2019 IGT Game 4: Oilers @ Blackhawks (We got a point edition!)

[Raskolnikov]

I've always thought Toews does best with a skill player and a physically strong player. Hossa was both in one so everybody worked opposite.

Maybe Dach would do well with him?

Saad/Kubalik/Kane-Toews-Dach/Perlini/Shaw/Jewels

But again, Shaw has become more valuable to a center who doesn't win faceoffs at all circles. Shaw can help Kampf.

Cat-Strome-Kane
Saad-Toews-Jewels
Shaw-Kampf-Kubalik
?-Carp-Smith


is one of the most logical lines. Jewels on the 4th I feel is kinda getting cute.

 

[hawkinmontreal]

Kampf has some speed and him and Murphy were 2,3 in off-season fitness testing.

So that makes him one of the best athletes because he did good in his fitness test? This is about Kampf not Murphy. Kampf is playing well, he is a third line player at best, but calling him the best athlete is a little much.

 

[hawkinmontreal]

I've always thought Toews does best with a skill player and a physically strong player. Hossa was both in one so everybody worked opposite.

Maybe Dach would do well with him?

Saad/Kubalik/Kane-Toews-Dach/Perlini/Shaw/Jewels

But again, Shaw has become more valuable to a center who doesn't win faceoffs at all circles. Shaw can help Kampf.

Cat-Strome-Kane
Saad-Toews-Jewels
Shaw-Kampf-Kubalik
?-Carp-Smith


is one of the most logical lines.

Having your team leader slow out of the gates doesn’t bode well with trying to compete in an ultra tough central division. The mish mash of line combos does zero if one of your most talented players is nowhere to be found.
Tazer has always been one of my favourite Hawks but his inconsistent play drives me nuts, when there is no rhyme or reason he shouldn’t be prepared for this season.

 

[Raskolnikov]

So that makes him one of the best athletes because he did good in his fitness test? This is about Kampf not Murphy. Kampf is playing well, he is a third line player at best, but calling him the best athlete is a little much.

I agree the term "athlete" can be more encompassing and I'm not trying to argue about it. Technically Kane is the best all around "athlete" because he is one of the all time greats of his sport.

I purely meant Kampf is one of the better physical specimens. He plays hard, he plays fast, he has endurance, and some sturdiness to him. It doesn't surprise me if you give him the 3rd and 4th best wings on the team they excel, but one of the keys is all 3 are fast.

Do we want all our speed on one line?

 

[hawkinmontreal]

I agree the term "athlete" can be more encompassing and I'm not trying to argue about it. Technically Kane is the best all around "athlete" because he is one of the all time greats of his sport.

I purely meant Kampf is one of the better physical specimens. He plays hard, he plays fast, he has endurance, and some sturdiness to him. It doesn't surprise me if you give him the 3rd and 4th best wings on the team they excel, but one of the keys is all 3 are fast.

Do we want all our speed on one line?

I can get on board with a description of him being a better, as you say “Physical specimens” but not so much in the best athlete department.
In terms of speed, I don’t want to see it all on one line, but right now there are to many question marks on players and there current play, so you put together what’s working if it means all your speed on one line.

 

[Raskolnikov]

Saad-Toews-Jewels
Kubalik-Strome-Kane
Cat-Kampf-Shaw I think this third line is just too small.

 

[Raskolnikov]

Saad-Toews-Cat
Kubalik-Strome-Kane
DAch/Perlini/Nylander-Kampf-Shaw
Jewels-Carp-Smith

Speed is spread out. And the 4 little guys are spread out.

 

[Raskolnikov]

Kubalik-Strome-Kane

is for me...what our top line should be and where this franchise is headed. You keep Kubilik-Kampf together for a while, but once Kubalik is comfortable and rolling I think that is our best possible line.

 

[hawkinmontreal]

Saad-Toews-Cat
Kubalik-Strome-Kane
DAch/Perlini/Nylander-Kampf-Shaw
Jewels-Carp-Smith

I like to keep Strome and Dcat together, I have nothing bad to say about Kubalik, but I prefer to wait and see what he brings 30-40 games in.

