Chicago Blackhawks looking for better power plays results

Two weeks ago, the Chicago Blackhawks' power play leapt to the top of the NHL rankings thanks to two units that apparently couldn't be stopped.

Until I wrote about it, of course.

Since then, the Mojave Desert is producing more water than the Hawks are producing goals when they're given a man advantage. The dry spell has reached five straight games and 17 straight chances, dipping the Hawks' season success rate to 22.3 percent, which ranks fourth in the league entering Monday's action.

“The success rate is sometimes marginal of going your way or not going your way,” coach Joel Quenneville said Sunday after the Hawks lost 3-2 in a shootout to Minnesota. “You're going to have great stretches where everything goes in, and you'll have stretches where you don't mind what you're doing and it's not going in.

“It hasn't been as dangerous as far as quantity and quality of chances recently. That's why it's slowed down a bit.”

What's really disappointing for the Hawks has been their inability to take advantage of two better-than-average chances in the last three games.

The first came Wednesday against the Philadelphia Flyers when they had a 5-on-3 power play for 1:53.

The second came Sunday when the Hawks had four minutes on the power play thanks to a double minor that was assessed to the Wild's Zach Parise.

After the game, Quenneville said he believes you must shoot first against Minnesota on the power play, then try to pounce on rebounds.

Artemi Panarin had that opportunity but opted instead to pass to Artem Anisimov, who was charging in toward Devan Dubnyk. The puck hit Anisimov's skate and the big center was only able to get off a weak shot attempt.

Then as the man-advantage time was winding down, Marian Hossa could have shot from 15 feet out, but his pass to Jonathan Toews bounced away from the Hawks' captain, and Minnesota cleared the puck down ice.

“The power play's one of those things that comes and goes a little bit throughout the year,” Duncan Keith said. “But we'd like to be more consistent than we've been over this last little stretch here.”

The buddy system:

Matt Dumba's open-ice hit on Patrick Kane in the third period Sunday prompted a swift response from Artemi Panarin. As Kane knelt on the ice dazed from the blow to the head, Panarin jumped Dumba and briefly put the Wild defenseman in a choke hold before the refs intervened.

Panarin drew a roughing penalty, but coach Joel Quenneville and Duncan Keith both loved the rookie's response.

“It was good,” Keith said. “Nice to see that. You want to have a response to (a hit like) that from your teammates. Anytime when a guy gets hit hard like that you want to defend your teammate as best as you can.

“I thought it was a gutsy play by Panarin. Obviously Dumba is a tough kid.”

Seeing Stars:

Dallas caught a tough break late last week when Tyler Seguin suffered an Achilles injury that likely will keep him out for the rest of the regular season.

Seguin was injured with 22 seconds left during a 4-3 win over Tampa Bay on Thursday. Anton Stralman's skate blade went down on Seguin's ankle and cut 15 percent of his Achilles tendon, according to The Dallas Morning News.

Seguin, who has 33 goals and 40 assists, vows to be ready for the playoffs.

As for the Hawks, they are just 1-3 vs. Dallas this year and trail the first-place Stars by 4 points. The two teams square off Tuesday at the United Center.

“We want to get as high as we can,” Duncan Keith said. “At the same time we're not looking farther than our next game. We know it's been tough to play against Dallas. We haven't had much success. We need to have a good effort.”

He said it:

“It's tough when he comes down. He makes all his moves and you don't want to become his next poster.”

— Minnesota Wild goalie Devan Dubnyk on trying to stop Patrick Kane in shootouts