Official Chicago Blackhawks Thread: Bedard Era

Discussion in 'The Mainboard' started by Illinihockey, Apr 9, 2015.

  1. Fran Tarkenton

    Fran Tarkenton Hilton Honors VIP
    Donor
    Wake Forest Demon DeaconsGeorgia Bulldogs

    Sean Tierney
    August 22 2017

    Training camp is only a month away.

    For hockey fans across the continent, this is a huge relief.

    For Blackhawks fans, this sense of relief is tainted by uncertainty. After a tumultuous offseason filled with high-profile trades, salary cap tap dancing, retirement and devastating injury news across the roster, the Blackhawks are poised to have a very different look in 2017-18.

    With so many new faces, the familiar forward lines of last season cannot remain in place. And, with an exodus of talent overall, the challenge of spreading talent wisely is even greater.

    What does Joel Quenneville have to work with? How can statistics help guide the assembly of new forward combinations? What are the “optimal” forward lines for the Hawks next season?

    To answer these questions, let’s turn to some data and video.



    Thinning talent and a roster filled with puck chasers

    It’s hardly news to Blackhawks fans that times will be much tougher in 2017-18. General manager Stan Bowman, still locked into his never-ending salary cap crunch, was forced to make a variety of deals to reduce team spending.

    Worse still, disaster struck when Marian Hossa was lost for the season due to a skin disorder. Brian Campbell, still a calming, capable presence on the blue line, announced his retirement after playing on a discounted contract last year.

    All told, the loss of talent across the roster is striking:

    [​IMG]

    *forward and defensemen values can be found here. “Value” for goalies is “expected goals saved,” found here.

    For our purposes here, we’re concerned only with the forwards. Brandon Saad and Patrick Sharp return to the team, joined by depth forwards Tommy Wingels, Lance Bouma and Laurent Dauphin. The list of departures from the Blackhawks include forwards Artemi Panarin, Dennis Rasmussen, Marcus Kruger and Tyler Motte.

    Now that player transactions have settled and training camp is only a month or so away, it’s possible to take the new forward group and examine the best possible line combinations.

    To guide the process, I’ll rely on the excellent work done by Ryan Stimson on “player chemistry.” In one of his recent studies, Stimson examined the ways in which players control the puck (passes that lead to shots, passes that create zone entries, dangerous passes from behind the end line, shots, etc…) to classify player types. Four groups emerged:

    • Playmakers: elite, all-around contributors
    • Shooters: influential players who contribute most influentially in terms of shots
    • Balanced: ideal “glue guys” who fit in well with playmakers and shooters and make for ideal third-lines
    • Dependents: role-playing grinders who do not influence much control over the puck
    The classifications for players (we’ll check on the Blackhawks in just a moment) are interesting on their own. But Stimson’s study went further, showing how these player clusters interacted. Certain player type trios play better together, as measured by the percentage of goals for (xGF%) they register while on the ice together.

    The chemistry graph in Stimson’s piece looks like this:

    [​IMG]

    Unsurprisingly, three elite talents generate the best xGF%. Also unsurprisingly, three dependent skaters stuck together struggle to control the flow of play.

    So, how do the Blackhawks’ line combos look next season when optimized based on player types?

    [​IMG]

    This graph shows (most of) the available forwards, their GAR value, their player types (see legend for color coding guide) and the share of goals that forward trio would be expected to hold if they played together (xGF%).

    It’s a little bleak, but let’s start with the positives.

    The Blackhhawks can ice a world-class top line. Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane rarely played together at even-strength last year. But, based on styles, these two make an ideal pairing. Brandon Saad fits in well if Joel Quenneville decides to roll with a potent first line, though Patrick Sharp or Ryan Hartman would fit just as well on Line 1 based purely on player types.

    The other positive for the Blackhawks is the presence of two playmakers and three shooters. It’s not an abundance of talent, but it does offer the team some strong alternative options for lineup juggling.

