Let’s not beat around the bush: Thursday’s game against the Avalanche was a disaster. The team was bound to have some stinkers throughout the year, and the 4-0 loss was certainly one of them. And after keeping their lineup the exact same from Toronto into Colorado, head coach Luke Richardson has made some huge changes to the order as his squad prepares for its home opener.
Taylor Hall – Connor Bedard – Taylor Raddysh
Tyler Johnson – Lukas Reichel – Andreas Athanasiou
Nick Foligno – Jason Dickinson – Corey Perry
Boris Katchouk – Ryan Donato – Reese Johnson
Kevin Korchinski – Seth Jones
Alex Vlasic – Connor Murphy
Jarred Tinordi – Wyatt Kaiser
Arvid Soderblom
Petr Mrazek
Taylor Raddysh
The first name that jumps off the page is Taylor Raddysh, who has been promoted to the top line. In the meantime, Ryan Donato, who has been playing on the right wing of Bedard, has been bumped down to the fourth line. I’ve been a proponent of Raddysh on the top line since this summer – he’s at his best when he’s setting up teammates with high-quality scoring chances. He’s tallied two points in five games this year and will look to make a big impact on his new, talented line.
Kevin Korchinski
After opening the year placed firmly on the second line with Connor Murphy, Korchinski has finally been placed on the top defensive pairing. Amid questions about whether he’d be around for more than the nine games it would take to burn a year of his contract, the young defenseman has put on a pretty impressive showing. Korchinski now moves up to the top line in a move that could be extremely successful for the young Blackhawks. He’s shown that he can be a premier attacking blueliner but has also struggled at times with his defensive positioning. Paired with Seth Jones, though, he can be freed up to help out the offensive unit and better utilize his skill set while Jones patrols the defensive zone. Will Korchinski be a difference-maker with his new top unit?
Johnson over Entwistle?
The only “concern” with this lineup is the decision to start Reese Johnson over Mackenzie Entwistle on the fourth line. Entwistle has been a tremendous asset in the two games he’s played this year, and it would’ve been interesting to see how he paired with Donato on the new-look fourth line. Instead, Richardson opted for Johnson on that line, who hasn’t flashed much to start his year. Nevertheless, Johnson will get a chance to prove his doubters (including myself) wrong tonight, and having Donato on his line won’t hurt.
With every line but one being changed as the Blackhawks head into their home debut, tonight’s matchup with the defending champion Golden Knights will certainly be one to keep an eye on. Will the team continue to improve on a solid start to the season, or will the new changes hurt their long-term success?
