Chicago Blackhawks all but powerless to solve key issue
The Blackhawks, who limped home after a disappointing 1-4-0 road trip, spent a significant portion of Tuesday's practice working on a phase of the game that has absolutely flummoxed them most of this season.
The power play.
How bad has it gotten for coach Jeremy Colliton's squad?
This bad:
• The Hawks' PP ranks last in the NHL at 14.0 percent, just behind bottom feeders Ottawa (14.5 percent), Detroit (14.6) and Anaheim (14.9).
• The Hawks went 0-for-14 on the road trip and are 1-for-24 over the last eight games.
• Only Alex DeBrincat (9) and Patrick Kane (6) have more than 2 power-play goals. Dominik Kubalik, Dylan Strome and Erik Gustafsson have 2 each, while Jonathan Toews, Drake Caggiula, Andrew Shaw and Brent Seabrook all have 1.
To put that last point in perspective, Minnesota, Nashville and Winnipeg - the three teams ahead of the last-place Hawks in the Central Division - have seven, seven and six players with at least 3 power-play goals.
Last season, the Hawks' top unit caught fire and was a big reason the team went an incredible 30-for-84 during a 26-game stretch from Dec. 23 through Feb. 27. Kane, DeBrincat, Toews, Gustafsson and Dylan Strome oozed confidence and attacked every conceivable weak spot in their opponents' penalty kill.
Coach Jeremy Colliton rode that unit for much of this season, but he recently changed things up by demoting DeBrincat and Strome to the second unit. Brandon Saad and Kubalik were with the top unit Tuesday.
Despite the brutal results, Kane believes the power play has "been pretty good lately," pointing out that plenty of pucks are being fired at the net. He has a point as the Hawks had 5 shots in three PP chances at Calgary, 10 shots on five chances in Vancouver and 8 in three chances in Calgary. (And Kubalik did score five seconds after a Flames penalty expired in the first period).
"Right now it's just a matter of getting a bounce here or there, and then getting some confidence off that," said Kane, who has 27 goals and 47 assists on the season. "We also need to feel free and confident out there. We don't need to tighten up when the power play comes, knowing that it hasn't been good and the pressure's on us to score. ...
"We have a lot of guys that can make plays out there."
There are times where the power play appears too stagnant and too predictable, and there isn't always that consistent net-front presence needed for tip-ins or rebounds.
There also have been times where the top unit defers to Kane too often, waiting for the team's best goal scorer to save the day.
"You want the puck in his hands and you want him to make plays, but you've also got to help him out," Strome said.
Sooner or later, some of that help figures to come from Kubalik. The dynamic rookie, who already has poured in 21 even-strength goals, possesses a wicked shot that is bound to catch goalies by surprise.
"Kuby's been taking one-timers, and he's been getting unlucky," Strome said. "For as much as he's been scoring, he's probably had six or seven one-timers on the power play that have just nicked the goalie.
"I think we're really close to breaking through and getting a bunch of power-play goals in a row, and that's going to help our team."
Scouting report
Blackhawks vs. New York Rangers, 7 p.m. at United Center
TV: NBCSCH • Radio: WGN 720-AM
The skinny: The Rangers, 7 points out of a wild-card spot before Tuesday's games, are 5-2-0 in their last seven games. Artemi Panarin (29G, 49A) and Mika Zibanejad (25G, 27A) lead the way offensively. Panarin's career high in goals (31) came in 2016-17 with the Hawks. He has 2 goals and 6 assists in the last nine games. ... The Rangers have killed off their opponents' last 13 power plays over the last six contests. ... The Hawks are averaging just 2.57 power-play chances the last 14 games, going 3-for-36 (8.3 percent). ... Hawks forward Zack Smith (left hand) did some skill work on his own on the second rink Tuesday at Fifth Third Arena. He's expected to miss 3-6 more days.
Next: Nashville Predators, 7:30 p.m. Friday at United Center
- John Dietz