    However, there’s a lot to worry about here.

    First, the group of forwards is loaded with dependent types. These are the “pluggers” — players who do not drive the play and need quality linemates to be productive. The Blackhawks appear set to ice two lines filled with “dependent” types. These groups are sure to do a lot of puck chasing and generate little offense.

    The impact of so many dependent skaters is seen in the team’s overall forwards xGF%. To get that overall value, I weighted each line by time-on-ice. Such as, Line 1 will play much more than Line 4, so their strong xGF% matters more. Even with a great top line and weighted time-on-ice impact, this forward group has a xGF% of 48.6. That means that we should expect this group to surrender a greater share of goals than they generate during the season.

    Clearly, that’s an issue.

    However, this isn’t the only reasonable way to construct the lineup. Research by Alex Novet (here) and Dawson Sprigings (here) has shown that it is best for NHL teams to spread their talent out across lines, creating matchup issues for their opponent.

    If we keep playing styles and talent spread in mind, the Blackhawks’ ideal forward lines look like this:

    [​IMG]

    In this configuration, we get the familiar split of Toews and Kane and reunite Toews with Richard Panik. Line 3 improves here as the group gains Hartman as a shooter. Still, even with the talent spread in effect, the lineup simply has too many dependent player types dragging down the group. In the end, this set of lines is expected to have a GF% of 47.3, worse than the first proposal.



    Some concluding thoughts…

    Bowman has done his best to bolster his once-Cup-contending roster for another postseason run next season. But this forward group has the look of a declining contender, fading from relevance. Toews, Kane, Saad, Sharp and Hartman are the team’s clearest play-drivers and that’s simply not enough talent.

    If Quenneville rolls with the first set of proposed line combos and packs the top two lines with his most talented players, it would be possible to minimize the playing time of his bottom-six and coax a better result out of this group. That might be asking a lot, particularly of the still mostly unproven Hartman and 35-year-old Sharp.

    The best chance for squeezing some extra value out of a thinned forward corps is hoping for a youngster to break out. The playing style data does not account well (or at all) for players with little to no NHL track record. It’s possible John Hayden may prove to be a “balanced” NHL forward. Highly-talented prospect Alex DeBrincat seems poised to become an influential NHL talent too. If either of these prospects earns regular playing time this season and develops into more than a “dependent,” the Blackhawks will have a few more options.

    It all “depends.”


    https://theathletic.com/87136/2017/08/22/tierney-putting-together-the-blackhawks-optimal-lineup/
     
  2. Diesel51

    Diesel51 Active Member
    TMB OG

    Flying in on Saturday... land at about 2:15pm and staying on North Dearborn. Not opposed to ubering or taking the train wherever... what bar/restaurant would TMB Chicago suggest as the best place to go and watch the games? Looking for the best combination of food/drinks/"scenery" possible in no particular order. 25 but wiling to spend if it's worth it.. Would appreciate any advice gentlemen, thank you
     
  3. wes tegg

    wes tegg I'm a Guy's guy, guys.
    Staff Donor
    Atlanta BravesDenver BroncosChicago BlackhawksBirmingham LegionMississippi Rebels

    Goals on goals on goals...
     
    Bankz, Fran Tarkenton and Tex like this.
  4. Tex

    Tex Decoy Cooler
    Donor
    Texas LonghornsHouston AstrosHouston RocketsDallas CowboysChicago BlackhawksBonnaroo

    Watching in class. I should not be doing this.
     
    wes tegg likes this.
  5. Fran Tarkenton

    Fran Tarkenton Hilton Honors VIP
    Donor
    Wake Forest Demon DeaconsGeorgia Bulldogs

    really interested to see how Q handles, or doesn't, the Lines. And the new staff. And what if anything can be used on Hossa LTIR.



