Posts Tagged ‘Joel Quenneville’

Rangers Visit For Original Six Match-Up

December 9th, 2009 by Leigh Michael Dengis

The Rangers don’t have much going for then right now outside of Marian Gaborik and Henrik Lundqvist – my favorite goalie in the league. Original Six match-ups are always awesome, but this game doesn’t carry as much weight as it would if the Blackhawks played the Red Wings or Bruins – this season at least – as the Rangers have fallen fast after a quick start to the season.

Coming out of one of the most intense games of the season, everything is not all gravy for the Blackhawks. In their last five games, not one game was won in regulation. The problem is that the Blackhawks aren’t scoring goals at the rate they should be. In those five games, the Blackhawks have only eight goals. During this stretch only five of the possible ten points have been earned.

The absence of Dave Bolland from the lineup has become apparent, and could directly have something to do with offensive regression. Coach Quenneville has been deliberately searching for a replacement as the second-line center since Bolland opted for surgery. Right now that man Patrick Sharp. Kris Versteeg did okay in the role, but is better suited as a playmaking winger.

In Pittsburgh, Quenneville skated Versteeg on the same line as Jonathan Toews and Marian Hossa. He will flirt tonight with the brilliant idea of demoting the useless Dustin Byfuglien to the checking line, and replacing him with Troy Brouwer on the second line with Sharp and Patrick Kane. Those are two top lines I can get behind.

A couple other lineup notes for tonight’s game is that Cristobal Huet will start in net and Tomas Kopecky will return to the fourth line.

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The Value Of Antti Niemi

December 7th, 2009 by Leigh Michael Dengis

Let me start off this post by stating that I am not calling for Antti Niemi to take starts away from Cristobal Huet. I’ve let it be known that I’m not a big fan of Cristo’s, but I know he is the best goalie on the Blackhawks’ depth-chart. Niemi still has a long way to go. Yet, there will be those writers in the media and in the blog-o-sphere that will feed the meatheads their steak and potatoes by saying otherwise. A couple days both parties will forget all about the Fin.

Anyway, a busy off-season awaits Stan Bowman next summer. Contracts will be moved due to the organizations successful attempt to lock up the Big Three. Even a few remaining restricted free agents will have to go in order to create enough cap-space for next season’s payroll. Two players Bowman would be a fool to trade are Niklas Hjalmarsson and Niemi. Hjalmarsson gets enough love being an everyday player, but Niemi’s value to the team is only brought up when he wins a big game or when Huet struggles.

Niemi is 5-1-1 on the season with two shutouts. Granted seven games is a small sample size, but Niemi has the best goals-against average in the league (1.71) and fourth best save percentage (.931). The best part about those numbers is that they are this good when he is sitting on the bench for weeks between starts. In his role, Niemi has been as asset. Quenneville has alluded to idea that Niemi has earned more consistent playing time, but with Huet playing well this season he’ll be hard pressed to do give the Fin more opportunities to start. I still expect him to get around twenty-five starts on the season.

There is a lot that can happen between now and the end of the 2011-12 season when Huet’s contract is up, but in Niemi the Blackhawks found a solid backup going forward and possible goalie of the future – Corey Crawford is pretty much out of the picture these days. Niemi can be compared to some of the better backups around the league – Ty Conklin for example – minus the track record. Bowman could re-sign Niemi this off-season for two or three years with a slight raise to around $1.2M per-year.

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Big Win – Blackhawks 4, Sharks 3 (OT)

November 16th, 2009 by Leigh Michael Dengis

Last night the Blackhawks didn’t play their best game, but still won the game in overtime, with a score of 4-3, against the best team in the Western Conference. The Blackhawks were sloppy, though. Too many turnovers in the neutral- and defensive-zone, and the Sharks were able to disrupt the ‘Hawks in the offensive zone way too easily. Frustrating at times, but the Blackhawks came out on top in this match-up.

Aside from the first two minutes of the second period, Cristobal Huet was great in net. He came up with important saves at even strength and on the penalty kill. Brent Sopel was and has been good (man, that was hard to write). Niklas Hjalmarsson was solid and bailed out Brian Campbell a few times through the night. Jonathan Toews was productive with two assists – one came on a great pass to Brent Seabrook for the game winner – and the recently recalled Bryan Bickell was good as well.

The Blackhawks used Jordan Hendry on the wing once again while Kris Versteeg and Andrew Ebbett were scratched from the lineup. Is Hendry really a better option than Ebbett? He only logged 5:15 of ice time. What is the point of even suiting him up? If Stan Bowman would just place Dave Bolland on the LTIR (long-term injured reserve) the practice of utilizing a defenseman as a winger would end, and the ‘Hawks would be able to role out four complete lines.

