Posts Tagged ‘Patrick Sharp’

Eight fantasy relevant Blackhawks, plus sleepers

October 1st, 2010 by Leigh Michael Dengis

Fantasy drafts are well underway, and the Blackhawks have eight players that should find their way on to a team in every possible format. For the purpose of this article we’ll stick with the standard 6 x 4 category league. Goals, assists, plus/minus, penalty-minutes power play points and shots on goal for skaters, and wins, goals-against average, save percentage and shutouts for goalies.

Patrick Kane (RW) – He led the Blackhawks in scoring last year, and is poised to break the century mark in his fourth season. Kane has pin-point accuracy with his wrist shot, and could see 35-plus goals on Chicago’s top line. Not much of a scrapper, but he can produce in each category. Kane has the potential to be the best fantasy right winger this year. (2009-10: 30 G, 58 A, +16, 20 PIM, 29 PPP and 261 SOG)

Marian Hossa (RW) – Despite playing on the second line, Hossa can produce a point-per-game, had the potential to reach the 40-goal plateau again and rack up the shots on goal. He has dropped on many draft boards because he only played about two-thirds of the season (57 games) recovering from shoulder surgery. Hossa would be a steal if he fell to third round. (24 G, 27 A, +24, 18 PIM, 7 PPP and 199 SOG)

Jonathan Toews (C) – Notoriously a slow starter, the fantasy hockey world hopes Toews’ hot stick that propelled Team Canada to a gold medal and Blackhawks to the Stanley cup hasn‘t cooled. Two seasons ago he was snakebit, and last year he suffered from post-concussion symptoms. Despite playing at the deepest position, you’re going to want to grab him early. Expect big things from Captain Serious. (25 G, 43 A, +22, 47 PIM, 22 PPP and 202 SOG).

Duncan Keith (D) – He may not be the fantasy juggernaut that is Mike Green, but the reigning Norris Trophy winner will be a top point producer on defense. There isn’t much selling needed when it comes to Keith. He’s one of the hardest working players out of the ice each night, and he won’t have any trouble living up the lofty expectations. Keith it near or at the top in every category. (14 G, 55 A, +21, 55 PIM and 213 SOG)

Patrick Sharp (C,LW) – Playing on the Blackhawks’ second line with Hossa for a full season will add to this already solid fantasy value. As will the duel position eligibility at center and left wing. Sharp will help owners across the boards, minus the penalty minutes. The pretty boy doesn’t like to get his hands dirty. (25 G, 41 A, +24, 28 PIM, 16 PPP and 266 SOG)

Marty Turco (G) – Turco is no longer the elite fantasy goalie he once was at the ripe age of 35, and is far from worthy of being drafted anywhere in the first five rounds. He’ll be productive for the Blackhawks because of their puck control style of play. Turco will be a great No. 2 goaltender on any fantasy roster, and should start anywhere between 55 to 65 games. (22 W, 2.72 GAA, .913 SV% and 4 SO)

Brian Campbell (D) – 2009-10 was a bit of a down season for the puck moving defenseman. Owners can normally rely on Campbell for 50-plus points this year. He was forced to miss a handful of games down the stretch because of a broken collarbone. Campbell will be the quarterback of the first power-play unit, and see around 20 minutes a night per usual. (7 G, 31 A, +18, 18 PIM, 11 PPP and 131 SOG)

Brent Seabrook (D) – Much of what Seabrook does on the ice doesn’t translate to the fantasy game, and he will never the sexiest fantasy defenseman. He’s still young, but with five full seasons in the league don’t expect a jump in offensive production. Seabrook will have a point total in the 30s, but his stellar plus/minus rating gives him value. He will also rack up a decent amount of penalty minutes and see time on the power-play unit. (6 G, 24 A, +20, 59 PIM, 6 PPP and 129 SOG)

The Sleepers –

Troy Brouwer (RW) – Brouwer will have the role of being the muscle somewhere within the top two lines in Chicago. Coach Quenneville will need him to battle in the corners and in front of the net each night. As a result his penalty minutes and goal totals should be on the rise this year. Brouwer could see time on the power-play as well. (22 G, 18 A, +8, 66 PIM, 13 PPP and 116 SOG)

Dave Bolland (C) – There might not be anyone on this roster with as much to prove as Bolland at 24-years-old. There are lofty expectations for the pivot, who signed a long-term deal with the Blackhawks last summer. Bolland is coming off a season where he missed 43 games due to back surgery, and showed signs of what could be. From all accounts, Bolland is going into the season healthy. Oh, and there is a chance he centers the second line with Hossa and Sharp. (6 G, 10 A, +5, 28 PIM, 2 PPP and 52 SOG)

