The Chicago Blackhawks, in the throes of a rugged season mired by a seven-game slump, have somehow managed to turn their penalty kill squad into the NHL's most formidable unit this winter. Stuck in a rough patch since star player Connor Bedard went down with an injury, the Blackhawks' special teams have been the lone shimmer in a dim season, with a league-leading 88.9% penalty kill rate since Jan. 5, as reported by the Chicago Sun-Times.
Despite their standout performance while a man down, success hasn't carried over into the win column, watching the Hawks flounder with a measly 3-11-1 record without Bedard tearing up the ice. Wearing down their opponents, the Hawks haven’t made any monumental changes to their penalty kill strategy - they’ve stuck to the aggressive press within the diamond formation and the neutral zone that they've preached since preseason workouts. "Not a lot of teams [pressure this much], so it throws other teams off a little bit and creates less 'D'-zone time," Coach Luke Richardson told the Sun-Times.
Meanwhile, Jaycob Megna, a native of Chicago's northern suburbs and defenseman for the Blackhawks, is relishing the thought of the NHL Winter Classic being held at Wrigley Field next season. Megna, an aficionado of the outdoors games since watching his first Winter Classic on New Year's Day years ago, shared his enthusiasm and anticipation with the Chicago Tribune. With a pedigree that includes a college outdoor game beset by sun and melting ice, and being on the roster for the Seattle Kraken during this year's Classic - though not lacing up for the game - his experience is as layered as the ice itself.
The Blackhawks certainly bank on their penalty-killing acumen to ensure the ailing team retains some semblance of pride. Blackhawks' players like Jason Dickinson, Colin Blackwell, and Joey Anderson have dutifully taken up the mantle, blending seamlessly into the fierce frontline of the shorthanded unit. And while they've only converted one shorthanded scoring chance into a goal, the squad has certainly made life difficult for their opponents - a fact not lost on Richardson, who expressed his satisfaction to the Sun-Times at seeing his team excel in at least one facet of the game. "Hopefully that pushes the other side. When we practice our power play, they’re going against a pretty good unit," said Richardson.
With the penalty kill providing a glimmer of hope and the excitement of an outdoor classic on the horizon, the Blackhawks may have found a rally point for a beleaguered season. Defensemen like Megna are eager for the opportunity to play in such a storied setting, he told the Tribune, “Being part of the one this year in Seattle, you saw how cool it was. And to have it at a place like Wrigley Field, being from my hometown, that’s going to be really, really special.” In a year when highlights are spare, the potential of skating in a historic ballpark under the open sky offers a ray of light to players and fans alike.
