The Blackhawks’ plan to operate two different strategies for their two power play units has worked brilliantly.
When the first unit is clicking, they’ve proven to be a deadly force. And when the first unit can’t get set up, the no-nonsense second unit has picked up the slack.
As a result, roughly one-third through the 2021 season, the Hawks lead the NHL in power-play goals (18) and rank second in power play conversion rate (32.7%) and eighth in scoring chances per minute of power-play time (0.88).
“It’s good for us to work on it in practice, even when things are going well, just to keep building,” Patrick Kane said Wednesday. “But we’re pretty happy with where we’re at this year. We have two good units that are helping to produce and get that number up there as far as our power play ranking.”
Coach Jeremy Colliton’s plan since the start of training camp was for the first unit to operate relatively normally for a power play: enter the offensive zone, set up a cycle and remain patient until a chance unfolds.
“They’re trying to have more movement, interchanges, different players moving in different positions to create mismatches and passing lanes,” he said on Jan. 8.
The second unit, meanwhile, treats their power-play shifts as if at even-strength: attack off the rush when possible, only cycle when necessary and don’t risk turnovers. They just have the advantage of an extra man while doing that.
Through the first 10 games, the first unit — anchored by Kane and DeBrincat roaming by the faceoff circles — excelled. They scored seven goals and produced 1.01 scoring chances per minute. Dylan Strome down low, Andrew Shaw in the middle “pivot” spot and Adam Boqvist up top were able to feed Kane and DeBrincat constantly.
The second unit played far less — about nine minutes, versus 39 minutes for the first unit — and produced only 0.56 scoring chances per minute, scoring three goals.
But Boqvist’s COVID-19 diagnosis, Shaw’s concussion and Strome’s recent drop-off eventually disrupted the first unit’s chemistry. Over the last eight games, that unit’s scoring chance rate has fallen to 0.79 per minute, and they’ve scored only three times.
The second unit has picked up all of the slack, though. Over those eight games, not only has their ice time increased — up to 15 minutes, versus 31 for the first unit — but so has their scoring chance creation (up to 0.93 per minute), leading to five goals scored. The likes of Dominik Kubalik, Philipp Kurashev and Mattias Janmark have all found the net.
“We have two really good units,” Kurashev said after his beautiful power play tally Wednesday. “Our unit...we just try to outwork the other guys and try to attack right away when we have the chance. So far, it’s been going good, and we’re going to keep working on it.”
Kurashev’s goal ended a streak of two consecutive games without a power-play goal, the Hawks’ first such “drought” — if it could even be called that — this year. On the other hand, their penalty kill is perfect in eight of the last nine games, keeping the special teams still a net positive lately.
And Colliton hopes some changes will jumpstart the first unit.
Nicolas Beaudin has become the permanent guy up top, so Boqvist — who rejoined the lineup Wednesday — was intriguingly evaluated in Shaw’s old “rover” role during practice Tuesday.
“With certain guys in and out of the lineup, we’ve had to adjust personnel and things like that,” Kane said. “So you’re getting used to that a little bit. But I’m not too concerned about it.”
