The Chicago Blackhawks need to break through on their power play. 3 key skaters must lead the way.
The Chicago Blackhawks are in a 0-26 slump on the power play. That includes two failed attempts against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Friday. They were as high as seventh in the league with the man advantage, but they have plummeted all the way into the late teens or early 20s, depending on when you look at the rankings.
What can they do to get the power play back on track? Three players can lead the way in that effort. The first two that come to mind as a pair are Connor Bedard and Frank Nazar. Each of them can make plays at a high level when their game is on point.
Tyler Bertuzzi is a great goal scorer, but his game benefits from having playmakers like Bedard and Nazar around him. One of them, setting up a chance for Bertuzzi in front of the net, may get the job done.
Both Bedard and Nazar scored goals at even strength against Columbus. For Bedard, that's two straight games with a goal on a goalie. He has been looking much better since returning from his injury.
Bedard also made a brilliant play to set up Nazar's goal. Playing together at even strength has allowed them to start creating again. That chemistry is coming along at 5-on-5, which may eventually lead to a bounce-back power play goal.
The third player that can help them get out of this funk is Sam Rinzel, who returned to the Blackhawks in a call-up from the Rockford IceHogs on Friday.
Jeff Blashill took no time to get Rinzel involved. He led all defensemen in ice time and was the quarterback of the top power play unit. Outside of the 0/2 against the Blue Jackets, he wasn't there for this recent power play struggle, so he has a fresh perspective on it.
"Just make plays," Rinzel said when asked about what he could do to help the man-advantage. He didn't dive into any details on what he might need to do from a tactical perspective, but he did say his goal was to do whatever it takes to help the team win.
"I thought Sam played good," Jeff Blashill said of Rinzel's overall return. "He had an impact, skating and moving the puck with less errors than [before] he left."
Rinzel has the ability to make a good first pass on a power play, maybe better than anybody on the roster, which could help the forwards down low create better scoring chances. With Bedard and Nazar playing different roles on the same power play, these three might be able to create the goal that breaks the bad streak.
"We have the components to be good," Blashill said of his power play. "Power plays are fickle. You get confidence, and you start really going, and right now it doesn't have confidence."
Blashill referenced a chance that Bedard and Nazar had together, but Elvis Merzlikins of Columbus made the save. If that goes in, the power play slump would be broken, but as the head coach said, "that's going to happen sometimes."
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