Oct. 26--The Blackhawks have survived two games without defenseman Duncan Keith and despite some forecasts, the product on the ice has not been a disaster.
The Hawks have picked up four points in two games with the struggling Ducks coming to town Monday night.
Young defenders including Viktor Svedberg and Trevor van Riemsdyk have assumed more ice time and more responsibility without skipping a beat.
But if there is an insight into how the Hawks may survive without Keith, it became clear in the last two games. The Hawks are going to try to hang on to the puck as long as possible and keep the puck in their opponent's zone.
It sounds like a no-brainer, and it's something they would do without Keith, but with Keith out, hanging on to the puck takes on added importance. They don't have to play defense if they are always on offense.
In the two games, against the Panthers and Lightning, the Hawks had a 59-39 advantage in shots on goal. The Panthers committing eight penalties on Thursday might have had something to do with the Hawks' favorable possession numbers, but Saturday's performance against the Lightning, one of the top scoring teams in the league, was not a fluke.
"That's how we play, whether (Keith's) in or out of our lineup," coach Joel Quenneville said. "We said we didn't want to change how we play and that (keeps the opponent) defending, sustains the momentum of the game. They're vulnerable to penalties."
The Hawks could not score often against the Lightning on Saturday, winning only 1-0 when Jonathan Toews scored a goal 17 seconds into 3-on-3 overtime, but the Hawks had possession of the puck most of the night and limited the Lightning's scoring chances. It was the same formula the Hawks used to down the Lightning in the Stanley Cup Final.
"That's the best way to play defense, if you can manage the puck well and have it," Toews said. "As we've been saying over the last couple games (Keith) has been out, the focus is trying to make up for that void that he leaves when he's not around. It doesn't just land on our defensemen who are assuming a little more responsibility. It's our forwards too."
Their possession numbers from war-on-ice.com also showed it was a good night. The Hawks led in Corsi For, or overall shot attempts, 52-39 when the teams were at even strength.
Goaltender Corey Crawford has enjoyed not having to shoulder much of a burden the last few games.
"We're a pretty good overall team," Crawford said. "Missing (Keith) is definitely tough, but we ... just play a puck-possession game. We want to get the puck as quick as possible when we lose it, but when we have it, we put it in the right areas to keep possession. Our good defense is our offense."
That strategy would be fine for the Hawks the next couple of weeks.
chine@tribpub.com
