Oduya knows he needs to pick up the pace
Johnny Oduya is hoping a little more offense will help cure his defensive struggles.
He won't be mistaken for Bobby Orr anytime soon, but Oduya's offensive output simply hasn't matched his ability to move the puck or shoot it.
Through 51 games, the 33-year old Oduya has just 2 goals and 3 assists. The goal output isn't surprising — he had 3 in 77 games last season — but the assists are down significantly. He's also the lone Hawks defender with a negative plus-minus rating (-7) and his shooting percentage (3.8 percent) is higher than only Niklas Hjalmarsson (1.9 percent) and Michal Rozsival (2.6 percent) among regular defensemen.
More importantly, Oduya hasn't factored into many rushes or extended time in the offensive zone.
“If you're up in the play, it's easier to have your gap, come back and defend (better),” Oduya said Thursday after practice at Johnny's IceHouse. “I'm not an offensive defenseman. Everybody knows that. I try to do my thing on the defensive part, but on the other hand, it's important to move pucks and join the attack. It's a part of our game.”
It's part of the Hawks' game that's been spotty, at best, since Christmas.
Despite starting the season with a goal-scoring slump, the Hawks dominated most puck-possession statistical measures. Lately, they've struggled to gain possession of the puck with consistency and the stats have reflected it.
Minnesota, for example, dominated the Blackhawks in a 3-0 win on Tuesday at Xcel Energy Center. The Wild outshot them 43-24, including 24-5 in the second period. At the heart of the issue is defensive play.
The Blackhawks aim to play five-man defense in order to shut teams down, but the spotlight has still found Oduya in a negative way. After teaming with Hjalmarsson the past two-plus seasons to form one of the NHL's top shutdown pairings, the duo is currently split up after an extended stretch of ineffectiveness.
Oduya's statistical drop-off is the biggest among the regular defensemen, and it's gotten progressively worse in the past 18 games. Dating back to a Dec. 21 win against the Toronto Maple Leafs, Oduya has been on the ice for just 6 Blackhawks goals during 5-on-5 play. Opponents, meanwhile, have scored 16 goals.
That minus-10 ranks worst among the Hawks' defensemen, with Brent Seabrook's minus-2 the closest. Asked Thursday if his slump might be related to tired legs or a physical issue, Oduya shook his head.
“I feel better now than maybe I did before Christmas,” he said. “I feel good. I feel optimistic. Obviously, there's room for improvement. I'm not going to say (there isn't). There's room for improvement, but I'm like everybody else. I stay positive. I'm just looking forward to the games, really.”
He's got 31 left to turn things around before the playoffs. His goal is to get his feet moving quicker by not being as passive while waiting for the action to come to him.
“I'm not saying I'm going to lead any rushes or anything,” Oduya said, “but just being a part of the game maybe a little bit more usually helps you defensively, especially on our team. We emphasize skating for defensemen and taking away time and space for the opposition, so sometimes that can help.”
Quenneville agrees, but wants to see the same kind of approach from all of his blue-liners.
“I think (defensemen), be it off the rush or off the point, they're encouraged to go,” Quenneville said. “Pushing these guys to go and getting involved in the attack is important for us, and it doesn't have to be a few of the guys. It's better when we've got all six of them (going), and that includes him.”