It is no secret that the Chicago Blackhawks have had problems keeping a solid defensive group over the past few season. Yet somehow, the team manages to fight through year after year to get into the post season and do alright (if you consider three cups in six years “alright”). But this year may just take the cake out of the past six years for the biggest hurdle to overcome. The Blackhawks defence relies heavily on their top three players in Duncan Keith, Brent Seabrook and Niklas Hjalmarsson. The rest of the group has been made up of eight different players throughout this season. The lack of depth on the backend may seem daunting, but if any team can overcome this, it’s the Blackhawks.
The Blackhawks Defence is not a Major Concern
Last year, the Blackhawks rotated between 12 different defensemen but always kept their top four players in Keith, Seabrook, Hjalmarsson and Johnny Oduya. The bottom two pairings were almost always on a constant rotation, just like this year. Although this puts tremendous pressure on the top players, the Blackhawks defensive core’s strengths make up for the inconsistency.
Keith, last year’s Conn Smythe trophy winner, averages the most TOI per playoff game at 28:08 of any active defenseman in the league. The workhouse never seems to be off of the ice; and while on the ice, he is doing everything from making goal saving plays on one side of the ice to scoring on the opposite end 200 feet away. With Seabrook, his long minutes almost always pays off in the end of the game. Mr. Overtime, as he was sometimes referred to the past few runs because of his knack for scoring in OT, now has the most career post season goals for a Blackhawks denfenseman. His heavy shot from the blue line also proves valuable on the power play as well. His 6’3” 220lb body not only leans into the shot but also leans into the opposing team’s players adding a physical presence in the lineup. Hjalmarsson is one of the most underrated defensive defensemen in the league. This year, he has played mostly with Keith, logging almost as many minutes per game as him. He plays that tough cardio-style game along with having the second most blocked shots on the whole team (behind fellow defenseman Trevor van Riemsdyk). He has been so consistent for the team that he has played 120 playoff games with the Blackhawks, the most of any defensemen. With these almost super-human capabilities, they are well equipped to handle the pressure coming from playing long and tough minutes.
Now with that being said, the big three can’t do it all on their own and they don’t have to. The Blackhawks have a strong defensive forward group as well. Jonathan Toews has been nominated four times in the past five years for the Frank J. Selke award for the best defensive forward in the league and won once. He has been a staple on the first penalty kill group, and matching other teams top line for several seasons. This gives some relief to the top three guys so they don’t have to scurry back to their own zone. It also helps that the Blackhawks are a puck-possession team handling the puck most of the game anyway. The skills of the second line with Patrick Kane and Artemi Panarin have the puck on a string in the offensive zone, where the top three don’t have to log as hard minutes defending their end of the ice. Even when the Blackhawks don’t have the puck, Corey Crawford and Scott Darling have proven they can handle any puck that seeps through the mass of bodies in front of them. This year, Crawford led the league with seven shutouts even despite missing the last three weeks of the regular season. He posted a 0.924 save percentage while playing 58 games. When Crawford got hurt, Darling stepped up to the challenge of filling in for him. Darling ended the regular season with a 0.936 save percentage and one shutout.
While the Blackhawks may not be a solid in the back end as they use to be, there is no need to cry over it. No team in the league is perfect and it’s all about exploiting opponents’ weaknesses to win a game. The Blackhawks are a fast and talented team most others can’t keep up with. As long as they stick with their game and not try to match their opponent, the Blackhawks should have another dominating Stanley Cup run.
CHICAGO, IL – APRIL 25: Duncan Keith #2 of the Chicago Blackhawks celebrates scoring the game-winning goal in the third period against the Nashville Predators in Game Six of the Western Conference Quarterfinals during the 2015 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at the United Center on April 25, 2015 in Chicago, Illinois. The Blackhawks defeated the Predators 4-3 to win the series. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