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Dale moves on, legacy alive and well in Chicago

May 18th, 2010 by Leigh Michael Dengis

It was July 14, 2009 when Dale Tallon was removed as the Blackhawks general manager in favor of Stan Bowman. Tallon quietly served as a senior adviser of hockey operations to the Blackhawks this year. Yesterday, Tallon was hired as general manager of the Florida Panthers. With the way his tenure as general manager ended in Chicago, I’m pleased to see him get another gig with the Panthers. As the Blackhawks play Game #2 of the Western Conference Finals in San Jose tonight, we should remember that Dale is the true architect of this team. Not John McDonough or little Stan Bowman, and the guys in the locker room know this.

Jonathan Toews said this of Dale Tallon yesterday:

“…when I talk to him I always remind him we’re in here thinking about him and we don’t forget the contributions he’s made to this team and this locker room.”

Before Tallon became the general manager in 2005, he spent over twenty years in the organization as a player, in the booth as a broadcaster (radio and television) and in other front office duties. The legacy he will most will remembered for is drafting Jonathan Toews third overall in 2006 and Patrick Kane first overall in 2007. I’ll remember Tallon for his keen eye for talent. Great examples of this ability can be seen in the trades to bring in Patrick Sharp (from Philadelphia for Matt Ellison and 3rd round draft pick) and Kris Versteeg (from Boston for Brandon Bochenski), selected Niklas Hjalmarsson in the 4th round (108th overall) of the 2005 draft and brought in Antti Niemi from Finland in 2008..

The Chicago Blackhawks became a desired location for players because of Dale Tallon. The free agent acquisition of Marian Hossa last summer is a terrific example of the turnaround the franchise experienced four years after Tallon became general manager. Four years ago, a player with the caliber of Hossa would never think about signing with the Blackhawks. Back then the Blackhawks were arguably the worst organization in the NHL, but last November Forbes rated them as the seventh most valuable team in the league. Tallon built a team worth watching in Chicago. A team John McDonough could sell to the masses.

Before the 2008-09-season, McDonough brought hockey legend Scotty Bowman into the fold. Scotty was the father of then assistant general manager Stan Bowman. It was a matter of time before Tallon was shown the door, and management patiently waited for the chance to remove Dale as general manager. That opportunity came last summer when qualifying offers to restricted free agents (Versteeg, Barker, Brouwer, etc.) were improperly filled. It’s a job that general managers don’t carry out, but it happened under Dale’s watch. He took the blame, cleaned up the mess and was removed as general manager days later. Little Stan Bowman was promoted.

There were reports stating that McDonough and Tallon butt heads often regarding who was really steering the ship, and that McDonough resented the attention Tallon received for building a team that made it to the Western Conference Finals last year. Through it all, Dale Tallon was nothing less than a class act. Although it isn’t entirely his fault, Tallon will get most of the blame for the impending off-season salary-cap issues.

Good luck in Florida, Dale.

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Next – Blackhawks vs. Canucks series review

May 12th, 2010 by Leigh Michael Dengis

Luongo exits stage left (AP Photo)

Oh man, this feels good. The Blackhawks ousted those Canucks from the playoffs for the second year in a row. To paraphrase Pat Foley and Eddie Olczyk, there are some very happy humans in Chicago with an extra bounce in their step today. What warms my heart the most is that Ryan Kesler was virtually invisible for the entire series. Anyways, the semi-final round between (2) Blackhawks and (3) Canucks is in the books, so here’s your series review.

Game #1 – Canucks 5, Blackhawks 1 Not the way the Blackhawks wanted to start the semi-final series against a good Vancouver team. It was so bad that there was a Cristobal Huet sighting. It was so bad I don’t want to write about the game beyond this point. Canucks took series lead 1-0

Game #2 – Blackhawks 4, Canucks 2 Five minutes into the game the Blackhawks were down 2-0, but Antti Niemi stopped the bleeding and settled down after Brent Seabrook scored seven minutes into the game. The Blackhawks learned they need to create traffic in front of the net in order to beat Roberto Luongo. Patrick Sharp’s shorthanded goal gave his team the spark they needed to steal this game from the Canucks. Seabrook and Sharp would have been better candidates for the ‘First Star’ over Kris Versteeg. Blackhawks tied series up at 1-1

Game #3 – Blackhawks 5, Canucks 2 Coach Q continued to put pressure on the Canucks’ defense and goaltender in Game #2. He moved Dustin Byfuglien back to forward (fourth line in Game #1, defense in Game #2) on the first line with Toews and Kane. It worked. Byfuglien notched a hat trick, and played the best game of his young career. He was physical, determined and battled in front of the net for rebounds. Blackhawks took series lead 2-1

