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LGD: Sparks Fly to Chicago

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Photo credit:Tom Szczerbowski / USA TODAY Sports
Thomas Williams
5 years ago
Last night was ugly, disappointing, and embarrassing. To lose against the team that everyone is picking to be last in the league, the team that is laughed about just at the thought of their owner is a very bad look.
Let’s move past that and focus on the new opponent tonight, the Chicago Blackhawks.
A Blackhawks team that is winning games when they were expected not to, they might bring a surprise for this Leafs team. You can never underestimate a team with Toews, Kane, and Keith.
The Leafs might be in a battle, or they might bounceback from a disappointing loss last night and come out all guns blazing – we’re hoping for the latter.

Leafs Lines

LWCRW

PATRICK MARLEAU

AUSTON MATTHEWS

TYLER ENNIS

ZACH HYMAN

JOHN TAVARES

MITCH MARNER

JOSH LEIVO

NAZEM KADRI

CONNOR BROWN

ANDREAS JOHNSSON

PAR LINDHOLM

KASPERI KAPANEN
LDRD

MORGAN RIELLY

RON HAINSEY

JAKE GARDINER

NIKITA ZAITSEV

TRAVIS DERMOTT

IGOR OZHIGANOV
STARTERBACKUP

GARRET SPARKS

FREDERIK ANDERSEN
There is nothing really more to say about the Leafs’ forward lines at this point. They are well balanced and extremely deep. But they are still missing one other right-wing that can be a monster at even-strength – and is blonde.
We can probably place our life savings on a bet that Tavares or Matthews will score at least one goal tonight.
The controversial blueline returns and so will most fan’s doubt about this team’s true potential. They played extremely poorly last night and a couple of them earned the direct blame for a couple of Sens goals. Just be solid and let the forwards do what they can do.
Chosen backup Garret Sparks will be starting his first game of the season tonight. Choosing him caused the team to lose both Curtis McElhinney and Calvin Pickard to waivers, so no pressure kid.

Blackhawks Lines

LWCRW

ALEX DEBRINCAT

JONATHAN TOEWS

DOMINIK KAHUN

BRANDON SAAD

NICK SCHMALTZ

PATRICK KANE

CHRIS KUNITZ

ARTEM ANISIMOV

DAVID KAMPF

MARCUS KRUGER

LUKE JOHNSON

ANDREAS MARTINSEN
LDRD

DUNCAN KEITH

HENRI JOKIHARJU

BRENT SEABROOK

BRANDON MANNING

ERIK GUSTAFSSON

JAN RUTTA
STARTERBACKUP

ANTON FORSBERG

CAM WARD
The aging Blackhawks got an injection of youth for this upcoming season. Nick Schmaltz earned his spot in the top-6 last year, playing alongside the big guns and not looking out of place. Rookie Dominik Kahun has been highly talked about as an underrated winger by many people that was able to see him play in the German DEL last year. The 23-year-old can be a solid secondary scoring piece for the Blackhawks this year.
Within their forwards there are well-known names, but also Luke Johnson is for sure someone made up.
On the blueline, there are super old mainstays like Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook, but rookie Henri Jokiharju has certainly impressed in his first two games. The 19-year-old had to prove his stay or go back to the WHL, he has not looked out of place on the side of Keith.
Overall, it will be depth that eventually kills this Blackhawks team. There are forwards and defencemen that are top-line worthy, but then there is the bottom-six forwards and bottom-pairing defencemen. It will be an interesting year for this team.
Also they suck. Boo.

Preview

The Leafs are lucky that this game is just a short 24 hours after that horrible performance against the Senators last night. They can put all worries to bed by absolutely destroying this Blackhawks team.
Chicago played all-balls-out against the St. Louis Blues last night, now they will have to face another forward powerhouse team in the Leafs. Let’s hope they stumble and fall when they just look into the eyes of Auston.
This is going to be entertaining.

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