Weekend Wrap-Up

When the Blackhawks took to the practice ice on Sunday, they did so without Dave Bolland.  The good news was Jonathan Toews was skating on a line between Patrick Sharp and Dustin Byfuglien.  Since Toews wasn’t skating on a regular line when he first came back to practice, it appears as though Toews will make his return on Monday night when the Kings come to town. 

Ben Eager skated on the fourth line with Colin Fraser and Andrew Ebbett. 

Kris Versteeg skated in Dave Bolland’s place as the second line center. 

Based on that evidence, it’s fairly obvious the Hawks don’t think very highly of Ebbett.  That’s fine, he hasn’t really given them much to think about.  Unfortunately, they’d probably be better off just giving him his flat-out release than asking him to play out of position and to skate on the fourth line.  There are plenty of guys in Rockford much more physically-suited to play the type of game the Hawks will be expecting out of their fourth line wing for a very similar cap hit.

As for Versteeg as a center, there shouldn’t be many surprises here.  Last year, Versteeg filled in admirably when Patrick Sharp was hurt and before Sammy Pahlsson was acquired.  Some games, he looked very good and others, he looked woefully out of position.  Expect more of the same on that front. 

The only thing I wonder is – Is Versteeg that big of an upgrade at center over Ebbett that the Hawks are willing to make themselves significantly weaker at the wing?  Let’s hope he is, otherwise it may get ugly until Marian Hossa makes his glorious debut.

As for making a trade to acquire a center, Tim Sassone says not to hold your breath.  

Would the Hawks go out and trade for another center if they lose Bolland? It’s not likely. Their bigger need is for a defenseman to run the power play.

This is starting to become a broken record, but why-oh-why would the Hawks need a defenseman to run the power play?  Whatever you think of him, when Brian Campbell was signed to a 7-year contract, the Hawks announced to the entire hockey world, “We have a defenseman to run our power play for the better part of the next decade.”

Now after one year, they’re going to give up players for a position they just filled? 

That’s without taking into account, the only thing Cam Barker can do above-average (at this point in his career) is run a power play. 

I understand the Hawks power play has been less than stellar so far, but there is absolutely no reason to slam on the panic button and start giving up players (or draft picks) for a position where the Hawks are already relatively stacked.  If anything, someone needs to start asking harder questions for Coach Q and his staff about the personnel they’ve employed on their power play thus far.      

*On the Farm*

—The Rockford IceHogs went 1-1 this weekend in a Friday and Saturday showdown against the Abbotsford Heat. 

On Friday, they lost 4-2.  After falling behind 3-0, Peter MacArthur scored on the power play a minute into the second period.  Evan Brophey and Daryl Boyle were credited with assists.  Abbotsford responded with a goal just a minute later to cease any momentum for the IceHogs.  Corey Crawford was pulled after stopping only 10 of the 14 shots he faced.

Bracken Kearns scored six and a half minutes into the third to close the scoring for the night.  Joseph Fallon stopped all 27 of the shots he faced in relief.

Saturday night was much better.  Fallon got the nod in goal and responded by stopping nearly every shot he faced in a 2-1 victory.  Halfway through the second, Nathan Davis put Rockford on the board with his sixth goal of the season.  Matt Keith and Jake Dowell got the assists.  Seven minutes later, Evan Brophey scored on the power play with assists from Mark Cullen and Pete McArthur.

Fallon was one minute away from his first shutout of the season before the Heat snuck one past him.  He held on the rest of the way to give Rockford a weekend split against Abbotsford.

—Byron Froese had an assist in the Everett Silvertips 3-2 overtime loss to the Calgary Hitmen on Friday night. 

—Kyle Beach scored the first goal for the Spokane Chiefs in their 3-1 win over the Seattle Thunderbirds on Friday night.  On Saturday night, Beach assisted on the game-winning goal in a 2-1 win over the Vancouver Giants.  For the season, Beach has 14 goals and 4 assists in 15 games played.

—Shawn Lalonde didn’t get a point in Friday night’s 5-2 loss to the Mississauga St. Michael’s Majors but he was on the ice for both of Belleville’s goals.  He was also held pointless in the Bulls’ exciting 3-2 comeback win on Saturday.  Trailing 2-0 with less than five minutes left in the game, the Bulls scored three goals in two and a half minutes to beat the Brampton Battalion. 

–In a WCHA weekend showdown involving three Blackhawk prospects, Colorado College and Minnesota-Duluth split the two-game set.  Friday night, UMD won 4-3.  Dylan Olsen had an assist while Dan DeLisle was held scoreless.  Billy Sweatt had an assist and three shots on goal in the losing effort. 

Saturday, the Tigers came back with a 6-2 win.  Sweatt scored six and a half minutes into the second period to give Colorado College a lead they’d never relinquish.  He added his second goal of the night with four minutes left in the game.  He also had an assist.  Dylan Olsen assisted on both of the Bulldog goals.  Dan DeLisle did not dress.

—Brandon Pirri had a goal and assist in RPI’s 5-2 victory over Yale on Friday night.  He scored RPI’s first goal on Saturday in their 3-1 win over Brown.  Pirri is currently second on the team in scoring with 6 goals and 4 assists in 10 games played.  He’s also second on the team in penalty minutes with 20.