Game #4 – Blackhawks 7, Canucks 4 Captain Serious, Jonathan Toews, followed Byfuglien’s hat trick with one of his own. He had a total of five points in the win. It was made possible due to the attention Vancouver paid to Byfuglien due to his performance in the previous game. I died a little inside admitting that. The Canucks were undisciplined, and the Blackhawks capitalized by scoring on four of the eight power-play opportunities. Blackhawks up 3-1

Game #5 – Canucks 4, Blackhawks 1 The Blackhawks abandoned the style of play that allowed them to beat the Canucks in the last three games. They didn’t create much traffic in front of Luongo, and he had an easy night in net. Blackhawks still up 3-2

Game #6 – Blackhawks 5, Canucks 1 My unhealthy obsession with Troy Brouwer has been well documented in tens of posts on this very blog, and last night my boy Troy tugged at everyone’s heart strings when he scored the first goal of the game. He hasn’t been the same player since he missed the final four games of the season to be with his ailing father. Troy, I know you don’t read this crappy blog, but my thoughts are with you and your family. Blackhawks win series 4-2

Next up, Coach Q will prepare his squad for the San Jose Sharks in the Western Conference Final showdown. This was where the Blackhawks made their exit last year. Thanks to the Sharks, there won’t be a rematch against the Evil Doers of Detroit (sarcasm-o-meter at zero). At the time this was written, the date and time for Game #1 between the Sharks and Blackhawks isn’t set. We must be patient and wait for the East to finish the second round games. The NHL could learn something from the NBA when it comes to post-season scheduling.

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The Penalty Kill (Remastered)

April 6th, 2010 by Leigh Michael Dengis

The one constant through the year, Ray, has been the penalty kill. The Blackhawks have won games like an army of steamrollers. The have constantly had problems with their power play, their goaltending and their defense. Each facet of their game has been rebuilt, erased and rebuilt again. But the penalty kill has marked the time. This ability to stymie opponents and score down a man is part of the Blackhawks’ present, Ray. It reminds of us of all that once was good and it could be again.

- Terrence Mannakov

A little over two months ago I wrote a post about the successful penalty kill of the Blackhawks.  It has been one of the consistently good areas of play from this team all seaosn. If some other facet of their game is on the fritz, the boys have always had the penalty kill to hang their jock straps on. On January 28th (when I wrote the first post), they were fourth in the league at keeping opponents scoreless with the man-advantage at 85.6-percent. Today, the Blackhawks are fifth in the league at 84.8-percent – they haven’t allowed a goal in four-on-five situations in their last five games.

One of the most overused hockey clichés is that the goalie a team’s best penalty killer. Yea, they do have a heightened level of importance in shorthanded situations, but if the defense is anemic, a goalie has no chance of success on kill.  In the case of the Blackhawks, the skaters are a big reason their penalty kill is fifth in the league.  At the time this post was written -  compared to their peers around the league with ten or more games played -  Cristobal Huet had a goals-against average of 4.58 (eighth) while shorthanded  and Antti Niemi with a goals-against average of 5.37 (twenty-second).  Those numbers don’t support the cliché for the 2009-10 version of the Blackhawks.

When I think about the penalty kill, my mind automatically goes to the team’s defense. Coach Quenneville has the luxury of a roster full of capable defensemen and two-way forwards that are affective in their own zone and the back-check. On the blue line, Quenneville has consistently relied on a core of guys that haven’t been afraid to put their bodies on the line and block shots. Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook get all the press, but you cant overlook the contributions of Brent Sopel and Niklas Hjalmarsson on the kill. When it comes to blocked shots, Sopel leads the team with 5.6 per sixty minutes and Hjalmarsson is third with 4.6 (trailing Seabrook by 0.1). The Swede also brings a calm, smart defensive style that thrives in four-on-five situations.

I alluded to Quenneville’s use of two-way forwards on the kill earlier, and Jonathan Toews, Marian Hossa and Patrick Sharp are staples on the penalty-killing unit because of their offensive ability. They are effective at clearing their zone of the puck and taking the action to the other end of the ice. As it stands today, the Blackhawks lead the league in shorthanded goals with eleven (Maria Hossa 5, Patrick Sharp 2, Kris Versteeg 2, Duncan Keith 1 and Troy Brouwer 1). Although Toews hasn’t scored on the kill, he has three shorthanded assists this season, and the captain’s value doesn’t always show up on the scoresheet. For example, when the Coyotes visited the UC a few weeks ago, Toews skated the puck into the defensive zone alone, and drew a cross-checking penalty from Lee Stempniak while the other ‘Hawks were executing a line change.

