Feb. 13--Coach Joel Quenneville's offense had not scored a goal in more than six periods as the Blackhawks went into the locker room down four to the Stars at the second intermission Thursday.
Fed up with the kind of chances the Blackhawks were generating, Quenneville decided to push the button on his nuclear option -- putting Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane together on the same line.
The result was beautiful hockey for the Hawks as they trimmed the deficit to 4-2 in a losing effort thanks to a goal from Kane and another from Duncan Keith while Toews, Kane and Andrew Shaw were a unit.
Toews and Kane are on the ice together sometimes, mostly during 3-on-3 overtimes, but Hawks fans should appreciate sights like Thursday's because they are scarce.
Quenneville rarely pairs them up during even-strength play, opting instead to balance his lines with skill players instead of concentrating his two best on one line.
"When nothing seems to be working and we're just fighting the puck and nothing seems to land on our sticks ... that's kind of the moment you expect 'Q' is going to try to wake us up a little bit," Toews said.
Thursday's third period was a special set of circumstances that converged for Quenneville. Artemi Panarin, one of Kane's usual linemates, was out for the second consecutive game because of an illness, and the offense was feeling Panarin's absence.
"That's something we've always had in the past and we can go to on a need basis," Quenneville said.
There just hasn't been much of a need for it this season because Kane, Panarin and center Artem Anisimov have been one of the most productive lines in the NHL and Quenneville doesn't want to mess with a good thing. Quenneville said that line has been one of the longest-tenured lines he can remember having.
"(There has been no) reason to disrupt it," Quenneville said. "You could try to put somebody else (on that line) ... and maybe they could generate another line. But it has been a good situation."
Even when Kane was not with Panarin and Anisimov in the past, Quenneville normally kept him and Toews separated. That was all in the name of balance -- except when he needed something special, like in playoff series.
The good news for Quenneville is that he no longer may feel a need to put Toews and Kane together. Panarin did not practice Friday at the United Center but did work out off the ice, and Quenneville is optimistic he will play Saturday against the Ducks.
"We're encouraged," Quenneville said. "He made good progress. So at the same rate, (Saturday) hopefully he's playing."
But if Panarin is not, look for Quenneville to turn to his nuclear option if the Hawks are struggling to score.
chine@tribpub.com
