Blackhawks’ Kurashev Line is Setting the Standard

Despite the disappointing season the Chicago Blackhawks are having, there are a lot of players that have been stepping up to the plate as of late: Seth Jones, Taylor Raddysh, Tyler Johnson, and others have sustained point streaks, which has helped them to win five of their last six games. However, when diving deeper into the top line combinations the Blackhawks have deployed this season that generate the most chances and goals, one player’s name continuously lights up like a Christmas tree: Philipp Kurashev.

Kurashev’s Lines Are Blackhawks’ Strongest

Kurashev is having a successful season. He is now sixth-best on the Blackhawks in points, scoring 19 in 43 games. The 36-point pace he is on would be a career-best for him, as his number to beat from last season was 21 points in 67 games. But it’s not just the points that stand out; it’s about how he affects the lineup. The Blackhawks are not a good offensive team. They are second-worst in the NHL, averaging 2.37 goals per game, but the offense they are generating, Kurashev plays a big part in that.

The Blackhawks’ line combinations have been hit-and-miss, but when a line has clicked this season, it is usually because Kurashev is on it. Regarding the top-10 line combinations that generate the most scoring chances on the team, his name pops up the most (four times). According to Natural Stat Trick, here is how the rankings shake out with him included.

1. Kurashev – Jonathan Toews – Taylor Raddysh (225)

8. Kurashev – Max Domi – Raddysh (44)

9. Lukas Reichel – Domi – Kurashev (41)

10. Sam Lafferty – Jason Dickinson – Kurashev (39)

The Kurashev-Toews-Raddysh line leads the team in chances-for and goals-for (9). Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times mentioned how much success Kurashev was having with the Toews and Dickinson line when the Blackhawks were nine games into the season. It’s impressive that now 43 games in, two more lines have been added to the list. The other thing that stands out about these pairings is that each line has been deployed as either a first, second, or third line. Again, it shows Kurashev’s versatility and how his presence, whether playing in the top-six or bottom-six, makes the Blackhawks stronger.

Kurashev’s Game Complements Everyone

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