     
    visa likes this.
  6. visa

    visa Well-Known Member
    Donor
    Michigan WolverinesArsenalEnglandOlympics

    Saadfather ❤️

    Hope DeBrincat sticks
     
  7. Illinihockey

    Illinihockey Well-Known Member
    Chicago CubsChicago BullsChicago BearsChicago BlackhawksIllinois Fightin' IlliniLiverpool

  8. Illinihockey

    Illinihockey Well-Known Member
    Chicago CubsChicago BullsChicago BearsChicago BlackhawksIllinois Fightin' IlliniLiverpool

    Anyone read Sam Fels book? I just finished it and while it started off kind of slow, was really good if you're a life long fan.
     
    wes tegg likes this.
  9. visa

    visa Well-Known Member
    Donor
    Michigan WolverinesArsenalEnglandOlympics

    Saad!!
     
    Tex likes this.
  10. Illinihockey

    Illinihockey Well-Known Member
    Chicago CubsChicago BullsChicago BearsChicago BlackhawksIllinois Fightin' IlliniLiverpool

    Pretty pretty pretty pretty good
     
    Tex and Fran Tarkenton like this.
  11. visa

    visa Well-Known Member
    Donor
    Michigan WolverinesArsenalEnglandOlympics

    Hang ten on em
     
    Tex and Fran Tarkenton like this.
  12. Bankz

    Bankz Well-Known Member
    Donor TMB OG
    MilanFormula 1

    this is good offense... Offense is good
     
    Tex likes this.
  13. Fran Tarkenton

    Fran Tarkenton Hilton Honors VIP
    Donor
    Wake Forest Demon DeaconsGeorgia Bulldogs

    Saad being back is good

    Schmaltzy with Kane is good

    team is possessing the puck again, granted its Pens on 2nd of a b2b
     
    Tex and visa like this.
  14. illinasty

    illinasty Well-Known Member

    Team looks fast and strong this year. Like physically strong. Schmaltz has clearly taken another step early even compared to his PPG pace the last half of last year. Saad/Toews/Panik is a lot of fast beef to deal with. Panarin was fantastic but Saad fits the lineup like a glove.

    Game belonged to Schmaltz, IMO. He and Kane were the best players on the ice. Hartman is laughing getting to play with those 2.
     
    wes tegg, Bankz and Tex like this.
  15. Illinihockey

    Illinihockey Well-Known Member
    Chicago CubsChicago BullsChicago BearsChicago BlackhawksIllinois Fightin' IlliniLiverpool

    The Hawks have a great top 9. The question mark this year will be the defense.
     
    wes tegg likes this.
  16. Fran Tarkenton

    Fran Tarkenton Hilton Honors VIP
    Donor
    Wake Forest Demon DeaconsGeorgia Bulldogs

    interested to see how we utilize the Hossa LTIR $
     
  17. Illinihockey

    Illinihockey Well-Known Member
    Chicago CubsChicago BullsChicago BearsChicago BlackhawksIllinois Fightin' IlliniLiverpool

    Well they used some of it to sign Franson
     
  18. wes tegg

    wes tegg I'm a Guy's guy, guys.
    Staff Donor
    Atlanta BravesDenver BroncosChicago BlackhawksBirmingham LegionMississippi Rebels

    Just bought. Looking forward to it. :respek:
     
  19. illinasty

    illinasty Well-Known Member

    Bored and looked up D in the last year of their contract making money in that 2.5-3.5 Hossa LTIR ballpark
    Mark Fayne[​IMG]
    Luca Sbisa[​IMG]
    Erik Gudbranson[​IMG]
    Calvin De Haan[​IMG]
    Clayton Stoner[​IMG].
    Thomas Hickey[​IMG]
    Ian Cole[​IMG]

    Also, Vegas needs to ditch a defenseman to bring up Shipachyov, like right now.

