Well, it was fun while it lasted.
New lines at Blackhawks’ practice included Patrick Kane being moved out of the middle, where he has spent most of this season, and back to his natural position on the wing.
It’s expected that he’ll take a familiar spot next to Jonathan Toews on the top line when the Blackhawks meet the New York Islanders for a tilt on Friday night.
As good as the move may have been initially, moving Kane back to the wing makes even more sense for the Blackhawks. His faceoff percentage was in the low 40s for the month of November and he hasn’t really been heard from in the last few games.
That means the first line will likely feature Toews and Kane together again, as well as Viktor Stalberg remaining to Toews’ right, where he has quietly performed well, despite his absolutely atrocious ability (or lack of) to finish and actually put a puck in the net.
That means that Patrick Sharp and Marian Hossa will be lining up on the wings on the second line, but it’s who is centering the two veterans that could, or maybe won’t, come as a surprise to many.
Marcus Kruger was in the middle of the two Chicago stars on Thursday, and he will likely take over the centering duties on the second line, at least for the foreseeable future. That means Dave Bolland returns to his spot in the middle on the third line, and Jamal Mayers is likely to continue centering the fourth line.
Make no mistake about it, Kruger has earned his new spot on the second unit. He has played very, very well of late. His faceoff percentage is just a touch under 47 percent, but it’s steadily improving. He’s also performed well on both special teams.
What makes Kruger an even better addition to the second line is his defensive strength. Many have compared him to Bolland recently, as Kruger has shown great promise in playing defense at the center spot, and he’s also shown a willingness to get to the dirty areas, which dismisses a concern that some did have prior to Kruger breaking onto the scene.
Of course, the best thing Kruger has going for him is who he is playing between. Sharp and Hossa are two of the best in the game, and should make life very easy for the Swedish rookie. It’ll be interesting to see him in his increased role on Friday night.
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