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What’s wrong with the Chicago Blackhawks?

By Dave Stevenson

Oct 21, 2016; Columbus, OH, USA; Chicago Blackhawks goalie Corey Crawford (50) reaches to attempt a save on a goal from Columbus Blue Jackets left wing Nick Foligno (71) in the second period at Nationwide Arena. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 21, 2016; Columbus, OH, USA; Chicago Blackhawks goalie Corey Crawford (50) reaches to attempt a save on a goal from Columbus Blue Jackets left wing Nick Foligno (71) in the second period at Nationwide Arena. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports /
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Is it time for the Chicago Blackhawks to hit the panic button?

The Chicago Blackhawks have been an incredibly successful team for the better part of a decade. Consistent greatness is rare in the NHL and the Hawks have achieved it. Entering this season, they were still considered by many to be a Stanley Cup favorite despite losing Teuvo Teravainen in the offseason. So far, Chicago has a 2-3-0 record, allowing 18 goals in their first five games. It might be time for head coach Joel Quenneville and fans to hit the panic button.

Their failures so far this season are due to two primary factors. These two factors have been prevalent in each of their games so far, but they were especially clear during Friday’s loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Penalty Kill

To say their penalty kill is a weakness is a huge understatement. It hasn’t just been terrible. Their penalty kill has been borderline historically bad. The Hawks have killed just 42.1 percent of their penalties. This might sound like a small sample size, but it’s over 20 percent worse than the next worst team. But what precisely has been wrong with it?

For one thing, they allow too many bodies in the front of the net. This is a goal Blue Jackets forward Nick Foligno scored on Friday.

You can’t let someone get so wide open around the net, especially on a power play. The worst part? This wasn’t the first time on Friday they made the mistake. The same mistake was clear with this power play goal by Zach Werenski.

Again, lots of traffic in front of the net. This allows Werenski’s admittedly impressive shot from the point to get through. You can notice Foligno’s right in goaltender Corey Crawford’s face. The issue is very obvious in a power play goal scored by Predators captain Mike Fisher from October 14th.

The Blackhawks are making the problem worse by committing penalties. They have been shorthanded 19 times so far this season. Going shorthanded against the Nashville Predators and Blue Jackets isn’t a good idea. Chicago isn’t getting it done on the power play or at even strength, so their penalty woes have been prevalent early in the season. Crawford has been great at even strength this season. He has struggled during penalty kills, but even if his numbers get better, they can’t get too much better thanks to a porous penalty kill.

Shallow Forward Depth

Forward depth used to be a calling card for the Blackhawks. At their best, they could go to each of their top three forward lines to score. When one would slump, one of the others would pick up the slack. This isn’t the case anymore.

Against the Blue Jackets, Patrick Kane, Artemi Panarin, and Jonathan Toews each played over 20 minutes. Richard Panik came within 34 seconds of making it four forwards with at least 20 minutes of ice time. Meanwhile, Artem Anisimov was the only other forward to play more than 15 minutes.

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Keep in mind Chicago has a game tonight against the Toronto Maple Leafs. So entering Saturday’s game, their best forwards will still be feeling the effects from last night. That’s not a good way to approach games on back to back nights.

The issue is Quenneville doesn’t have too much of a choice. He used to have players like Teravianen, Brandon Saad, and Andrew Shaw on his third line. Against the Blue Jackets, his third line consisted of rookie Nick Schmaltz, Ryan Hartman (who has 11 games of NHL experience), and Brian Campbell. Yes, the defenseman.

Quenneville can either give the young players more playing time and risk losing (not an option because Chicago is a must win team) or try to shelter them. Obviously, Toews’ struggles have been a huge reason for their struggles. But his teammates haven’t been able to pick up the slack like they have in the past.

Can They Fix What’s Wrong?

Fixing the penalty kill could be relatively easy. They have been very passive. A simple switch to a more aggressive system and ensuring Crawford can see shots would do wonders for the team. While things can only get better for the Blackhawks’ penalty kill, how much better it can get is in question.

The much more concerning issue is the lack of forward depth. While the Blackhawks have relied quite heavily on Toews, Kane, and Marian Hossa in the past, they’ve also had a strong supporting cast. This year, they don’t. Chicago is feeling the effects of trading Saad, Teravainen, and Shaw while not having much to show on the roster this year. Anisimov is the only player they got for the trio currently on their roster.

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This could be the end of Chicago’s dynasty as fans know it. Perhaps the team needs a rebuild. No matter how ugly things get, fans can at least know they got to see their team win three Stanley Cups. Winning is expensive in the NHL and Chicago’s paying the price.

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