    Deryk Engelland
    Jason Garrison
    Brad Hunt
    Brayden McNabb
    Jon Merrill
    Colin Miller
    Griffin Reinhart
    Luca Sbisa
    Nate Schmidt
    Clayton Stoner * (IR)
     
    Fran Tarkenton likes this.
  20. Fran Tarkenton

    Fran Tarkenton Hilton Honors VIP
    Donor
    Wake Forest Demon DeaconsGeorgia Bulldogs

  21. Fran Tarkenton

    Fran Tarkenton Hilton Honors VIP
    Donor
    Wake Forest Demon DeaconsGeorgia Bulldogs

    was just getting into The Athletic Chicago Hawks pod and now Hedger is leaving for somewhere else (will announce later today)

    would like to make a statement in Toronto tonight even without Schmaltz
     
  22. visa

    visa Well-Known Member
    Donor
    Michigan WolverinesArsenalEnglandOlympics

    Statement in process
     
  23. Tex

    Tex Decoy Cooler
    Donor
    Texas LonghornsHouston AstrosHouston RocketsDallas CowboysChicago BlackhawksBonnaroo

  24. visa

    visa Well-Known Member
    Donor
    Michigan WolverinesArsenalEnglandOlympics

  25. Fran Tarkenton

    Fran Tarkenton Hilton Honors VIP
    Donor
    Wake Forest Demon DeaconsGeorgia Bulldogs

    Scott Powers
    11 hours ago

    TORONTO — The Blackhawks were brought back down to earth on Monday.

    After outscoring their first two opponents 15-2 and appearing invincible, the Blackhawks looked a lot more human in a 4-3 overtime loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Monday.

    Here are five things we learned from Monday’s game:

    1. Everything came so easy for the Blackhawks the first two games, but there are some lessons they’ll need to learn. How to put it together for three periods may be one of them.

    The Blackhawks were so dominant in the first two periods of their first two games that the third periods were meaningless. On Monday, they had the start they wanted, held a 2-1 lead after two periods and put the Leafs down 3-1 late, but they lacked the knockout punch. They were also well outplayed from the second period on.

    In years past, the Blackhawks rarely failed to put a team away in those late-game situations. The Blackhawks were 30-2-3 when leading after two periods last season and 37-0-4 the season before that. The Leafs scored twice in the final seven minutes of the third period to even the game and finished the Blackhawks in overtime.

    A lot of credit has to go the Leafs, too. They were the better team and deserved to win.

    “They’re good,” Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville said. “They’re really good. We gave up a ton of chances tonight, uncharacteristic of us, but they’ve got some amazing players. They’re dangerous, give them credit.”

    2. Nick Schmaltz’s absence changed the Blackhawks’ look on Monday.

    First off, outside of Brandon Saad and Patrick Kane, no one has been more impressive offensively than Schmaltz from the start of training camp to now. His emergence has made the Blackhawks that much more offensively potent.

    Secondly, Schmaltz’s game is a lot about speed. He opens the game up, backs defenders off and is able to create for himself, Kane and others by doing so. The Blackhawks lacked that offensive threat against the Leafs and struggled to counter their speed.

    Kane, Artem Anisimov and Ryan Hartman were pinned in the defensive zone all game. Kane was a minus-25 Corsi as he was on the ice for five shots for and 30 against in 5-on-5 play. His 14.29 Corsi percentage was his second worst of the past nine seasons. He had a 11.54 Corsi percentage against the Colorado Avalanche in a game last season.

    Finally, the Blackhawks’ lines, especially their second and third ones, looked a lot different without Schmaltz balancing them. The second line lacked a second puck-possession forward and the third line wasn't threatening with Alex DeBrincat, Patrick Sharp and Tanner Kero combining for two shots on goal in 5-on-5 play.

    “I think obviously you miss a guy that was playing unbelievable for us,” Quenneville said. “It gives us a lot of options and up in the middle we had a couple guys that were probably a little bit short-staffed in that area, and trying to improvise with our lines as we’re getting deeper or later in periods. We find a way.”

    [​IMG]

    Anton Forsberg made 39 saves in the Blackhawks' loss. (Tom Szczerbowski/USA TODAY Sports)
    3. Anton Forsberg seems up for the task to be the Blackhawks’ No. 2 goalie.

