Still no Bolland
Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville is hoping center Dave Bolland can start practicing either Friday or Saturday.
Bolland has missed the first five days of training camp with a sore lower back, but nobody seems to be worried yet that the problem could carry over into the regular season, which starts in two weeks.
Tomas Kopecky has been playing center in the scrimmages and looked good again Thursday between Patrick Sharp and Dustin Byfuglien. The line scored 3 goals, all of them coming when matched up against Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook.
Quenneville said he expects to use an assortment of line combinations during the preseason. The lines during Thursday’s last full-squad scrimmage could have been an indication what Quenneville is thinking.
Sharp-Kopecky-Byfuglien
Versteeg-Toews-Kane
Ladd-Madden-Brouwer
Eager-Fraser-Burish
Bickell-Dowell-Skille
Saturday's game vs. Washington will be on TV so it will be good to see what some of the prospects have to show against NHL (or at least a mix of NHL and IHL) talent.
Every team who wins a championship needs the all of following to fall into place in order to have a shot. Look at the Cubs this year and you can see how it is easier said than done.
1. Talent - Hawks have this one covered without question.
2. Chemistry - Last year all forward lines and defenisve pairings fired on all cylinders the entire year. Havlat helped Bolland and Ladd emerge as star players with these guys taking almost every shift together for the entire season. Hossa is a great player but he will still have to find a way to gel with his new linemates.
3. Health - Other than Bulin and Toews the Hawks were really lucky with injuries last year. They are already starting out with Hossa out and more hits to the ship will come. You need to hope it is not Keith, Seabrook or Huet out for long periods of time where your replacement option for those guys drop off quickly. Huet goes down and this team might as well think about a top ten pick in the draft because Crawford or Niemi are will not take this team anywhere.
4. Luck - Not as important as the NFL which is a 16 game season, but a few lucky breaks here or there can be the difference in 6 games a year.
They put a Preseason game on TV. I was about to whine about having none but the fact that ALL GAMES ARE NOW ON I might as well soaked my clothes in gas for the pre flame. Since I don't have Comcast (Choice) I can't see the wolves so I can't see ANY IcehogAGE. This will be my only time watching prospects.
Besides youtube site, I know over past two years you could download any Rockford broadcast from the AHL site or probably from Rockford Icehogs site itself. Last year you could see the options game day under AHL schedule, and then download. It was like $7.99/game two years ago, probably more now? But the following day you could see the boxscore and three stars -- this is the lineup, sog/player etc al in the breakdown. The Icehogs had a blog on their site last year but if you are looking for information on player development, it isn't going to be found here. Sort of a social chat by someone blogging from the Icehogs family just him blogging.
Even during pre-season.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qwWHCoxN2xk
It's better to have Bolland sit out now and hopefully he can start the year 100% healthy. With Bolland and Hossa out of the top 2 lines, there is a definite drop in offensive punch. Then again, I'm not sold yet on Kopecky being a top 6 guy, but maybe if Bolland is out for a little while he'll get his chance to prove himself. There is obviously enough depth and talent at forward in the organization, where it comes down to the staff choosing the right guys to make the team and get the minutes. I'm more interested in the last 2 D spots and the progress of Sopel. Looks like the pairings in the last scrimmage were Keith-Seabrook, Campbell-Hjalmarsson, Barker-Sopel. If Sopel can make a bit of a comeback and put up an average season, (for his career) then I'd say the D pairings look pretty solid. Campbell and Hjalmer played pretty well together, you know what you are getting with 02-07 paired together and Barker/Sopel would be a pretty offensive good passing pairing. I guess the question is if Sopel will keep up with the attacking forwards and will Barker tighten his game up a bit in the D-zone.
CHF, on the d pairings. Those would be my pairings. I liked Hammer with Campbell a lot better than Barker.
Another reason I think Barker might not be long for the Indianhead.
But in the meantime, I think we're in decent shape with him and Sopel as a third pairing. Overall lack of mobility on that pair is a concern, just like it was with Walker and Barker.
Either Johnson, Hendry or Petiot as #7.
Better now, than the first week of the play-offs.
Looks like that's where the competition is. ALL of those guys can bring something at the NHL level.
I imagine with Bolland and Hossa back, Kopecky and Brouwer will be pushed down (assuming no one else is hurt) or someone else is dealt. Truth is, one forward or another is hurt pretty much all year, so this is a good problem to have.
I like the top three lines quite a bit. The top two should be able to score a lot and the third looks like a beast to play against. Not sure if there's quite enough offense on the third line, but ... Q can still do a lot of juggling with all these guys.
There will be injuries and demotions , additions etc....The depth is the important element, If we have X amount of healthy capable Forwards and Defense we will ahead of the game!
After all Preseason is amongst other things, a chance to try different line combos and see what works and what Joel can use during the season.
Cant rest on our laurels last year!
Not exactly, but sort of. And I'm talking about the younger, pre-injuries Handzus.
Handzus is bigger and more physical, but Kopecky is a better skater. Zus is a true center, while Hopecky can play either center or wing.
BUT, both have very good hockey sense and play outstanding defense. Both have offensive skill and can make or finish plays. Both can play a variety of roles on your team.
Oh, and both are Slovakian, which is a little more than a coincidence because they've probably been coached much the same way and have likely played together some.
What kind of player is Kopecky? I don't understand how he can be a grinder and also a first line forward, which is what is being said about him. It usually has to be one or the other. It sounds like he is a gritty, hard-nosed player, but at the same time also a play making center who can play with sharp and buff? Sharp did play well with some gritty forwards in the playoffs though (Burish and Eager), so maybe it will benefit him.