Kings Top Blackhawks In Regular Season Finale
The Blackhawks bid the 2016-17 regular season a fond farewell in Los Angeles on Saturday evening with a nearly-complete roster. Only Artem Anisimov and Niklas Hjalmarsson were missing from the regular lineup, and both are expected to be ready for Game One of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Chicago rolled out Schmaltz-Toews-Panik, Panarin-Kero-Kane, Hartman-Kruger-Hossa and Tootoo-Rasmussen-Hayden to begin the game.
On the other side of the ice, the Kings closed the book on 44 years of excellent broadcasting from Bob Miller with tributes througout the game.
This is for you, LA Kings fans. #ThankYouBob pic.twitter.com/F3QoNTC0ci
— #LAKings (@LAKings) April 9, 2017
The Hawks got the party started six minutes into the game when Jonathan Toews scored his 21st of the year.
Both teams kept getting the puck on net but Toews’ goal was the only marker through 40 minutes. Corey Crawford and Jonathan Quick both faced 17 shots in the first two periods.
Arguably the best line for Chicago in the first two periods was their third. Marian Hossa, Ryan Hartman and Marcus Kruger combined for six of the Hawks’ 17 shots, led by three from Hossa.
Dennis Rasmussen went to the box early in the third and the Kings tied the game 61 seconds later on Tyler Toffoli’s 16th of the year.
With six minutes left in regulation, Patrick Kane set up bonus boy Artemi Panarin for his 31st of the year.
After the Hawks won an offensive zone draw, keeping Quick in net, the Kings were able to storm the other way and Dustin Brown tied the game with 55 seconds left in regulation.
Unfortunately, Drew Doughty ended the game 27 seconds into overtime. Chicago lost their final four games of the regular season, three of which came by one goal.
Panarin finishes the regular season with 31 goals and 43 assists. The Hawks will need some help if he’s going to finish outside the top ten in the league, thereby collecting bonus money that will impact next year. To his credit, coach Joel Quenneville has given Panarin every opportunity to produce and he’s been Chicago’s hottest offensive player down the stretch.
Kane finished the regular season with 89 points, the second-highest total of his career (behind only last year). He picked up his 55th assist of the season on Panarin’s goal, a number he eclipsed only during the 2009-10 season and last year.
Duncan Keith had assists on both of the Hawks’ goals, giving him 47 helpers on the season. He has only posted more assists in a season twice, when he had 55 in 2013-14 and 2009-10.
Crawford faced 26 shots, stopping 23 in the loss.
John Hayden led the Hawks with five hits. Brent Seabrook had seven blocked shots in the game. Hossa and Hartman finished with a team-leading four shots on goal each.
Glad to see everyone rested and all the bugs ironed out . No worries come playoffs now .
I know this last string of games didn’t matter, but one win in the last 5 would have been nice. We all just assume they’ll come out swinging in game one, meanwhile many other teams have been in the mindset of going all out. I won’t feel overly confident until a really strong showing in game one.
All that being said, this is one of the deeper and certainly healthier/more rested rosters we’ve seen enter the playoffs since the first (recent) cup. We know what the hawks are capable of when they go all out. Its gonna be an exciting playoffs.
I’d be curious of any upsets anyone forsees in the first round? I wouldn’t mind seeing Toronto shock everyone.
Our performance of late has shown that we are not ready for the playoffs .
Just going to make the playoff wins in the first few games feel better.
Preds in the 1st rd.
Looks like Q prefers Forsling To Kempny, as number 7 defenseman.
I would imagine if Anisimov is back, that pushes Hayden and to some degree Rasmussen from the lineup.
4th line would be comprised of Tootoo-Kero-Dejardins.
Desi plays because I think Q will go with veterans on that line to start the playoffs/tournament.
Rasmussen, Hayden, Hinostroza, Jurco all chomping at the bit to get in.
I don’t see how Q can keep Hayden out of the lineup. He had 5 hits again today and made good plays in all 3 zones. He is a better player than any of the other options for 4th line winger and I dare say it’s not even close.
I doubt 11 &22 will be playing on the same night. My guess for the fourth line would be 40/16/70. 38/67/81 will be reunited on the 3rd line. I would have preferred Calgary or St Lois in the first round instead of Nashville. The Preds are more skilled and have superior team speed than the Flames or Blues.
So Rasmussen as a winger ? Hmmm. I understand the Hayden possibility but I doubt Q dresses 70 as a winger.
Maybe Anisimov is not ready. Has anybody in the media watched him skate? Or are they just hanging on Qs every word ?
Forsling was a few games shy of some bonus money.
Hawkhead, do you not realize the last 2 weeks were about not getting hurt? They had 6 guys from the top half of their lineup rest the other day. Nobody is hurt. Anisimov is good to go. And they’re not ready? They’ve been ready.
Panarin is tied with Wheeler and Tarasenko for 9th in points. Tarasenko has 1 more game. So unless Getzlaf puts up a 5 spot, that goal today was worth a pretty penny.
I think the 4th line will 40, 67 and 22 to play some the crash and bang hockey, with Kane double shifting a bit to give you a pretty dangerous 4th line matchup a few times a game. I believe Panarin is tied in 10th in scoring and if Tarasenko dresses today and gets a point he passes him for 10th.