    That appeared to be the case during the preseason, but it was the preseason. In his first regular-season game for the Blackhawks, he was stellar. He stopped 39-of-43 shots, including 26-of-28 in 5-on-5 play.

    Monday felt like an important start for Forsberg, too. He had started a total of nine games in the past three seasons and had struggled in most of them. Only one would be classified as a quality start. The Blackhawks were convinced all he needed was an opportunity to be a No. 2 goalie and went out and acquired him as part of blockbuster trade with the Columbus Blue Jackets. The proof is in the games, though, and Forsberg is building proof.

    “He looks strong all camp and tonight he was as solid as ever,” Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews said. “You need your goaltender playing really well and when you have that many penalty kills, he made some huge stops for us tonight and is probably the biggest reason why we got a point out of it.”

    4. The Blackhawks and everyone else are going to have to adapt to the league’s enforcement of slashing penalties and faceoff infractions.

    The Blackhawks and Leafs were called for a total of 13 penalties. Eight of them were for slashing.

    “Like I said when you’re out of position, sometimes you try and get a stick on their stick, try and knock the puck off, make any contact with their hands or their pants,” Toews said. “They’re going to call it, so it’s something we have to be careful with going forward. … It’s good when it works in your favor and not the other way around. As long as it’s even both ways I can’t complain, just something you have to keep in mind.”

    The faceoffs were another issue. Twenty-two players (11 for each team) took faceoffs because players were getting kicked out for infractions. The Blackhawks’ list included defensemen Brent Seabrook and Gustav Forsling.

    “Tonight was an epidemic for sure,” Quenneville said. “Right off the bat, I don’t know what was the number. I think Jonny got tossed about nine times. It was one of those nights.

    “Right now they don’t tell you why. So that’s the part that we can look at it again. But I think it’s tough on that centerman certainly, the frustration of Jonny and [Maple Leafs center Nazem] Kadri’s doing the same thing, they couldn’t quite understand the reason why. I think that’s a work in progress as far as why you’re getting tossed without an answer.”

    5. Monday was again a reminder the Blackhawks won the Jeremy Morin-for-Richard Panik trade with the Leafs.

    Panik scored a goal and had a primary assist on the night for the Blackhawks. He now has a goal in all three games this season and has 31 goals in 115 games for the Blackhawks since coming over late in the 2015-16 season.

    As for Morin, he wasn’t kept by the Leafs after the 2015-16 season and has bounced around a variety of leagues.

    Other notes: Blackhawks defenseman Jan Rutta and Toews each scored their second goal of the season. … Duncan Keith played a game-high 28:11. … Ryan Hartman was called for two penalties, his first two of the season. It wasn’t until the 25th game last season that he had two penalties on the season. … The Leafs had a 33-7 shot advantage and 23-3 shots-on-goal advantage over the last two periods. … The Blackhawks last had five points after three games during the 2014-15 season. … Corey Crawford will start against the Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday.
     
    wes tegg likes this.
  26. wes tegg

    wes tegg I'm a Guy's guy, guys.
    Staff Donor
    Atlanta BravesDenver BroncosChicago BlackhawksBirmingham LegionMississippi Rebels

    22 blocked shots and 38 saves through 50 minutes is strong.
     
  27. Fran Tarkenton

    Fran Tarkenton Hilton Honors VIP
    Donor
    Wake Forest Demon DeaconsGeorgia Bulldogs

    sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/31-thoughts-new-arena-means-everything-islanders/

    18. What was the best text Chicago’s

    Ryan Hartman received after five points against Pittsburgh? “One of my friends texted, ‘Only five?’” he laughed.