The fact that the Blackhawks don’t spend much time in the box helps as well. Currently, they have the second fewest shorthanded situations in the league with 250, and have played total of three games this season where they didn’t have to field the penalty kill. Fewer instances of four-on-five hockey is obviously key, and it means that the defense feels less stress and won’t break as easily if they weren’t so effective at staying out of the penalty box. With the way this team’s defense and goaltending has fared this season, that’s a good thing.

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Blackhawks 3, Kings 2 (OT)

March 11th, 2010 by Leigh Michael Dengis

Enough said

As they say over at HOCKEENIGHT, Patrick Sharp is a very handsome man. He had a good night on the scoresheet. Sharp scored the first Blackhawk goal on a pass from Adam Burish from behind the net, and scored the game-winning goal in overtime on a great feed from Dave Bolland who forced the turnover in the neutral zone. The peasants rejoiced, and the Blackhawks came away with two points.

Never did I think seeing Burish back in the lineup would bring a smile to my face. The Blackhawks did just fine with out him, but he does provide a sense of energy in the lineup. In his first shift he had a helper on Sharp’s first goal and received a fighting major for dropping the gloves with forward Richard Clune – just a goal away from the Gordie Howe hat trick. Burish never got that goal. He centered the fourth line.

Burish wasn’t the only player fan’s had their collective eye on. Antti Niemi had to impress last night in order to keep the starting gig. He did a decent job in net, stopping twenty-eight of the Kings’ thirty shots on goal. The two that went in were on Niemi. Still, the Finn had a save percentage of 0.933. I’d say that’s worthy of another start.

Anyway, there isn’t much to complain about from this game. Well, maybe the fact that the second period hasn’t been so kind to the Blackhawks lately, the power play has become anemic once again and the officiating was rather bad. The latter being something out of Coach Quenneville’s control, but there is room for improvement regarding the other two.

Next up, the Blackhawks will be in Philadelphia on Saturday. Don’t expect a recap for that one. I’ll be out drinking Guinness, celebrating St. Patrick’s Day early with the rest of the city.

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BTK Killers – Blackhawks 4, Red Wings 3 (SO)

January 17th, 2010 by Leigh Michael Dengis

This is how a Blackhawk vs. Red Wing game ought to be. Yes, shutouts are great, but with a fuller roster Detroit made this one interesting till the end. The fact that the Blackhawks came out on top in the 4-3 in the shootout was incredibly satisfying. This afternoon’s win temporarily puts the Blackhawks ahead in the West, and starts the eight-game road trip 2-0-0.

It was a solid performance from Antti Niemi – he kept the Blackhawks in this one with the Red Wings challenging him in their offensive zone all game. Niemi stopped thirty-five of the thirty-eight shots (a .921 save percentage), and came up with some big saves with his pads all game. He got beat on the Red Wings first two goals, but he didn’t have a chance to stop Patrick Eaves‘ game tying goal off a perfectly executed screen from Darren Helm. Niemi’s biggest save came in overtime on Henrik Zetterberg’s break away to take this one to a shoot out.

The first line of Troy Brouwer, Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane were credited for two of the Blackhawks three regulation goals – each player has a different role on the line. Brouwer has improved every aspect of his game this season, but he provides a physical presence on the line. Toews is a blue-collar type player, working his ass off every minute he is on the ice in both ends. Kane is a skilled forward who can pass and shoot as good or better then anyone else on the roster. Together they have the ability to slay the competition, and will hereby be known as the BTK Killers. To soon?

Outside the first line, Patrick Sharp and the second line had a productive afternoon. After serving the third of three consecutive Blackhawk penalties in the second period – the one Detroit scored on – Sharp redeemed himself by deflecting Duncan Keith’s pass past Jimmy Howard in the third period to take the lead 3-2. The lead didn’t hold up, but Sharp scored the shootout winner to clinch the victory.

Next up, the Blackhawks will play in Ottawa Tuesday night. It’ll be the only time they will face the Senators in the regular season.

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Blackhawks 5, Ducks 2

January 4th, 2010 by Leigh Michael Dengis

Antti Niemi was minutes away from earning his fifth shutout of the season, but he let in two meaningless goals to Petteri Nokelainen in the third period of the 5-2 victory over the Anaheim Ducks. Niemi was solid for the majority of the game, however. He came up with the saves he needed to make, and sparked the rush leading to the Blackhawks first goal. Niemi was able to recover in time – after being out of position – to his left side to stop a Corey Perry snapshot. Moments later Kris Versteeg deked once to his right and beat J.S. Giguere.

