left off. If not, they will have to find someone else to fill that role.