    19. Hartman said he was challenged by Blackhawks GM Stan Bowman in his 2016-17 exit meeting. “He told me he expected more (this season). I changed the way I prepared in the summer.” One of Hartman’s adjustments was to attend Darryl Belfry’s skills camp in Florida. “He wanted me to create more deception in the way I receive passes. If you give a slight move with your stick either away from or closer to (the passer) as you receive it, you open up some space. I like it.”

    20. Blackhawks’ prospect Dylan Sikura is off to a blazing start for NCAA Northeastern. He had five points in two games against Sacred Heart, including two goals in the first 9:31 of the second one. “He’s ready for the NHL now,” said one scout.

    A senior, Sikura was taken 178th overall in 2014. He can choose free agency after the season, although Chicago smoothly signed his brother, Tyler, now playing for AHL Rockford. The Canadian Olympic team was watching Sikura last weekend. He is from Aurora, Ont.
     
    visa and wes tegg like this.
  28. wes tegg

    wes tegg I'm a Guy's guy, guys.
    Staff Donor
    Atlanta BravesDenver BroncosChicago BlackhawksBirmingham LegionMississippi Rebels

    How the fuck is Saad only 24?
     
    visa and Bankz like this.
  29. Bankz

    Bankz Well-Known Member
    Donor TMB OG
    MilanFormula 1

    I was surprised to see his age when we got him back.
     
    wes tegg likes this.
  30. wes tegg

    wes tegg I'm a Guy's guy, guys.
    Staff Donor
    Atlanta BravesDenver BroncosChicago BlackhawksBirmingham LegionMississippi Rebels

    Weakness on D is showing. Blues are going to be tough.
     
  31. Illinihockey

    Illinihockey Well-Known Member
    Chicago CubsChicago BullsChicago BearsChicago BlackhawksIllinois Fightin' IlliniLiverpool

    I think its just about time for Q's tenure with the Hawks to be over. They need a new voice in the room.
     
    Fran Tarkenton likes this.
  32. Bankz

    Bankz Well-Known Member
    Donor TMB OG
    MilanFormula 1

    I would be pretty surprised if that happened mid season... They just can't finish this season.
     
    wes tegg likes this.
  33. Fran Tarkenton

    Fran Tarkenton Hilton Honors VIP
    Donor
    Wake Forest Demon DeaconsGeorgia Bulldogs

    Team is stale, esp last night. No possession, not creating offense. And still the same defensive issues.

    Q isn't managing to his personnel, is as stubborn as ever. Good run but unless a switch is flipped this season is more of the same.
     
    Illinihockey likes this.
  34. wes tegg

    wes tegg I'm a Guy's guy, guys.
    Staff Donor
    Atlanta BravesDenver BroncosChicago BlackhawksBirmingham LegionMississippi Rebels

    Let's not get carried away here, guys.
     
    Bankz likes this.
  35. wes tegg

    wes tegg I'm a Guy's guy, guys.
    Staff Donor
    Atlanta BravesDenver BroncosChicago BlackhawksBirmingham LegionMississippi Rebels

    :siren::siren:2019 Winter Classic will be Hawks v. #Boston Bruins at Notre Dame Stadium :siren::siren:
     
  36. Fran Tarkenton

    Fran Tarkenton Hilton Honors VIP
    Donor
    Wake Forest Demon DeaconsGeorgia Bulldogs

  37. laxjoe

    laxjoe Well-Known Member
    Donor
    San Diego State AztecsSan Diego Padres

    Yessir. Hoping there's some staff pool I can try and get tickets through
     
    NilesIrish and wes tegg like this.
  38. Fran Tarkenton

    Fran Tarkenton Hilton Honors VIP
    Donor
    Wake Forest Demon DeaconsGeorgia Bulldogs

  39. Fran Tarkenton

    Fran Tarkenton Hilton Honors VIP
    Donor
    Wake Forest Demon DeaconsGeorgia Bulldogs

    another crap showing last nite
     
    wes tegg likes this.
  40. Illinihockey

    Illinihockey Well-Known Member
    Chicago CubsChicago BullsChicago BearsChicago BlackhawksIllinois Fightin' IlliniLiverpool

    This is what the end of a dynasty looks like. Seabrook is toast, Hossa is gone, Toews has turned into Mike Richards, Keith is no longer God.
     