 

[Raskolnikov]

I like to keep Strome and Dcat together, I have nothing bad to say about Kubalik, but I prefer to wait and see what he brings 30-40 games in.

Cat-Strome
Kampf-Kubalik

can be natural pairings for sure, if you are ok with a choice of Kane-Toews together, or Toews being left with scrappy guys instead of skill guys.

For me its the Kane-Toews pairing that leads to 5-5 hockey games.

 

[hawkinmontreal]

Cat-Strome
Kampf-Kubalik

can be natural pairings for sure, if you are ok with a choice of Kane-Toews together, or Toews being left with scrappy guys instead of skill guys.

For me its the Kane-Toews pairing that leads to 5-5 hockey games.

I agree about Toews and Kane, but they did play exceptionally well together last season, but with the way both of them are playing to start the season it’s difficult for JC to create 4 solid lines.

 

[Raskolnikov]

Cat-Strome-Kane Kubalik-Toews-Kane Shaw/Jewels-Toews-?
Saad-Toews-Jewels Cat-Strome-Dach/Perlini Cat-Strome-Kane
Shaw-Kampf -Kubalik Saad-Kampf-Shaw Saad-Kampf-Kubalik
D/P-Carp-Smith Jewels-Carp-Smith Shaw/Jewels-Carp-Smith


Is where I'm at. Colloton is a few steps behind as he isn't familiar with Shaw and is having a hard time placing Cat, Shaw, Jewels, Kane in a balanced way. I feel whenever 2 of them are on a line they become a target for opponents braun.

 

[JimAKABlkhwks918]

Saad-Toews-Cat
Kubalik-Strome-Kane
DAch/Perlini/Nylander-Kampf-Shaw
Jewels-Carp-Smith

Speed is spread out. And the 4 little guys are spread out.

I don't want to see Dach up here this year; let him dominate in the WHL and at the Worlds in the Czech this winter.

Toews is normally a slow starter....it is what it is. I'm as baffled as Lord as to what the reason is for that, but it is not the first time it happened and he ended up having a good season.


Saad-Toews-Nylander

Dcat-Strome-Kane

Perlini-Kampf-Shaw

Other guys

Nylander is not going to be successful in the NHL as a third or fourth line checking/energy guy. He's either going to wake up and get his work ethic up to the level of his obvious talent and be a consistent threat every night, all night or adios. Same for Saad at $6M.

Second line will be fine; there is proven chemistry there.

The rest can be tried out in combinations until something clicks. If the third and fourth lines could win 50+ % of their faceoffs and be even at +/- every night while being regularly shifted, that would be success.

This is based on the opinion (mine) that this team is not ready for a real shot at the Cup this year...simply too many holes.

 

[HSBOB]

Could is the operative word. Saad/Toews/Kubalik could be better, but the 3rd line is great...right now...and producing. As long as it is firing on all cylinders there's no reason to subject it to the Q-O-Matic '76 line blender.

When I think of firing on all cylinders,I think of Kane and Toews putin' up 190 plus points playing together last year separating them is a MAJOR fail. Same with Strome and D-Cat.

 

[MassHavoc]

Yes, because I totally knew the Blackhawks forums were going to be shut down and we'd be getting a ton of new posters. You caught me, its a long con of not complaining about Toews forged by my ability to see the future.

Or maybe he finally got his head out of his ass and is playing well?

#calledit

 

[Raskolnikov]

I don't want to see Dach up here this year; let him dominate in the WHL and at the Worlds in the Czech this winter.

Toews is normally a slow starter....it is what it is. I'm as baffled as Lord as to what the reason is for that, but it is not the first time it happened and he ended up having a good season.


