How Blackhawks’ penalty kill became one of NHL’s best units after a system change

When Blackhawks coach Jeff Blashill first began implementing his penalty-killing tactics during training camp, longer-tenured Hawks players were slightly skeptical.

They remembered the penalty kill being a relative strength of the team the past few years while using a traditional “diamond” system. This new variation of a “push-down” system was more complex, and they weren’t sure why it was necessary to change what wasn’t broken.

Now, they thoroughly understand why. Blashill’s changes have helped the Hawks’ penalty kill emerge as one of the NHL’s best — the same effect he had on the Lightning’s penalty kill last season.

The Hawks’ 85.2% kill rate ranks second in the league, behind only the Avalanche. And in January, they’re a perfect 16-for-16, including two-for-two Monday against the Oilers’ league-leading power play.

“We have really good defensemen who are long and know when to pressure,” Blashill said Wednesday. “I think that [means] whatever system we put in place, the penalty kill would’ve been good. We’ve got some really smart forwards who know how to kill.

“With a half-year to go, these things can go on runs the wrong way if you don’t stay diligent with your details. I think [assistant coach] Michael Peca has done an excellent job of staying on them and continuing to look at all the little details within it.”

Count Connor Murphy, the elder statesman of the defense, as one of the converted skeptics.

“It felt like the most confusing part of the system,” Murphy said. “The five-on-five stuff felt easier than the penalty kill. We were unsure, if someone [else was] pushing the pressure, where you’re supposed to also pressure or sit back. We were giving up some big chances where I felt a little lost [during] the first stretch of games. But once we settled into it, it has felt great.”

In the diamond, only one defenseman was stationed in front of the net. Now, both defensemen usually hang near the net, clogging up the most dangerous scoring area.

They’re constantly watching, though, for opportunities to spring toward the perimeter of the zone to break up passes. Those are high-risk, high-reward, split-second decisions, but the very long reaches of their tall defensemen — Murphy, Alex Vlasic and Louis Crevier — are advantageous.

“Peca has talked a lot about reading their next outlet pass,” Vlasic said. “Like, if we have good pressure on two of their guys, they can only pass to one or two guys at the most at that point. So he’s big on trusting your gut to read [it].”

Meanwhile, the forwards are asked to do a ton of skating as they roam around the upper half of the defensive zone, constantly applying pressure on the puck — sometimes even from the top down. That’s another key difference from the diamond formation, in which forwards are more stationary in their positions.

It is beneficial, as Blashill mentioned, that the Hawks are flush with smart defensive forwards. Jason Dickinson and Ilya Mikheyev are usually the first two over the boards, while youngsters Landon Slaggert and Ryan Greene have lately been next up. Mikheyev, in particular, has been incredible.

“Once [Ilya] gets within stick length of a guy, the way he can disturb the puck is crazy,” Murphy said.

There are also some in-between areas where the Hawks’ defenseman and forwards have to coordinate switches. Greene and Murphy had a communication breakdown with that Dec. 30, leading to an Islanders’ power-play goal from the high slot.

The Hawks “worked on that quite a bit” afterward, Vlasic said, and they haven’t allowed a single goal since. They’re also conceding the sixth-fewest shots per minute this season.

It’s worth noting the Hawks’ power play has also been good, ranking seventh with a 22.9% conversion rate. Combined, their special teams are the second-best in the NHL.