GDT - Chicago Blackhawks at Florida Panthers - 6:00 cst 1/17/21

[Tater]

PREVIEW: Blackhawks at Panthers - Jan. 17, 2021

TIME: 6 p.m. CT
TV: NBCSCH | RADIO: WGN 720AM / TUDN 1200AM | STREAM: NHL.TV & MyTeamsApp
The Blackhawks continue their season-opening swing through Florida as they meet the Florida Panthers for the first time this seaosn on Sunday night.

TEAM RECORDS
CHI: 0-2-0, 0 PTS
FLA: 0-0-0, 0 PTS

LAST TIME OUT
Chicago and Florida split their season series last year, dropping a 4-3 decision at the United Center on Jan. 21 before taking a 3-2 shootout victory on Feb. 29 in south Florida. Sidelined fowards Jonathan Toews and Kirby Dach tied for the team lead in scoring against Florida a year ago with a goal and an assist apiece. Both were placed on long-term injured reserve on Jan. 14.
Patrick Kane leads active Blackhawks skaters with 23 career points (10G, 13A) against the Panthers.

FAMILIAR FACES
Blackhawks' forward Lucas Wallmark skated in seven regular-season games with Florida last year, notching a goal and an assist after being acquired at the trade deadline from Carolina.
Florida's roster features three former Blackhawks, Vinnie Hinostroza, Anthony Duclair and Gustav Forsling, as well as head coach Joel Quenneville, who won three Stanley Cups and 452 regular-season games in his 10-plus years as Blackhawks head coach.

LATE START
Florida is set to open their 2020-21 season on Sunday against Chicago after their scheduled opening two games against Dallas were postponed when the Stars had a COVID outbreak early in training camp. The Panthers are the only other team besides Dallas to have not played a game yet this season.

POWER CAT
Alex DeBrincat notched his 30th career power-play goal on Friday night against the Lightning. Since entering the league in 2017-18, Debrincat's 30 power-play goals are the most among Blackhawks players and shares 13th among NHL skaters during that span. He paced the club with 10 power-play tallies last year.

STROME START
Dylan Strome recorded a point (1G, 1A) in each of the first two games this season. The Ontario native has also won 58.8 percent of his faceoffs through two games. He paced Blackhawks skaters with six shots on goal on Friday vs. Tampa, which matched a single-game career high.


I'm hoping we get to see Lankinen start in net.

 

[HSBOB]

Before noon again Taterdude............thanks for the morning skate!

Joel Quenneville's team looks to keep the Chicago Blackhawks down (dawindycity.com)

Chicago Blackhawks Need Taxi Squad to Drive Better Results in Net (thehockeywriters.com)

 

[Leomaz]

Can the Blackhawks even compete this season?

 

[Raskolnikov]

Thats the second article I've seen saying the Hawks goaltenders need to play better?!

WTF?! Is the house strategy to deal with the tank? Blame the goalies? Its not their fault they suck and its not their fault the defense sucks and the forwards watch.

Its not their fault when they could all be happy #3 goaltenders learning their craft...its not their fault until Stan puts 3 #3's together (and that is being kind...they are unproven #3's all)

So with 3 unproven #3's we are going to look to the netminders for more? (Suppan is a failed #3 reclamation actually)

They don't have more. ONE person thought they had more, maybe 2 if a goalie coach is involved. Kane said nice things for their confidence, not to spread panic.

Its gonna be real hard to win a game in this league with this defense protecting 3 #3's and a prayer in Nalimov.

I guess we will burn through these 3, ruin their psyche and then go to Nalimov while Stan seeks a stop gap trade too late.

 

[LordKOTL]

Can the Blackhawks even compete this season?

Nope. I really can't see any change or realistic movement that gets us out of the cellar...and that was even with Dach and Toews. The holes on the team are Goatse-sized. Now, if we had a GM who knew how to GM even a losing season like this could turn into a good thing eventually...but I'm not getting that vibe.

 

[Raskolnikov]

Nope. I really can't see any change or realistic movement that gets us out of the cellar...and that was even with Dach and Toews. The holes on the team are Goatse-sized. Now, if we had a GM who knew how to GM even a losing season like this could turn into a good thing eventually...but I'm not getting that vibe.

Yeah....the team was borderline prayerful and then lost 20-30% more face-offs by total percentage won without Toews, already a bad face-off team now a terrible one.
Then they lost their hope of board respect with Dach....and a good bit of zone entry and passing.

We don't have the possession or ability to dig from corners now to prevent teams from icing. We won't be able to close teams out, they will just extend the game, pen us in and circle us down.

There is no reason to play us, just ice the puck or take risks. Teams can take risks and not care about going to the dot. We are so fucked.

 

[Bigfoot]

I just can’t believe that Stan presented this to Rocky. Like hey we are gonna run with these guys as our goalies we think one of them could become the next Crow, and than Rocky signed off on this. Guarantee if Bowman wasn’t his last name he wouldn’t be a GM/VP. We have been going in circles now for 5 years with absolutely no direction still.

 

[zack54attack]

Thanks for this @Tater

 

[zack54attack]

First two tough against defending champs... Opener for the Panthers. How about some points tonight?

 

[Raskolnikov]

First two tough against defending champs... Opener for the Panthers. How about some points tonight?

Yeah maybe.

No Bob. They lost their two top goal scorers. You'd expect we can at least compete, but they are much bigger and more physical than us. Our path to victory is the early lead provided by a skill guy or two taking advantage, but at the end of the day our defense is amateurish facing a motivated team in their first game.

It will be hard, and I lack faith this team can close out games even if we get a lead. We will probably score 4 or 5 in the games we win, and that is a possibility tonight.

 

[MassHavoc]

Hawks will give up five goals and the only chance they have is to score six

 

[LordKOTL]

Hawks will give up five goals and the only chance they have is to score six

Basically this.

 

[Raskolnikov]

Yes, in a vacuum the other team can take 6 goals from us at will.

But there will be games we luck into 4 or 5, and we can win those games.

 

[Bust]

The Lightning were stanley cup champions. Florida is a rebuild team. Must win

 

[Bigfoot]

Hawks win 6-5 in a shootout.

 

[LordKOTL]

When will the Boqvist experiment be over?

 

[Bigfoot]

JC man to man system is so goofy. Mitchell playing stick games with one guy crashing the net who wasn’t a threat all while another guy crashes right side of crease wide open

 

[Bigfoot]

One thing that drives me nuts watching the Hawks is the passive forecheck. I’d much rather see a more physical and aggressive.

HOLY FUCK WHAT A PASS SUTER

 

[LordKOTL]

GODDAMNIT!

 

[LordKOTL]

Well, we got close and Delia had a good save...