Patrick Kane had a productive night setting up Troy Brouwer and Jonathan Toews for two can’t miss goals. Each time Kane came from behind the net to find both of his line mates in great position to score. He’s done well starting out from behind the opposing team’s net to either make a great pass to an open man, or snipe a shot past the goalie. Kane is also in the middle of an eight-game point streak.

Extending his own point streak to three games, Marian Hossa scored two goals on the evening. Maybe it’s just me, but his play looks effortless. Hossa’s first goal was calmly squeezed one past Giguere with a shot that didn’t leave the ice. His second goal was possible because of the screen of Giguere by Andrew Ladd and Patrick Sharp. Hossa shot at a wide-open left side to score.

Keeping with the theme of streaks, the Blackhawks have scored on the power play for the seventh straight game. During that stretch they have gone eight of twenty-five (32%) with the man-advantage. With the ‘Hawks up 5-0, Coach Quenneville opted to use the fourth line on the power play. It’s not the first time he’s done it this season, but it just shows the level of class Quenneville has.

Next up, the Blackhawks will host Martin Havlat and the Minnesota Wild.

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Blackhawks 3, Red Wings 0 (Part Two)

December 24th, 2009 by Leigh Michael Dengis

Antti Niemi was coming off his worst game of the season in the 5-4 shootout victory over the Boston Bruins. He was caught out of position a few times, and didn’t have great rebound or puck control all night. That wasn’t the case in last night’s shutout of the Red Wings. Detroit is extremely good in front of the net – especially the wide-assed Tomas Holmstrom – and Niemi came up big when the Red Wings pressed hard in front of the net. It is the Fin’s fourth shutout on the season.

The Red Wings had possession of the puck longer then the Blackhawks’ defense would have liked, and out-shot the opposition 24-20 in the first two frames. Patrick Kane was able to get one past Jimmy Howard just thirty seconds into the second period while on the power play – the ‘Hawks were one of three with the man-advantage. Troy Brouwer’s screen of Howard made the goal possible. In the third period the Blackhawks took over scoring two more goals from Patrick Sharp and Jonathan Toews.

Next up, the Blackhawks will play the second place Nashville Predators Saturday and Sunday in a home-and-home.

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Making A Case For Toews To Make Canada’s Olympic Roster

December 21st, 2009 by Leigh Michael Dengis

It was as though Team Canada’s Olympic general manager, Steve Yzerman, held informal auditions in Chicago this weekend for a spot on the Canadian national team. He was in attendance for the Bruins and Red Wings games. Detroit’s head coach, Mike Babcock, is slated to coach the Canadian Olympic team as well. They were able to get a good look at the Blackhawks’ Canadian born players first hand. Other members of the Canadian brain trust – Kevin Lowe, Doug Armstrong and Ken Holland – were in attendance for Sunday’s match-up.

The four Blackhawks invited to September’s training camp – Duncan Keith, Brent Seabrook, Patrick Sharp and Jonathan Toews – were closely scouted in both games. Brian Campbell did his best over the two-game stretch to be noticed. It was the best we’ve seen from him all season.

The only sure thing from the Blackhawks to make the Canadian roster would be Keith. His leadership and on-ice skills speak for themselves. Seabrook’s only chance to make the team is if Yzerman likes the idea keeping the blue-line duo together. Sharp doesn’t have a real shot since there are better forwards being considered. Campbell’s elevated play has come too late to make a real push for a roster spot. Toews’ future with the 2010 Canadian Olympic national team is teetering on the fence.

Toews has stiff competition for a roster spot, as Yzerman has a deep pool of centers to pick from. He already has international competition experience on his resume. Toews played for Team Canada in the 2006 and 2007 World Junior Championships as well as the 2007 and 2008 World Championships. He is also the third youngest player to be named any team’s captain. At the age of twenty-one he commands respect from his teammates.

One thing that Toews has going for himself is that Yzerman and Babcock have openly stated their admiration for the young captain. I’d like to finish this entry with a quote from Yzerman following Friday’s overtime win over the Bruins. What better way to make the case that Toews deserves a roster spot on the Canadian Olympic team then use the words from general manager himself.

Yzerman said of Toews:

“He’s a great competitor, he’s physically strong, he’s really responsible in all areas of the game – like everything about him. He’s a tremendous young player so I don’t see any shortcomings in his game and he’s just going to get better and better every year.”

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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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