Blackhawks @ Leafs - Dec. 16th, 7:00pm - TSN4

[CarltonTheBear]

	​
Chicago Blackhawks 13-13-6, 32 points​	@​	Toronto Maple Leafs 14-12-5, 33 pts​

Projected Line-ups​

Bertuzzi-Nazar-Burakovsky Teravainen-Dickinson-Mikheyev Moore-Greene-Lardis Dach-Toninato-Donato Vlasic-Crevier Grezelcyk-Levshunov Kaiser-Murphy Knight​

Knies-Matthews-Nylander Robertson-Tavares-McMann Joshua-Roy-Domi Lorentz-Laughton-Cowan Rielly-OEL McCabe-Stecher Benoit-Thrun Hildeby​

Scratches​

Sam Lafferty Ethan Del Mastro​

​

Calle Jarnkrok Matias Maccelli Philippe Myers​

Injuries​

Connor Bedard - Upper Body - Injured Reserve Nick Foligno - Hand - Injured Reserve​

​

Brandon Carlo - Lower Body - Injured Reserve Chris Tanev - Upper Body - Injured Reserve Dakota Mermis - Lower Body - Injured Reserve Joseph Woll - Lower Body - Injured Reserve Anthony Stolarz - Upper Body - Injured Reserve​

Game Notes​

CHI -Spencer Knight will likely start for the Blackhawks -Chicago is expected to be without superstar Connor Bedard for the remainder of the month after suffering an upper body injury at the very end of his game against St. Louis on Friday

TOR -Dennis Hildeby will likely start for the Leafs -Tuesday will be 12 days since Woll suffered a lower body injury in the Carolina game. He went through a full practice on Monday and might get the green light to return to the net

Streams​

Sportsurge OnHockey NHL66​

 

[louisstamos]

That lineup without Bedard *should* be a cakewalk...

..."should" being the operative word.

 

[CarltonTheBear]

https://twitter.com/x/status/2000959685378318649

 

[rdowdall]

I don't hate the forward lineup tonight. I think it makes a lot of sense. The only person who sticks out is Domi on the third. If we could switch out Domi for a grinder with some offensive upside, that would be a decent third line. McMann is a good choice. So maybe you just need a 2nd line right winger, and then you move McMann down.

 

[CarltonTheBear]

I don't hate the forward lineup tonight. I think it makes a lot of sense. The only person who sticks out is Domi on the third. If we could switch out Domi for a grinder with some offensive upside, that would be a decent third line. McMann is a good choice. So maybe you just need a 2nd line right winger, and then you move McMann down.

I'd swap Laughton with Domi. Laughton deserves more ice-time, and fills the role of the 3rd line obviously significantly better. Or try Laughton on the JT line and put McMann back with the Roy line. Domi might be a mess at C but that should be mitigated by playing against lower end opponents and having Lorentz being able to cover a little for him.

 

[cabber24]

No one likes Domi anywhere. He doesn't contribute enough of anything to have a role anywhere. Stupid is as stupid does.

 

[rdowdall]

I'd swap Laughton with Domi. Laughton deserves more ice-time, and fills the role of the 3rd line obviously significantly better. Or try Laughton on the JT line and put McMann back with the Roy line. Domi might be a mess at C but that should be mitigated by playing against lower end opponents and having Lorentz being able to cover a little for him.

Yeah, that makes sense. You have Domi center the fourth line, or you have Lorentz center the fourth line and put Domi on the wing.

 

[rdowdall]

No one likes Domi anywhere. He doesn't contribute enough of anything to have a role anywhere. Stupid is as stupid does.

It's a shame really. He was a player I always liked when he played on other teams. I thought he competed hard. There just doesn't seem to be a fit for him here on the team. He can't drive a line himself, and he's suspect defensively. Every so often he shows glimpses, but they are just too few and far between.

 

[Arn]

It's a shame really. He was a player I always liked when he played on other teams. I thought he competed hard. There just doesn't seem to be a fit for him here on the team. He can't drive a line himself, and he's suspect defensively. Every so often he shows glimpses, but they are just too few and far between.

I’d agree with this. I think he probably has a spot on a mid to lower end team with low expectations where he can kind of do what he wants. Even somewhere like Utah or Seattle where he can also be a bit more of a stand out personality as well.

Not sure he has the nous to be a “role player” on a team that (wants to be) contending. Unfortunately. Cos I do like him. But maybe slightly cos he’s Tie’s kid.

 

[CarltonTheBear]

I’d agree with this. I think he probably has a spot on a mid to lower end team with low expectations where he can kind of do what he wants. Even somewhere like Utah or Seattle where he can also be a bit more of a stand out personality as well.

Not sure he has the nous to be a “role player” on a team that (wants to be) contending. Unfortunately. Cos I do like him. But maybe slightly cos he’s Tie’s kid.

I think the biggest thing is there just isn't a fit for both him and Robertson in the top-9. Both suspect defensively so shouldn't play on L3. Both ultimately not good enough to play on L1 consistently. Both can't/shouldn't play on the 2nd line at the same time.

 

[Arn]

I think the biggest thing is there just isn't a fit for both him and Robertson in the top-9. Both suspect defensively so shouldn't play on L3. Both ultimately not good enough to play on L1 consistently. Both can't/shouldn't play on the 2nd line at the same time.

Yeah. I do feel Robertson has been messed around a bit, but I agree you can’t have both him and Domi. You could maybe have “hidden” one of them in some kind of offence only top 6 role if they were sheltered by, say Matthews and Marner. And probably more so Robertson just cos he’s younger and cheaper.

It also would be nice to have actually seen a homegrown prospect get more rope rather than a Domi. But it is what it is for both of them.