Blackhawks: Should Brent Seabrook continue to be scratched?
The Chicago Blackhawks defense looked a little better without a key member of their glory days in the lineup so now what?
The Chicago Blackhawks got a win over the Los Angeles Kings on Sunday night and they looked pretty good while doing it. The Kings are not a very good team and they have a hard season ahead of them based on their roster, but that doesn’t mean they should be taken lightly and the Blackhawks looked good against them. It was a sold team effort and one they need to continue to repeat, especially defensively.
The thing is, the made Brent Seabrook a healthy scratch for only the second time in his career. He is a player that was a major piece to a multi-championship team. That is what makes it so hard to watch as they looked simply better without him. So that begs the question, should they keep him out for a while? That is a big issue as they head into a difficult Tuesday night matchup with the Nashville Predators.
The answer to the question is probably no. They should put him back in as he is probably still good enough to be a bottom pair guy if put in a position to succeed. Olli Maatta should not be his defense partner as they have been eaten alive as a pair. They are simply to slow. They should each be placed with partners who better compliment what they bring to the table and you might see that they actually have something to give. It is important to treat such an important member of the organization with respect, especially if they still have something to give.
They also can’t pretend that the Nashville Predators are at all the same as the Los Angeles Kings. They are completely different as one will be a Stanley Cup contender and the other might be better off winning the draft lottery. The Predators present an elite defense and a team that can beat you offensively with multiple scoring lines. This is a big decision for the management group as they try to give themselves the best chance to win.
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This game against the Predators presents a big challenge. If they win that means they can stack up against one of the top teams in the division and feel great about a big win and their second win in a row. Each team will give a good effort offensively and each can provide great goaltending. This is a great chance for the Blackhawks to prove themselves.