BlackHawks introduce host of newbies

Midwest NHL Notebook for Oct. 12, 2016

The 2016-17 season started the same way the 2015-16 season ended for the Chicago BlackHawks on Wednesday night as the Hawks dropped a 5-2 decision to the visiting St. Louis Blues.

It was the first meeting between the two since the finally figured a way past the Hawks in the opening round of the 2016 post season.

But while the result and jerseys looked the same, the teams themselves looked markedly different thanks to busy off season of lineup subtractions and additions.

It seems every off season the Hawks, winners of three Stanley Cups in the previous half dozen seasons, have had to say goodbye to more of its heart and soul players while simply plugging in some more youngsters for a successful run.

But this team has an entirely different look, in particular on the third and fourth lines. Character players like Andrew Ladd, who returned for a cup of coffee last season and Andrew Shaw left the Windy City of the summer months along with Teuvo Teravainen, primarily due to players such as Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, Duncan Keith, Brent Seabrook and Corey Crawford who have earned big-time contracts that have simply eaten too much out of the cap.

At the forward spots, the front lines looked similar as Kane was stationed the right flank of center Artem Anisimov with sophomore Artemi Panarin on the other side and Toews centered Marian Hossa and the surging Richard Panik.

However, Marcus Kruger who played 41 games with the Hawks last season was the only returner on the third line, partnering rookies Tyler Motte and Ryan Hartman, who combine to bring three previous NHL games of experience to the table. The fourth line included free agent pick up Jordin Tootoo who has become well-traveled in recent seasons, playing 66 games in a New Jersey Devils jersey last season along with center Nick Schmaltz making his NHL debut and Vinnie Hinostroza with seven games of previous experience.

Meanwhile, on the blue line, each of the three unites had a veteran with a youngster. Keith was playing alongside Trevor Van Riemsdyk, a sophomore who did appear in all 82 games last season while Brian Campbell, back in the fold as a summer pick up was mentoring Gustav Forsling, a 20-year-old Swede making his NHL debut. Seabrook was on point with another newcomer, Michal Kempny. The 26-year-old defender actually does have some experience though, playing 59 games the previous season in the KHL and before that on Czech pro teams.

Meanwhile, the Blues looked somewhat different with captain David Backes and veteran goaltender Brian Elliott both having moved on, but the Blues had experience on all four lines, including the recent pick up, Nail Yakupov, a first overall selection by the Oilers not that long ago, playing on the third line with Patrik Berglund and Dmitrij Jaskin.

On the blue line, the top four (Jay Bouwmeester; Alex Pietrangelo; Kevin Shattenkirk and Joel Edmundson) remains the same while sophomore Colton Parayko partnered with Robert Bortuzzo on the third pair

With the departure of Elliott, Jake Allen is being called on to carry a heavier load. In the past the two split the time fairly evenly, Coach Ken Hitchcock generally going with the hot hand. Carter Hutton will perform backup duties for Allen, as he did in Nashville for Pekka Rinne in previous seasons. Both Elliott and Allen spend time on the sidelines with injuries last season but the Blues don’t have that luxury this season.

Some have picked Vladimir Tarasenko as a possible Art Ross Trophy (League leading scorer) recipient this season and he is off and running on that front, scoring two and setting up Paul Stastny for another. The other Blues’ goals came from Shattenkirk and Scottie Upshall while the Hawks countered with the opener by Panik as well as Hartman’s career first.

Tonight

Blues vs. Wild

The Blues caught the red eye flight home and will entertain the Wild tonight (Oct. 13). Allen will return to the crease for the Blues. As of this afternoon, the only changes expected is Magnus Paajarvi in for Jaskin on the left side of the third line and Carl Gunnarsson coming in for Bortuzzo at the blue line spot.

The Wild will send Devan Dubnyk to the crease and some interesting additions including off season pick up Eric Stahl centering Zach Parise and Charlie Coyle on the top line.

Earlier in the week there was some speculation Waiver pick up Teemu Pulkkinen could play on the second line, but it appears now he will drop to the fourth unit with center Zac Dalpe and Jason Zucker. Jason Pominville will stay on the second line with center Mikko Koivu and winger Mikael Granlund.

There are no changes of note on the blue line as Ryan Suter, Jared Spurgeon, Marco Scandella, Matt Dumba, Mike Reilly and Jonas Brodin will be in familiar territory.

