Oct. 11--Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville had to restrain himself Wednesday from doing something he normally loves to do -- mixing up his lines. Even though the Hawks were behind the Rangers, and would go on to lose that game, Quenneville stuck with the pairings and combinations he had for much of the game.
All bets were off Friday and Saturday, as Quenneville plugged in his line blender and started pureeing the lines again. It's all part of Quenneville's effort to create chemistry on a team that has a lot of new faces and young players stepping into significant roles.
The process continued Saturday night in the Hawks' 4-1 victory over the Islanders at the United Center. But it may take some time before the newer Hawks get comfortable in their surroundings.
To do so, they need to master the Hawks' system with the strategies and instructions Quenneville and his coaching staff instill. Not all players are a fit for the system, which is heavy on puck possession and speed.
Center Antoine Vermette, after coming over last season from the Coyotes in a trade, said he struggled adjusting to it and currently defenseman Trevor Daley is learning the nuances.
"I'm trying to get it as quickly as possible," Daley said. "There's a lot of stuff that's different from what I'm used to. ... It's not big things. It's little things, every day in the game that mean so much ... grasping some of that and making it a habit."
There's one line Quenneville has left alone. That's the second unit of rookie winger Artemi Panarin, center Artem Anisimov and winger Patrick Kane, who were on the ice for three goals Saturday night. Panarin scored his second goal while Kane tallied his third in three games. Both had two assists.
"It has been pretty amazing to watch," Quenneville said. "They're very effective. ... The upside is still untapped right now."
But the learning could be ongoing. The Hawks are actively seeking a defenseman in a trade, a source told the Tribune, to help provide depth as they are thin on experience after the top four of Daley, Niklas Hjalmarsson, Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook.
Just what are the characteristics of the Hawks' system? Well, the Hawks don't divulge specifics, but winger Kyle Baun said that while it can be challenging, watching film and practice help it stick in your mind.
"You don't want to give the puck away, even when you're dumping the puck in, there's strategy behind that and where you want to place it properly so the (defense) can't easily pick it up," Baun said. "Just little things like that that Coach really stresses."
Quenneville recognizes it may take some time for newcomers to adjust. Until they get up to speed, Quenneville said his coaching staff just needs to keep reminding them of their responsibilities in any given situation.
"Try to trust your instincts," Quenneville said. "You just go, go and we'll reinforce as you go along the right way of doing things. But we don't want hesitation in your game because the game is so fast now, you'll have that little slip when you lose position, you get beat up the ice or beat to a loose puck area."
Until the hesitation ceases, however, Quenneville will keep switching it up until he thinks the mixture is just right.
One-timers: Backup goaltender Scott Darling made his first start of the season Saturday and had 28 saves. ... Defenseman Trevor Van Riemsdyk scored his first-career goal at 4 minutes, 7 seconds of the first period Saturday after cleaning up a rebound in front of the net.
Chicago Tribune's Chris Kuc contributed.
chine@tribpub.com
One-timers: Backup goaltender Scott Darling made his first start of the season Saturday, allowing Corey Crawford, who played Friday, to take the night off. ... Quenneville stuck with winger Viktor Tikhonov and defenseman Viktor Svedberg in the lineup for the second straight game. ... Van Riemsdyk scored his first career goal at 4 minutes, 7 seconds of the first period Saturday after cleaning up a rebound in front of the net.
