Quote:
Originally Posted by GranteedEV
Comparing to the 2015 Blackhawks, you can't compare lines directly because we have different lines playing different roles. The comparision should really look like:
Shutdown line A:
Tkachuk-Backlund-Frolik vs Saad-Toews-Hossa
Let's call this a wash. Both were incredible at shutting opponents down. You could probably give a bit of a bonus to the Blackhawks' line because Toews won more faceoffs than Backlund.
Scoring Line A:
Gaudreau-Monahan-Lindholm vs Saad-Toews-Hossa
Both lines can score for you. Calgary has the best scorer in Gaudreau, but Chicago has the next two best scorers in Hossa and Toews. Lindholm vs Saad is a wash. I'm willing to call this a wash.
Scoring Line B
Patrick Kane and Two Friends vs Matthew Tkachuk and Two Friends
I think as much as I like our second scoring line, you gotta take Patrick Kane. He probably would have won the Art Ross that year over Benn, Tavares, and Crosby. It's a higher scoring league now, but relative to the league Kane was more dangerous.
Scoring Line C
Sharp-Vermette-Teravainen vs Bennett-Jankowski-Neal
Both teams seem to have a big vacuum down the middle. I believe we have a fix available in Bennett at 3C, but that's besides the point. Sharp vs Neal is pretty close and Bennett vs Teravainen seems pretty close to my eyes. I would personally like to see Czarnik-Bennett-Neal and I think if that were our 3rd line it would have an edge over the Blackhawks unit.
Shutdown Line B
Desjardins-Kruger-Shaw vs Bennett-Jankowski-Neal
I think the Blackhawks had an advantage here as Kruger was pretty suffocating. But again, if Bennett were our 3C I might change my mind.
Not Remotely A Shutdown Line
Bickell-Richards-Kane vs Gaudreau-Monahan-Lindholm
I would say Richards had the edge here defensively. I might feel differently if our top line were Gaudreau-Lindholm-Monahan.
Odds-And-Ends:
Andrew Shaw, despite playing on a pretty weak offensive line, was a big part of the Hawks PP offensively, and is generally a notably play driver
The Flames are still too early in their season to know what they have in their fourth line. I believe a Dube-Ryan-Jankowski line is what we should be looking at, but that's going to require the aformentioned tweak on our third line.
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That's all fine, but the debate was about the need for two top quality offensive centres (I'm guessing based on Crosby/Malkin, Backstrom/Kuznestov or Kopitar/Carter).
You have, I supposed established that, depending on winger strength and ability, you can have a contender without that. The Hawks did, IMO. So did the Preds two seasons ago.