20 Game Breakdown (cont.) - Tazer19's Dynasty

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20 Game Breakdown (cont.)

Posted on January 12, 2012 at 04:51 PM.

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Line 4: Combined - 4 G / 8 A / 12 PTS / + 1

LW - Morbeck / C - McNeill / RW - Ritchie

Two rookies debuting on this line, and overall they are a +1, I'll take it. At this point I would say that Ritchie has taken a step back, not playing bad, just want more out of him, even on the 4th line. Morbeck and McNeill have been impressive so far in their debut seasons. Each guy should continue to improve so I'm thinking about moving one off of this line and up to the third line. Outlook: Changes coming here as well, I think the move right now is to swap Pirri and McNeill to see if that furthers the development of McNeill, and gives a more experienced look to the 4th line.

D1: Combined - 3 G / 16 A / 19 PTS / + 14

D - Carlson / D - Tinordi

Solid top pairing here, as both guys are doing their job in different ways. Carlson will be the guy taking the most shots and chances, while Tinordi will make sure everything is locked down defensively. So far it's working out just like that, Carlson is having a tremendous offensive season so far, and Tinordi has been on the ice as much as anyone, and doesn't show any signs of slowing down. Outlook: I don't anticipate any changes, as this team has been one of the best defensively in the NHL, and these two are a big part.

D2: Combined - 3 G / 13 A / 16 PTS / + 20

D - Leddy / D - Leonov

This pairing has been nothing short of spectacular. Each guy is a plus 10 on the season, and each guy can put the puck in the net, or set up a goal at a moments notice. These guys compliment each other so well on the ice. This is probably the future of the Hawks in the #1 and #2 spot if we already didn't have two young guys manning those spots.I'm not sure how much better Leddy will get, but Leonov should continue to improve, and for a homegrown product that is pretty exciting for us. Outlook: They are a combined +20 on the season, no reason to make any changes.

D3: Combined - 1 G / 9 A / 10 PTS / + 2

D - Spang / D - Fournier

Not bad production from the third pairing at all. Both guys are still very young, and have a full year of experience already. Both guys can continue to improve while playing third pairing minutes, which makes this team that much better. The six guys making up the Defensive unit have been tremendous this season. Outlook: Status quo for these guys, they feed off each other, and will only get better, no need to break them up.

G1: Combined - 14 W / 4 L / 6 SO

G - Crawford / G - Niemi

Wow, that's really all that can be said about this tandem right now. Of the 14 wins between the two, 6 of them are shut outs. Not a bad spot to be in offensively when all you've had to do is score once to win 6 times already this year.Crawford keeps this pace up he might be a lock for the Vezina. Outlook: Crawford is still locked up for a few more years at a great cap hit, and Niemi has improved every year, looks like he might be stepping in for Crawford when it's time.

There you have it, a complete breakdown of the Hawks as they sit 1st in the NHL in points, and point %. Coming off two straight cups is there any reason to think that this team won't be able to make it three in a row? They are still getting better, and that is a scary thought for the entire NHL. Thanks for reading!