Blackhawks’ power play fix not complicated
Sometimes we look for the answers too high up and too far away.
That may be the case with the Blackhawks’ league-worst power play, which has fallen below 9 percent.
It’s a result of one simple problem: The Hawks are standing around too much.
Their basic power-play strategy begins with Duncan Keith and Patrick Kane playing catch. Keith is in the middle of the ice and Kane on the half-boards until a shot opens for Keith, or Kane has space to make a play.
That east-west movement gets the penalty killers moving their feet, out of position and spread out. But lately the Hawks have had very little movement, guys standing around and a lot of north-south, which means little difficulty for an opposition that doesn’t have to rotate.
When it’s working, Keith is backing up along the blue line, Kane is dragging the puck back toward the line, and it creates opportunities.
Kane can go to Keith, he can turn back toward the goal and then has options and can find seams if the defense is moving its feet.
If the defense comes at him he can go back to Keith, look for Patrick Sharp on the backside or feed it down low to Jonathan Toews, who can dive toward the net, give-and-go with Kane or find Sharp on the back door.
It creates a 2-on-1 down low, and that’s when it works.
But everyone is looking for the pass to Sharp, and all it takes is a free stick in front to disrupt it. The key is movement that gets defenders out of position, and the Hawks are static right now so there is no 2-on-1.
That play only works if the net-front defenseman is forced to move from the blue paint, and the Hawks aren’t making it happen.
So you go back to basics and get pucks on net, especially from the blue line, with someone occupying the goalie and a defender in front.
Look at Detroit, which keeps it remarkably simple, making certain they have a beast in front causing trouble. Pucks on net create rebounds that get the penalty killers collapsing on the goal with opportunities galore.
Look at the goals Vancouver scored Sunday, nearly all based on shots from the point. They use a 1-3-1 with a high tip, the twins on the outside and a net presence. If you get the shot to the net, it’s difficult to defend.
The Hawks depend on seams for Kane to either move or pass, but they’re static right now, and when guys without the puck are standing still it’s easy to defend, and when pucks aren’t getting to the net your guy in front isn’t going to stand there and take a beating for no reason.
The result is five guys on the perimeter and you no longer have penalty killers at your mercy.
The way to break down a penalty kill is to shoot, get defenders moving and create rebounds that get defenders out of position and scrambling, leaving seams open and opportunities for open looks.
It’s not really all that complicated. It starts with Kane and Keith, but guys have to move without the puck and there has to be a net presence.
There’s nothing to reinvent here. They were fourth in the NHL a year ago. Players just have to do their jobs.
And the Hawks have too much talent for this to be a season-long problem.
The toughness
The last two games, Kane has been run early and quiet after that, with little response from the Hawks as a whole.
Their team toughness was supposed to be significantly better this year, but Vancouver and St. Louis targeted Kane and Toews and the Hawks did not take care of business.
The goalie
No one could have expected Corey Crawford to be as good this year as he was against Vancouver in the postseason, and you knew he would need some time to adjust to that reality.
But so far Crawford’s been merely OK and hasn’t really won a game for them. He hasn’t lost one, either, but Crawford needs to be better.
At the same time, the Hawks’ defensive effort has been weak the last four games, coinciding with the Duncan Keith injury.
Mike Maddux
Not at all surprised the Rangers’ pitching coach wowed the Cubs and the media Wednesday. His brother has always said Mike is the smarter and funnier of the two, and his brother has a decent amount of brains and humor himself.
The line
The Bears opened at -1 vs. Detroit and have moved to -3 with the news that Lions kicker Jason Hanson is questionable for Sunday after taking stitches in his left knee.
The quote
Peyton Manning: “I miss playing. I really do. If I get cleared to play and I’m good enough, would I play? Absolutely. I’d love to because that’s how I’m wired. That’s my job, and I love my job.”
Best tweet
From SportsPickle: “Jay Cutler was born without a front foot. Uplifting story that he made it this far.’’
And finally …
Omaha World-Herald’s Brad Dickson: “Nebraska losing to Northwestern was quite a shock. The Huskers suffered upsets in the Big 12, but this was worse. This time they lost to a team where the players have to go to class.’’
brozner@dailyherald.com
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