Blackhawks’ Winning Streak

Introduction to the Streak

DETROIT — Even when the Blackhawks’ power play wasn’t getting results earlier on in this long road trip, they kept the faith.
“What’s not been working?” forward Andre Burakovsky said Monday in Seattle. “I think the power play is working.”
That faith proved prudent. It erupted during the latter half of the trip, going 1-for-1 against the Canucks, 1-for-3 against the Flames and 3-for-3 against the Red Wings — three consecutive Hawks wins.

The Power Play’s Success

They’re now up to seventh in the NHL with a 25.5% conversion rate, less than a week after sitting in 21st with a 17.5% conversion rate when Burakovsky made those comments.
“Confidence is a huge factor in life and especially special teams,” coach Jeff Blashill said. “Right now, the power play is obviously feeling it. When Connor [Bedard] zips the one in, that also makes the rest of the power play more dangerous.”

Key Players and Moments

Following Bedard’s early snipe Sunday, Teuvo Teravainen blasted in a one-timer after Tyler Bertuzzi helped the Hawks win a battle down low — while the Wings’ crowd screamed for a high-sticking call against him — and Bertuzzi later tucked a puck through Wings goalie John Gibson’s five-hole.

Penalty Kill Success

The Hawks’ penalty kill went a perfect 5-for-5 on Sunday, too, including killing off a Bertuzzi double-minor late in the second period. They, too, turned around their fortunes after allowing goals in each of the first three games of the trip, going 10-for-10 over the latter three games.
It might be the first game in Hawks franchise history in which the power play and penalty kill were both perfect in three or more opportunities. NHL statisticians told the Sun-Times they could find no instances of it happening.

Team Effort and Improvement

“Early in the year, when we lost some games I thought we could have won, we weren’t winning the special teams battle,” Blashill said. “Now we are. We’re not perfect, but…our compete [level] up and down the lineup has been really good. We make mistakes a lot of times. We make up for it with work ethic.”

Analyzing the Power Play

Evidence is mounting that the Hawks must do something on the man advantage that public analytics models don’t quantify. Last season, their power play finished seventh in the league with a 24.9% conversion rate despite generating the fourth-fewest shots and fifth-fewest scoring chances per minute, per Natural Stat Trick.
It’s a similar story again this season. They’ve averaged the third-fewest shots and fourth-fewest scoring chances even though they’ve continued to put the puck in the net.

Adjustments and Strategies

One thing the models do quantify, though, is that the switch from Sam Rinzel to Artyom Levshunov as quarterback of the top unit has yielded dividends. The Hawks’ power play has averaged 0.90 scoring chances per minute with Levshunov on the ice compared to 0.75 with Rinzel on the ice.
The top unit was originally designed to be run through Teravainen on the right flank. He had three right-handed shots to pass to for one-timers — Bedard, Rinzel and Frank Nazar — and a convenient lefty passing option down low in Bertuzzi. That didn’t end up working very well, though.
Since flipping Bedard over to the right flank and promoting Burakovsky onto the left flank, shifting the strategy away from one-timers and toward allowing them to each attack the net “downhill” with their sticks on the outside, things have clicked.
Burakovsky’s ability to carry the puck with speed has helped with zone entries. Bedard has the option to either rip a shot or look for Bertuzzi at the back post, where his ability to build what’s essentially a hockey backboard with his legs and stick is truly unique in the league.

Conclusion

This special-teams surge has pushed the Hawks’ record to 8-5-3, their best start to a season since 2016.

FAQs

Q: What is the current conversion rate of the Blackhawks’ power play?
A: The Blackhawks’ power play is currently at a 25.5% conversion rate.
Q: How has the team’s penalty kill performed recently?
A: The Hawks’ penalty kill went a perfect 5-for-5 on Sunday and has gone 10-for-10 over the latter three games of their trip.
Q: What changes have been made to the power play unit?
A: The team switched from Sam Rinzel to Artyom Levshunov as quarterback of the top unit and flipped Bedard over to the right flank, promoting Burakovsky onto the left flank.
Q: What has been the result of these changes?
A: The changes have yielded dividends, with the Hawks’ power play averaging 0.90 scoring chances per minute with Levshunov on the ice and the team putting the puck in the net despite generating fewer shots and scoring chances than many other teams.