    FSUtony and wes tegg like this.
  41. Fran Tarkenton

    Fran Tarkenton Hilton Honors VIP
    Donor
    Wake Forest Demon DeaconsGeorgia Bulldogs

    By Scott Powers 7 hours ago

    Joel Quenneville had a theory about why the Blackhawks were creating more shots and allowing more shots than any of his previous teams when I asked him about it this week.

    “I think a lot of it is we probably have more shots for because we’re probably behind in more games than we’ve been in in the past,” Quenneville said, “and just trying to get some type of production, maybe pinching a little bit more and spending more time in the offensive zone later in games when we’re in that situation.”

    I was curious if that was correct.

    First, let’s go over the overall numbers. The Blackhawks are taking 34.1 shots on goal per game, which is sixth in the NHL. They are allowing 34.2 shots, which is the fourth-most. In 5-on-5 play, they’re averaging 66.78 shot attempts per 60 minutes (third) and 35.16 shot on goals (sixth), while allowing an average of 64.42 shot attempts (third-most) and 37.21 shots on goal (the most in the NHL).

    Quenneville was right and the numbers are interesting.

    According to Natural Stat Trick, the Blackhawks have trailed an average of 13:35 per game this season (12th-most). When trailing, they are more aggressive. In 5-on-5 play, they average 73.58 shot attempts for per 60 minutes (fifth-most) and 36.79 shots on goal (10th-most).

    But what’s interesting is the Blackhawks actually allow a lot of shots against when they’re trailing. Like the most in the NHL. The Blackhawks are 31st in the league in both average of shot attempts per 60 minutes (63.03) and shots on goal (38.02) when they’re trailing.

    So, opponents are getting more 5-on-5 shots on goal (38.02-36.79) when the Blackhawks are trailing. That’s not normally the case. Usually, teams are accounting for a higher percentage of the shots on goal because they’re being more aggressive. The Blackhawks are one of only five teams that are getting outshot when trailing.

    It shouldn't be a surprise then that the Blackhawks are also being outscored when trailing. Opponents have a 14-11 scoring edge in 5-on-5 play in that scenario. They are one of 10 teams being outscored.

    “I think that the game’s probably a little more offensive this year than it’s been in other years,” Quenneville said. “I still think we have to be better defensively, in all zones. If we had the puck a little bit more, it would help a couple of matters, which would be goals and obviously chances against or shots against.”

    2. The Blackhawks have two players leading the league in a category you don’t want to be leading the league in.

    Brent Seabrook and Richard Panik are tied with four other players for a league-high 10 minor penalties. Just behind them, Jonathan Toews is tied for eighth with eight minors and Tommy Wingels and Ryan Hartman are tied for 32nd with seven minors apiece.

    Seabrook’s penalty number is the one that sticks out. Just last season, he had only 13 minor penalties in 79 games. He hasn’t had more than 20 in any season in the last 10 years.

    As a team, the Blackhawks are fourth with 72 minor penalties. That’s also out of the ordinary. They’ve had the fewest amount of minor penalties in the league over the last five seasons, averaging 2.99 minors per game. They’re averaging four per game now.

    [​IMG]

    Blackhawks winger Alex DeBrincat is heating up. He has three goals in his last two games. (Eric Bolte/USA TODAY Sports)
    3. Arizona Coyotes rookie forward Clayton Keller has put himself in pole position for the Calder Trophy, but Alex DeBrincat isn’t out of it.

    DeBrincat helped keep his name in the early conversations with his late offensive surge. He’s now tied for fourth among rookies with six goals and tied for 10th with 11 points. Keller leads all rookies with 11 goals and 17 points.

    DeBrincat is getting a decent amount of ice time among rookies. Among rookie forwards who have played 10 games this season, he’s 14th in average ice time at 14:03. John Hayden is 26th at 11:26.