Saad-Toews-Nylander

Dcat-Strome-Kane

Perlini-Kampf-Shaw

Other guys

Nylander is not going to be successful in the NHL as a third or fourth line checking/energy guy. He's either going to wake up and get his work ethic up to the level of his obvious talent and be a consistent threat every night, all night or adios. Same for Saad at $6M.

Second line will be fine; there is proven chemistry there.

The rest can be tried out in combinations until something clicks. If the third and fourth lines could win 50+ % of their faceoffs and be even at +/- every night while being regularly shifted, that would be success.

This is based on the opinion (mine) that this team is not ready for a real shot at the Cup this year...simply too many holes.

good post but you forgot Kubalik and Nylander sucks.

 

[Raskolnikov]

When I think of firing on all cylinders,I think of Kane and Toews putin' up 190 plus points playing together last year separating them is a MAJOR fail. Same with Strome and D-Cat.

Kubalik/Shaw/Jewels-Toews-Kane probably all work. Its definetly an option and maybe Toews needs it. It gives Kanes line faceoff wins and we saw him score easily off one monday.

 

[JimAKABlkhwks918]

good post but you forgot Kubalik and Nylander sucks.

I didn't forget Kubalik, he's in the group of "other guys." His sample size is extremely small...he may well be a greater part of the conversation. Let's see in 15-20 games.

Waaay to early to say Nylander sucks. I'm aware of the knocks on him, and his history. Same thing, we'll see where he is in 15-20 games.

On the whole, there are a lot of new pieces in place...Kubalik, DeHaan, Maata, Nylander...guys like Strome, Caggiula, and Perlini also have less than a full season here...it's going to take a bit to see what this team really is.

 

[Raskolnikov]

I didn't forget Kubalik, he's in the group of "other guys." His sample size is extremely small...he may well be a greater part of the conversation. Let's see in 15-20 games.

Waaay to early to say Nylander sucks. I'm aware of the knocks on him, and his history. Same thing, we'll see where he is in 15-20 games.

On the whole, there are a lot of new pieces in place...Kubalik, DeHaan, Maata, Nylander...guys like Strome, Caggiula, and Perlini also have less than a full season here...it's going to take a bit to see what this team really is.

Eyes are real.

 

[anotheridiot]

I don't want to see Dach up here this year; let him dominate in the WHL and at the Worlds in the Czech this winter.

Toews is normally a slow starter....it is what it is. I'm as baffled as Lord as to what the reason is for that, but it is not the first time it happened and he ended up having a good season.


Saad-Toews-Nylander

Dcat-Strome-Kane

Perlini-Kampf-Shaw

Other guys

Nylander is not going to be successful in the NHL as a third or fourth line checking/energy guy. He's either going to wake up and get his work ethic up to the level of his obvious talent and be a consistent threat every night, all night or adios. Same for Saad at $6M.

Second line will be fine; there is proven chemistry there.

The rest can be tried out in combinations until something clicks. If the third and fourth lines could win 50+ % of their faceoffs and be even at +/- every night while being regularly shifted, that would be success.

This is based on the opinion (mine) that this team is not ready for a real shot at the Cup this year...simply too many holes.

In all honesty, the top line is

Cat, Strome, Kane.
Lets just start looking at it that way. it is the most dangerous line on the ice.
I am sick of Toews needs saad back, didnt work, Toews needs kane, cant load up on one line, the guy Toews has not gotten is Shaw
So second line goes to as far as how they played this year
Shaw, Toews, Kubalik,
eventually, how about the guys Toews "needed" back and just throw the line of
Saad, Toews Shaw.
Just like I say **** the hell out of Seabroke and that damn A and give it to Kane who deserves it, maybe telling Toews, guess what, we cant call you the top line center until you start playing like it. How many other teams have captains on the second or third line?

So you go and do all that, and you break up a dangerous line of
Saad, Kampf, Kubalik, looks like we need that third K up here in Kurashev to make that one go, for now probably Jewels.

These trade reasons of Carp and Smith, I dont know how much longer they are going to get if they dont start scoring some. Would be nice to see them used to shut down a top line.