Coach Quenneville appears to like the line of Andrew Ladd, Madden and Troy Brouwer just as much as I do. He had to make due with what was provided to him, but he kept the three together. They are an effective checking line that can also be productive in the offensive zone – each tallied a point on the scorecard last night.

The Blackhawks have three days off before they head to Calgary to start the six-game circus road trip. On the trip they will play the three Western Canadian teams, and the three Californian teams.

In closing, to the meathead sitting in front of me last night chanting DETOIT SUCKS! every chance you get, STOP! You’re an idiot.

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Blackhawks Have Internal Options To Fill-In For Bolland

November 11th, 2009 by Leigh Michael Dengis

Just when the Blackhawks were getting healthy and able to roll out a lineup at full strength, Dave Bolland’s lower-back problem could no longer be ignored. The surgery to repair a herniated disk was successful, but now that Bolland will be out between three to four months recovering a replacement is needed.

It’ll be hard to replace a player like him, but initially the organization will hope someone on the roster can fill the void. Yesterday, Stan Bowman said:

“I think we’ve got to sort it out internally first and see what we have. We’ve got some guys who kind of deserve the chance to see how they can play and see how that goes before jumping into anything else. That’s the approach for now and we’ll see how it works.”

A handful of players that can be considered for the role of second line center, and they are Patrick Sharp, John Madden, Kris Versteeg, Tomas Kopecky, Andrew Ebbett and Jake Dowell (currently in Rockford). Ebbett could be given a shot to replace Bolland out of the gate. I’ve been critical of him a time or two, but they guy did tally thirty-two points in forty-eight games for the Ducks last season. So there has to be something there. Right?

The Versteeg experiment at center lasted a little over one game. Coach Quenneville shuffled the lines during the Kings game, and moved him to the wing and put Ebbett on the second line at center – replacing Kopecky. Ebbett played reasonably well, and scored a fluky goal that bounced off his chest and into the net. Kopecky was demoted to the fourth line and keeps proving to be useless.

Sharp and Madden could eventually see time as the second line center, but Quenneville likes them in the role they are in now. I think Dowell would be recalled before either Sharp or Madden are used in that role. Any internal options Bowman has will be exhausted before he resorts to trading for suitable replacement for Bolland as the team is right up against the salary cap.

The Blackhawks play Colorado at home tonight, so we won’t have to wait long to see who Quenneville uses in Bolland’s spot.

In other news: Marian Hossa will take another step in his rehab. He will start participating in full contact drills either Thursday or Friday.

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What Will The Front End Look Like In Hossa’s Debut?

November 3rd, 2009 by Leigh Michael Dengis
Hossa

Hossa

A few days ago, Tim Sassone of Daily Herald fame wrote that someone asked Coach Quenneville if the addition of Marin Hossa would disrupt team chemistry. His response:

“Absolutely not. We welcome that addition in a lot of ways.”

There are dumb questions, and that was one.

The addition of Hossa means one thing, a better team on both ends of the ice. Hossa is about three to four weeks away from returning to action, and by then Ben Eager and Jonathan Toews should be back in the lineup.

Roster decisions will be need to be made when Eager, Toews and Hossa come off the shelf – I’m guessing in that order. So what could the forward lineup look by the time Hossa makes his debut as a Chicago Blackhawk?

Eager could come off the injured reserve as soon as this Thursday. As a result Jordan Hendry will go back to being the seventh defenseman and off the fourth line. Eager’s return should provide more depth, energy and physical presence up front that the team currently lacks.

Toews return from his head injury would mean that Andrew Ebbett or Tomas Kopecky would be the healthy scratch. Ebbett may be better pushed into the role since Kopecky would be better utilized as a fourth-liner due to his size and stature. Once Hossa returns one of the two will be forced from the Blackhawks roster.

Ebbett or Kopecky haven’t been productive for the Blackhawks, and the decision to keep one of them on the NHL roster, I believe, will boil down to how much the team is willing to spend on a player that is riding the pine. Kopecky is slated to make $2.4M over the course of his two-year contract, and Ebbett is only on the books for just under $.5M this year.

If Stan Bowman opted to reassign Ebbett, he would have to clear waivers. The Ducks would be able to pick him up and send him to their AHL affiliated team. Kopecky would also have to clear waivers, and probably wouldn’t be claimed due to size of his salary. If he were picked up, no one would shed a tear – cap-space would be freed up as well.

