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Last Night Takeaways

Jan. 6, 2020 at 1:37 p.m.
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Coliton defiantly put out some unique lines but it seemed to pay off in the end. Surrounding Kane with two players who are usually shutdown players seemed to help keep the balance. Kane makes anyone he plays with instantly better as seen by Sikura's success playing with him (nothing his first NHL goal).

Line Breakdown:

Line 1: Kubalik-Toews-Quenneville

Kubalik: 1 goal, +2, 2 PIM, 3 SOG, 4 hits, 17:15 TOI, 0:51 TOIPP
Probably the best pickup since Panarin, Kubalik has definitely found his offensive groove after a solid defensive but underwhelming offensive start to the season. Kubalik is looking more and more like a Brandon Saad type player. He was all over the ice and exploded up the ice on a breakaway after a beautiful pass from Keith. He ended up getting shut down by Howard on a great save but latter netted an empty net goal.

Toews: 1 assist, +2, 2 PIM, 4 SOG, 1 hit, 9-5-64% face-offs, 22:11 TOI, 5:09 TOIPP, 1:14 TOISH
He was just his usually self. All over the ice making good plays with and without the puck. He might not be on the same pace as last season but Toews is definitely having another great season and is definitely keeping his name on the scoresheet.

Quenneville: +1, 2 SOG, 2 hits, 13:52 TOI, 0:51 TOIPP
The former 1st round pick has been underwhelming in his first stint with the Hawks. He hasn't really contributed to much anywhere on the ice besides some short possessions in the offensive zone. Don't get me wrong, he definitely goes balls out every shift its just he doesn't do anything particularly well. However he did earn some power play time. He's simply a placeholder until Saad, Shaw, or Caggiula rejoin the lineup.

Line 2: Sikura-Carpenter-Kane

Sikura: 1 goal, +1, 1 SOG, 9:39 TOI
I think this was his best game of his career. Not just because he scored but because he was all over the ice. Positionally he was almost perfect. He played hard in the corners and ended up cashing in off a rebound. He gets a lot of hate for not producing as well offensively as he was projected too after lighting it up in college and the AHL. Sikura seems to be locking himself in as a top 9/bottom 6 depth player who will be a 20-30 point scorer.

Carpenter: 5 hits, 1 block, 1-12-14% face-offs, 14:55 TOI, 3:08 TOISH
If you have been reading my analysis throughout the year, you'll know how much I love Carpy. Now I will admit, he's been a little underwhelming lately however, every player has their ups and downs. Last night was a good game for him. He battled hard in front of the net, forechecked very well yet was still able to get back in time. The shutdown center is cemented in as a 3rd/4th line shutdown center and PK specialist.

Kane: 1 assist, +1, 1 hit, 21:02 TOI, 5:09 TOIPP
I was surprisingly underwhelmed by his game last night. He looked slow and tired. However Kane being slow and tired is another players top gear. He has 7 points in his last 3 games while averaging over 21 minutes per game.

Line 3: DeBrincat-Strome-Dach

DeBrincat: 1 assist, +1, 2 SOG, 2 hits, 17:01 TOI, 5:09 TOIPP
WOW. Despite only recording one assist, DeBrincat had one hell of a night. He easily created 4 or 5 A+ scoring chances. The smallest player on the Hawks roster is also one of the feistiest. He won board battles, played in the corners, and had some of the best board retrievals I have seen. While he might not hit the 40 goal mark this season, his overall game has definitely improved.

Strome: 1 goal, +1, 4 SOG, 1 hit, 1 block, 4-3-57% face-offs, 17:21 TOI, 5:09 TOIPP
Boom to bust then back to boom, the former 3rd overall pick has defiantly had his fair share of struggles to begin his career. However since joining the Hawks, all that has been forgotten. Rekindling his chemistry with best friend Alex DeBrincat, Strome has been an absolute force. While Strome is defiantly more of a playmaker than goal scorer, last night he was a pure sniper. A sweet snipe that went post and in marked his 10th goal of the season assisted by none other than Alex DeBrincat.

Dach: +1, 1 SOG, 2 hits, 1-0-100% face-offs, 13:29 TOI, 0:51 TOIPP
Again, those of you who have read my forums before know I've been hard on Kirby Dach. But the expectations after being the 3rd overall pick are high. He was off to a great start in his first 15 games but since then, he's been in a bit or a rut. Yes he's only 18 and yes he is playing sheltered minutes, but nothing about his game has really stood out besides his size and reach (I know that is why the Hawks drafted him but still). He had an average game last night. He did nothing eye popping, he also did nothing bad either. Positionally he was good.

