April 11--Scott Hartnell ruined perfection for the Blackhawks on Saturday night.
Ever since center Marcus Kruger returned to the ice for the Hawks on March 26, a limp penalty kill has gained much-needed life.
It went from being laughable to a serious weapon.
Entering Saturday night's game against the Blue Jackets, the kill had squashed all 19 of opponents' power-play opportunities with Kruger back from a dislocated left wrist. The Hawks killed one of the Jackets' power plays Saturday before facing a 4-on-3 in overtime -- when Hartnell scored the winning goal with Kruger on the ice.
The recent run of success on the kill lifted the Hawks' kill rate to 80.3 percent for the season, 21st in the league, their lowest finish in that category since the 2011-12 season when they finished 27th (78.1 percent).
But what matters for the Hawks heading into their first-round playoff series against the Blues is that the kill is playing at a respectable rate with Kruger back in the lineup.
It's hard to fathom that the return of one player could have such a deep impact on the kill, but the numbers certainly say so.
"He takes pride in not the statistics but doing the right things and being aware of what we're trying to do," coach Joel Quenneville said. "Be it checking in the middle and in the zone and very diligent on the little details that are a part of being successful on that unit."
The kill, or lack thereof, played a large part in the Hawks' slump in March when they lost six of seven games.
"Penalty kill was a glaring issue for a little while there and not only our ranking in the league, but just the fact that it was hurting us in games," captain Jonathan Toews said. "It could have made a difference and we know that this time of year, it is a huge deal for us defensively. We need to have that confidence that we can kill off penalties and be tough on teams and not give them any energy."
It was certainly deflating for the Hawks, as was the sagging power play, which had gone through an 0-for-26 stretch during March. But the power play reignited in the final weeks, going 7-for-19 in its last five games.
"We're just trying to move the puck around, not try to have one guy hold it too long and just find those seams," defenseman Trevor van Riemsdyk said. "If it doesn't seem like anything's opening up, there's nothing wrong with getting pucks to the net."
Added winger Patrick Kane: "Movement's huge. ... Just keep moving the puck, moving our bodies. Get them confused out there. It's the right time to get hot here."
The Hawks want that hot streak to last another two months -- in both facets of special teams.
Bonus baby: At the conclusion of regular-season play, Hawks rookie winger Artemi Panarin had 77 points, which put him in ninth place/tie for eighth place among forwards. His top-10 finish triggers a $1.725 million bonus, most of which will count against the Hawks' salary cap next season. Panarin previously earned another set of bonuses totaling $850,000.
