Anyone who has watched the Blackhawks since the Olympics knows to expect one thing: The unexpected. Kim Johnsson has disappeared, Brian Campbell is hurt, Dustin Byfuglien is back on the blue line, and the Hawks are hosting Nashville in the first round.
Something else that has become expected, though, is strong play from the Blackhawks’ fourth line.
Colin Fraser, Tomas Kopecky, Ben Eager, Adam Burish, and Bryan Bickell have all played strong hockey in the past few weeks, helping the Blackhawks secure the number two seed in the Western Conference. And despite the top three lines being chalk-full of scoring studs, the bottom line has been on top of its game.
In just six games in April, Fraser has five goals. To put that number in perspective, Fraser had 12 points the entire rest of the season (and only two goals).
Kopecky has completely changed his stat line since the break as well. Before playing for Slovakia in Vancouver, Kopecky was considered by many (including me) to be a disappointment. He was -6 and had only 12 points (four goals, eight assists) in 58 games. However, in 16 games since the break Kopecky has earne ...
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Article written by TAB BAMFORD
Chicago Blackhawks Playoff Focus: The Fourth Line
April 13th, 2010 by TAB BAMFORD Leave a reply »
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