Wings at Lightning

The Red Wings have reached the post season a record 25 straight times, but many feel that steak is in peril this time around as the Wings have come closer and closer to missing the cut in recent seasons. Last year, the Wings qualified for the post season party despite losing several key matches down the stretch and the Lightning made quick work of them in the opening round.

The Wings have made several off season moves though and it will be interesting to see how it fares in the first game of the Post-Datsyuk era facing off against a Lightning team picked by many as a Cup favorite.

Petr Mrazek has realized his goal of being named the team’s number one between the pipes and he will handle the chores tonight. Three of four lines will have the presence of an off season pick up including the top trio with Frans Nielsen sliding in between Henrik Zetterberg and Tomas Tatar. Calder Cup hopeful a year ago, Dylan Larkin slides into the middle of the second line with a familiar face, Justin Abdelkader on the left. Riley Sheahan, who can also take draws will be on the right side.

Hopes are that the third unit that sees the now resilient Darren Helm between Gustav Nysquist and newcomer Thomas Vanek. All three would like to see their offensive numbers improve this season and if that happens, the Wings team could be a little deeper on offense than many would expect.

Another off season pick up, Steve Ott, a great leader and role player could make his presence felt on the left side tonight with center Luke Glendenning and Drew Miller.

With veteran Niklas Kronwall on the sidelines, it is apparent the days of powerful defense for the Wings are long gone. Dan DeKeyser is expected to team with Alexey Marchenko while Mike Green is looking to better last season’s offensive numbers in partnership with Brendan Smith and Jonathan Ericsson will act as mentor for Xavier Ouellet who has auditioned with stints in Detroit in each of the previous three seasons, while holding down the fort in Grand Rapids.

The team will endure a tough opening assignment on the road with the Lightning having successfully added all of its off season hold outs and now has a healthy Steve Stamkos in the lineup as well.

Blue Jackets vs. Bruins

The Stanley Cup cannot be won in the first month of the regular season but the Columbus Blue Jackets are proof it most certainly can be lost.

Horrific stumbles out of the gate in each of the previous two seasons have all but eliminated the Jackets before American Thanksgiving. While the Jackets stumbled to an early appointment at the golf course, the Lake Erie (Now Cleveland) Monsters enjoyed a dream finish to their campaign with just one post season loss on its way to a Calder Cup championship.

Perhaps surprisingly, there have not been a lot of call ups or off season moves for the team as Coach John Tortorella is heading into the season with nearly the same lineup he finished last season with.

One big addition will be Zach Werenski, selected Eighth overall in the 2015 draft. The 19-year-old defenseman played his second and final year at University of Michigan and then joined the Monsters for its final seven games and successful playoff run. He is listed on the top pair for the Blue Jackets against the Boston Bruins in Columbus tonight.

Werenski is to be slotted together with Seth Jones for what could be the best young tandem in the league while Ryan Murray and David Savard round out the top four and Jack Johnson is to play alongside rookie Markus Nutivaara, selected in the seventh round a year ago and coming to the Jackets straight from Finnish pro.

Up front though there are few changes.

The Jackets have taken a shot on Sam Gagner who has seemed to underperform in the past and he will start the year on the second unit with Nick Foligno and Brandon Saad, giving him a great chance for a breakout season. Oliver Bjorkstrand is an exception as he will move up to Columbus to start the season, playing on the third line with Scott Hartnell and Alexander Wennberg while Josh Anderson will at least start the season in Columbus, playing on a fourth unit with Matt Calvert and William Karlsson.

David Clarkson and Cody Goloubef begin the campaign on the injured reserve list.

The biggest surprise for this writer comes between the pipes. Of course it is no surprise that Russian great Sergei Bobrovsky will be back in the crease, but after the run he had last winter, it is a little shocking to see Joonas Korpisalo not included on the opening day roster. Once again perennial back up keeper, Curtis McElhinney is listed alongside Bobrovsky as it appears the Monsters will once again benefit from the great 1-2 punch of Korpisalo and Anton Forsberg will begin on the farm squad.

It’s a long season of course, but the Jackets need a better start to this campaign. Actually Tortorella’s position behind the bench is depending on it. At least that is the thinking at this computer keyboard.