So here is what the forward lines could look like once Hossa returns – barring any other injuries:

Hossa – Toews – Kane
Sharp – Bolland – Versteeg
Ladd – Madden – Byfuglien
Eager – Fraser – Brouwer
Ebbett

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Canucks 3, Blackhawks 2

October 22nd, 2009 by Leigh Michael Dengis

Everything was going well last night vs. the Canucks until Jonathan Toews was pummeled into next week by defenseman Willie Mitchell. It was a clean open-ice hit early in the third period by the Canuck. Mitchell had just left the penalty box after the Blackhawks were yet again unable to convert with the two-man advantage before he lit up Toews. It appeared as though any wind the Blackhawks had in their sails died when Captain Toews, and Brent Seabrook left the game in the third as well.

Although being out played for most of the game, up to that point the Blackhawks managed a 2 – 1 lead. It was largely due to a solid game by Antti Niemi in goal. Vancouver was able to capitalize on the turn of events, however, scoring on the power play and on a Patrick Kane turnover in the defensive zone. It was the first game that the ‘Hawks had been out-shot this season.

Loses suck. They really suck when they are against at team like the Vancouver Canucks who seem to have the Blackhawks’ blood boiling ever since the one-ice melee late last season at the United Center. The ‘Hawks did boot them from the playoffs last year, but it would have been sweet to take the first game between the two clubs on the year.

Looking forward, if Toews or Seabrook miss any games due to the injuries sustained from last night’s match-up, the Blackhawks will be in trouble. Designating more bodies to the injured reserve would be a huge blow to the team. Early reports have stated that the two shouldn’t miss any playing time as a result of the injuries that forced them from last night’s game.

The Blackhawks host the Nashville Predators and Minnesota Wild at home in their next two games – two teams that are struggling to generate offense. I wouldn’t be surprised if Coach Quenneville opts to start Cristobal Huet in those favorable match-ups. If Huet performs well in front of the hostile home crowd, it would be a great confidence boost for a man that appears to lack any at all.

Huet could also get the start in Nashville next Thursday as well, with Niemi in net the next night at home vs. the Montreal Canadiens.

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Niemi In Net vs. The Canucks

October 20th, 2009 by Leigh Michael Dengis

It looks as though Coach Quenneville is going to use Antti Niemi in net more. He has already decided to use the Fin in tomorrow night’s game at home against the Vancouver Canucks. It’s hard to say if this will be a trend or Quenneville giving Cristobal Huet some time off, hoping he can work through some of his woes in practice.

Quenneville on the issue:

“He’s earned the opportunity. I think he has played well and I think at one point in the year the competition from behind was something we were looking for.”

In other news…

Reunited and it feels so good.

Reunited and it feels so good.

…Roberto Luongo will be reunited with Dustin Byfuglien’s ass.

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Good Outing For Huet In Nashville, Still No. 1

October 16th, 2009 by Leigh Michael Dengis

Last night Cristobal Huet saved twelve of the thirteen shots the Nashville Predators threw at him. The lone goal Huet let in was kicked in by teammate Niklas Hjalmarsson early in the second frame. Barring Hjalmarsson’s blunder, Huet had a solid night. The Predators’ didn’t offer much in the way of an offensive challenge, but he came up with saves when needed.

I’ve said this before; the Blackhawks’ don’t need to have stellar goaltending to come away with the win, and that point has been made evident in the seven games on the season. When a team out-shoots their opponent, it takes a lot of pressure off of the defense and goalie – the Blackhawks have done this in every game so far. On the season, they have totaled 255 shots (36.4 shots per game), and their opponents have tabulated 122 shots (17.4 shots per game) – that’s a +133 shot differential.

I think every goalie in the league would consider facing 17.4 shots per game an easy night. If Huet were playing adequate at best, his save percentage wouldn’t be so low. So it bothered me when I found out that there were still people coming up with excuses as to Huet’s early season woes.

I read a statement after the Flames’ game, where he let up three goals in less than a minute, declaring that any idiot could tell that the defenses was responsible for Huet’s horrible outing. Yes, there are times where the defense will breakdown or there will be a costly turnover in the defensive zone, but it is the goalies job to come up with big saves when those instances happen. Huet wasn’t able to do that vs. Calgary, so don’t defend the guy when he sucked.

With all that being said, as much as I or any other fan becomes frustrated with the inconsistent play of Huet, he is the No. 1 guy in Chicago. Coach Quenneville will keep trotting Huet out there since Antti Niemi is a long way from posing a real threat to the francophone. I do, however, think that Quenneville opted to use Huet against the anemic Predators’ offense, so he could build off of a sure thing – a 3-1 win in Nashville.

By the way, I don’t miss the red pads.

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