Line 4: Smith-Kampf-Highmore

Smith: 1 assist, +1, 2 hits, 1 block, 12:29 TOI, 2:04 TOISH
Smith has had a relatively quiet season but last night he really shined. He made some great plays and really seemed to play with a pep in his step. He looked like the player the Hawks saw when they traded Anisimov for him this offseason. Maybe the birth of his newborn rejuvenated the veteran player.

Kampf: 1 hit, 5-3-62% Face-offs, 12:37 TOI, 2:14 TOISH
Another one of my favorite players, Kampf is a true defensive center. He easily had the best defensive positioning of any player last night. Primarily put out during the PK and defensive zone/high risk situations, Kampf is the next Kruger. He has no fear, getting into shooting lanes, battling in the corner, he does it all.

Highmore: -1, 3 hits, 8:32 TOI, 0:38 TOISH
After an injury plagued last season, Highmore is back in action. Highmore is an absolute tank. He's stockier than most players weighing in at 181lbs and 5'11", but uses that to his advantage as it's hard to knock him off the puck. He did a great job of cycling the puck in the offensive zone and did a surprisingly good job at driving the play into the o-zone. He defiantly had some bad turnovers in the d-zone that almost turned into a goal against.

D-pairings:

Keith-Boqvist

Keith: 1 assist, +1, 2 SOG, 1 hit, 4 blocks, 22:09 TOI, 0:51 TOIPP, 2:25 TOISH
Duncan Keith may be one of the most reliable defenseman in the NHL. His offensive numbers have gone down but his overall game is still top notch. He made a beautiful stretch pass that landed right on the tape of Dominik Kubalik sending him off on a breakaway. He also displayed some great patience in the offensive zone waiting for shooting lanes to open or finding the open forward in the slot. Keith has 5 assists in his last 5 games.

Boqvist: 1 goal, +1, 3 SOG, 1 GWG, 1 hit, 20:32 TOI, 5:44 TOIPP
While his offensive production this season hasn’t been eye popping, the rookie defenseman has points in back to back games. Last night the offensive dman showed why he was selected top 10 in the draft. He scored a beautiful goal walking in from the blue line before ripping a shot past Howard for the game winning goal. He logged over 5 minutes on the power play and looked comfortable moving the puck all over. Defensively he struggled a little but that will come with some more experience. Besides quarterbacking the Hawks first power play unit, Boqvist has seen a major spike in ice time logging over 20 minutes in 3 of his last 4 games.

Gustafsson-Murphy

Gustafsson: 1 assist, 2 SOG, 3 hits, 19:51 TOI, 0:16 TOIPP, 0:25 TOISH
After having a breakout season last year, Gus has definitely taken a step back in the point department and has seen his power play time decrease with the emergencies of Adam Boqvist. His play has been questionable lately with some bad turnovers and lackluster defensive play. He wasn’t very noticeable last night which can be both good and bad.

Murphy: +1, 2 PIM, 2 SOG, 2 hits, 3 blocks, 21:15 TOI, 1:25 TOISH
Finally healthy, Murphy is thriving as a top 4 defender for the Hawks. He plays in all situations and has become somewhat of an offensive threat. He did a great job of boxing out in front of the night, he maintained great gap control and had no big turnovers. He looked confident with the puck on his stick while making crisp tape to tape passes. While Murphy is a defensive defenseman, he looks like he’s adding some offense to his game creating the reliable 2 way defender the Hawks so desperately need.

Maatta-Gilbert

Maatta:+1, 1 SOG, 2 hits, 3 blocks, 15:28 TOI, 2:14 TOISH
Having criticized Maatta for his lack of speed before, I may have judged him too soon. He seems to have found his game as a shutdown dman who compensates for his lack of foot speed with quick thinking and solid positioning. Maatta wasn’t very noticeable last night but that’s not a bad thing for him.

Gilbert: +1, 5 hits, 3 blocks, 15:43 TOI, 2:49 TOISH
Another one of my favorite players, Gilbert has really come into his own this season securing his position as a depth defender with an edge to his game. He did a great job of taking away passing lanes and keeping the puck out of high danger areas. While not the fastest of skaters, Gilbert is a hitting machine not afraid of anyone. He sets the tone of the game and is a very high energy player as seen last night. He reminds me a lot of Dustin Byfuglien just without the offensive upside.
 
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