Kukla's Korner Hockey

Kukla's Korner Hockey

The Chicago Blackhawks Have A Penalty Kill Problem

10/22/2016 at 8:58am EDT

from Mark Lazerus of the Chicago Sun-Times,

“In hockey, we’re always about confidence,” defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson said after the Blackhawks gave up another two power-play goals in a 3-2 loss to the previously winless Columbus Blue Jackets (1-2-0). “And when you see a lot of goals go in the net all the time on the PK, it kind of hits the confidence a little bit. … No excuses. It’s up to [us] and we just haven’t been good enough. That’s just how it’s been. We’ve just got to be better.”

The Hawks now have killed just eight of 19 opposing power plays, for a dreadful 42 percent success rate (a solid PK is usually in the 80s, and the Hawks have flirted with 90 percent as recently as two seasons ago). According to TSN, the Hawks are the first team since the 2010-11 Dallas Stars to allow 10 or more power-play goals in the first five games of the season.

“It’s the toughest stretch I’ve been a part of, by far,” Hjalmarsson said. “That’s been costing us a couple of games here. They might be really valuable points in the end in the standings. … We just have to hit the rest button and just bear down and find a way to get it done, because it’s losing us games right now.”

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Paul Kukla founded Kukla’s Korner in 2005 and the site has since become the must-read site on the ‘net for all the latest happenings around the NHL.

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