Should be either 1.98m or 3.7 m in bonuses to deal with.
The blue has nothing to play for. Why not stick it to your division rival and rest Tarasenko? Should make Vladimir pretty happy to do so, would be making one of his best friends a nice stack of cash. Would need a three point night from Malkin to miss out on his bonus then, assuming Malkin doesn’t sit.
It’s 10th in scoring for forwards. He’s 10th overall right now because Burns is ahead of him. He’s currently tied for 9th in scoring among forwards with Tarasenko and Wheeler. It doesn’t matter what Tarasenko does. The bonuses have been earned.
Schedule B bonuses (maximum of $1.725 million): $1, 725, 000 for any of the following achievements – top 10 FORWARD in the league in goals/assists/points/points per game (min 42GP); top 5 in league in Hart/Selke/Richard voting; NHL First or Second team all star; Conn Smythe.
The Blackhawks had pretty much the entire regular lineup (sans injured Anisimov) playing, and did not play all that badly. LA brought a lot of energy on the ice, commendable for a team that is completely out of it, and you could tell that their crowd was rocking. The late goal hurt, but sometimes you do tip your cap to the other team.
Preds could be a bit worrisome. Rinne can get hot. Time to buckle up.
Go Blackhawks!!!!
Stand corrected so it is forward good for him, 3.7 m in bonus to deal with.
Let’s do a little homework and see what the Hawks have done in the last few April months leading up to the playoffs:
2012-2013 – Record in April – 10-2-2 – Hawks beat the Bruins to win the Cup.
Strike shortened season.
2013-2014 – Record in April – 4-2-2 – Hawks lose to the Kings in 7 games in the Conference finals.
2014-2015 – Record in April – 2-4-0 – Hawks beat the Lightening to win the Cup.
2015-2016 – Record in April – 3-0-2 – Hawks lose in the first round to the Blues in 7 games.
So what does the April record of the Blackhawks mean? Nothing.
In my opinion, which my wife says means nothing, the Hawks are deeper on D this year than in the last 2-3 years. They are faster and younger up front and they have a little size with Hayden and Panik.
To me, I believe that if Panik and Hartman can get off to good starts AND play with confidence, there is not a team in the Western Conference that has the depth, goaltending, skill and experience to beat us.
I will get back to you when my wife tells me how the Eastern Conference will shake out. LOL. Lets go Hawks!!
Reg ,all you have proven with you statistical overlay is ,.,.,..,stats do not amount to crap . Have you looked at any or all the Corsie stats provided by Tab at the start of each blog ????? Yeah… the Hawks struggle on any given night to come out on top in regards to the Corsie statistical conundrum . I think even Ernie would agree ,the Hawks have, more than not,.., struggled in the Corsie department . Best of luck to our boys heading into the playoffs .
Daves a killer.
HH, the Hawks have been TERRIBLE in the Corsi stats this year. But you just said that “stats don’t amount to crap”. Again, speed, skill, goaltending and experience will take a team really far in the playoffs. The Hawks have all of that, and then some.
But even good teams get beat. But I respect your opinion and always hope for the best!!
Go hawks!!
Hawks have struggled with corsi. Eventually that should in theory catch up. Look at the 13/14 avalanche as exhibit A. This team is most certainly not the 13/14 Avs. The avalanche showed nothing prior to that point to lead you to believe they were capable of winning games at that clip. This team around the time Schmaltz got put on the top line all of a sudden started to win that Corsi battle more often than not.
Now, these numbers should be taken with a grain of salt. LA, Carolina, Tampa Bay, Philadelphia, and Florida. All teams that finished ahead of Chicago in CF% and are out of the playoffs. When you factor in all the growing pains this team had to go through, to finish 12th in that category is doing OK.
Tarasenko scored his 39th, pushing Panarin to 11th in scoring. Gives the Hawks another $1.725 million in cap space next year. Can’t say the Hawks didn’t help the Breadman reach the bonus as they rated neither him or his alter ego, Kane. Best outcome possible.
Make that “rested”, not “rated”.
Spell check: “rested”, not “rated”.
Wirtz, please read above. It’s scoring for a forward. Not overall. Burns is top 10 in scoring, but he’s a d-man. So Panarin does get his money.
Corsi as a single game stat is interesting but tells you nothing really. As I pointed out earlier this year when everyone was saying the corsi numbers were going to take the Blackhawks down they weren’t looking at the other option that was pick your play up and keep winning. As we all could see thats what happened. If you read what alot more knowledgable hockey minds than myself say corsi is something that needs to be trended over a period of time and broke down to tell you a story. Reacting to it on a game by game basis you would be like a dog chasing its tail.
Speaking of lopsided numbers the Sea Dogs have won the first two games of Round 2. Total shots in the first two games 122-32 in favour of the Sea Dogs. Noel 0G 2A FO 10/15, Highmore 0G 2A FO23/45
The otters lost game 1 the other day 2-0. They won the shots for category 46-12
Goldenbladz already trumped me a few days ago on that same post Ernie-
68-14 in the Sea Dogs game