Strengthened middle gives Blackhawks more line options
Depth down the middle.
A team can never have too much of it, and GM Stan Bowman definitely sought to strengthen this area for the Blackhawks last off-season.
He accomplished that goal by drafting Kirby Dach third overall and signing Ryan Carpenter and Zack Smith in free agency. Even Andrew Shaw can handle those duties in a pinch.
These additions have given coach Jeremy Colliton myriad options when it comes to his forward lines. He proved as much Sunday by playing Dylan Strome at wing on a line with Carpenter and Alex DeBrincat.
Just how rare is it for Strome to move from his customary center spot?
"Probably (under) five games combined in my life," he said after scoring twice and dishing out an assist to DeBrincat in the Hawks' 5-1 victory. "I'm trying to get used to it. Felt pretty good tonight."
Colliton felt comfortable making the move because of Carpenter. The 28-year-old veteran has been one of the Hawks' most responsible defenders and he's been the team's best faceoff man as well, winning 55.3 percent of his draws.
"He rarely takes a wrong decision in the defensive zone," Colliton said. "Stromer can help him. He's comfortable playing low and he can take faceoffs, but I think it frees the other two up to push the pace and make some plays and have the puck more.
"It seems whatever line Carpenter's been on this year, they have the puck a lot."
How long that line stays together is anyone's guess. After all, the reeling Kings have been outscored 15-4 in their last three games and didn't exactly present a stiff test.
Three of the games on this upcoming road trip - Nashville on Tuesday, Anaheim on Sunday and San Jose on November 5 - figure to be a different story.
For now, though, Strome's confidence is back after a rough start.
"A couple goals feels good," Strome said. "I'll take that into the road trip and we've got to keep going. We're 3-5-2 now, so obviously not good enough. But we'll get there."
Dach impressing:
The more Kirby Dach plays, the more he impresses.
And the more likely it is he's going to stick with the Hawks all season instead of going back to juniors.
"It's not all going to be perfect," said coach Jeremy Colliton after Dach's fifth game, this one a 5-1 victory over the Kings. "It's hard, especially playing center. It's a difficult league. There's big boys and it's hard in (the) defensive zone and hard to win 50/50s.
"But he protects the puck extremely well (and) when he does get possession, he often makes a play."
On thing that stands out to Colliton is Dach's underrated speed.
"He is a great skater, especially on open ice," the coach said. "Once he gets wound up, he can catch guys, he can pass guys, he can close on guys.
"That's why I think he can be a great forechecker. He (does have to) get to full speed. When he does, it's pretty tough to handle for a defender."
Dach centered the Hawks' third line against Los Angeles, with Brandon Saad and Andrew Shaw as his wingers. He has 1 goal and 1 assist and is averaging almost 12 minutes of ice time in his five appearances.
If he plays in all four games on the upcoming road trip, the Hawks must then decide if they want to keep Dach on the roster and burn a year of his three-year contract.
Perlini traded:
The Blackhawks traded forward Brendan Perlini to the Detroit Red Wings on Monday in exchange for defenseman Alec Regula. The 6-foot-4, 205-pound Regula, who taken by Detroit in the third round of the 2018 draft, will remain with the London Knights of the Ontario Hockey League. He is a co-captain of the team and has 11 points (4 goals) in 10 games.
Perlini was acquired along with Dylan Strome in exchange for Nick Schmaltz last season. He was a healthy scratch in all but one of the Hawks' games.
Scouting report
Blackhawks vs. Nashville Predators at Bridgestone Arena, 7 p.m.
TV: NBC SportsChicago • Radio: WGN 720-AM
The skinny: Nashville (7-3-1) has won its last three - 6-1 over Anaheim, 4-0 over Minnesota and 3-2 in OT against Tampa Bay. The Predators' leading goal scorers are Filip Forsberg (5), Viktor Arvidsson (5), Roman Josi (5) and Colton Sissons (4). … Nashville has 12 goals from its defensemen, while the Hawks have just 1. … The Hawks went 1-2-1 vs. the Predators last season. … The Hawks are 1-for-25 on the power play over the last seven games. Nashville ranks 14th on the PP with a 21.9-percent success rate. … The Hawks rank 26th on the penalty kill (73.3 percent), while the Predators are 27th (71.4).
Next: Los Angeles Kings at Staples Center, 9:30 p.m. Saturday
- John Dietz