    4. The Blackhawks appear as if they’re going to try some new defensemen duos on the power play.

    During practice on Tuesday, defensemen Jan Rutta and Gustav Forsling practiced on the power play. Neither have played much there this season. Forsling has a total of 5:44 power play ice time and Rutta with 8:11.

    The Blackhawks have obviously taken notice of Rutta and Forsling’s point shots lately. Rutta scored a goal and had a primary assist off shots in the last game, and Forsling scored in the previous game.

    Duncan Keith and Cody Franson also got power play time during practice. Seabrook, who is second among the team’s defensemen in power play ice time, was not included on the units.

    5. Blackhawks goalie prospect Ivan Nalimov has been an interesting prospect to keep tabs on in Russia.

    Nalimov, 23, looked like he was trailing off the Blackhawks’ radar. His numbers hadn’t been great the past few seasons, and it didn’t sound as if he impressed anyone in training camp last season.

    Even early this season, Nalimov was struggling. He allowed 19 goals in his first six starts for Admiral in the KHL. He gave up seven goals in a game on Sept. 21 and then sat for nearly a month.

    Nalimov was given another shot in net in late October, and he’s made the most of the opportunity. He stopped 30-of-31 shots on Oct. 31. He had a 34-save shutout in his next game. On Tuesday, in his latest game, he had 45 saves on 46 shots. That’s 109 saves on 111 shots.
     
  42. Cousin Eddie

    Cousin Eddie Lookin for the place called Lee Ho Fook's
    Donor
    Georgia BulldogsChicago CubsArsenalAtlanta United

    Anisomov :bzzzz:
     
    Tex and wes tegg like this.
  43. Fran Tarkenton

    Fran Tarkenton Hilton Honors VIP
    Donor
    Wake Forest Demon DeaconsGeorgia Bulldogs

    Debrincat with a hat trick. Nice recent stretch, gonna be a hard test tonight.
     
    wes tegg likes this.
  44. NilesIrish

    NilesIrish Not a master fisher but I know bait when I see it
    Donor TMB OG
    Notre Dame Fighting IrishChicago CubsChicago BullsChicago BearsChicago BlackhawksDemocrat

    Late to the party on the Winter Classic thing. I could not be more excited. I've been trying to find it and struggling but they did a pretty cool video to "announce it" during the Navy game. That place will be a lot of fun that day. Tailgating a Hockey game on 1/1...Awww yesss.
     
    Lucky24Seven and wes tegg like this.
  45. IrishLAX2

    IrishLAX2 So you’re telling me there’s a chance
    Donor TMB OG
    Notre Dame Fighting IrishNew York YankeesNew York GiantsNew York RangersLiverpool

    ND hockey has also announced they’ll be playing an outdoor game in conjunction with the Winter Classic.

    No details made available yet, but wouldn’t shock me if it’s against Michigan or Michigan St.

    Should make for a helluva couple days.
     
    Lucky24Seven and NilesIrish like this.
  46. NilesIrish

    NilesIrish Not a master fisher but I know bait when I see it
    Donor TMB OG
    Notre Dame Fighting IrishChicago CubsChicago BullsChicago BearsChicago BlackhawksDemocrat

    BC or Boston U makes sense.
     
  47. IrishLAX2

    IrishLAX2 So you’re telling me there’s a chance
    Donor TMB OG
    Notre Dame Fighting IrishNew York YankeesNew York GiantsNew York RangersLiverpool

    Could be given the Bruins connection, but now that we’re in the B1G instead of Hockey East things get funky there.
     
    NilesIrish likes this.
  48. wes tegg

    wes tegg I'm a Guy's guy, guys.
    Staff Donor
    Atlanta BravesDenver BroncosChicago BlackhawksBirmingham LegionMississippi Rebels

    That assist tonight was sick.
     
    Fran Tarkenton likes this.