Penalty kill sparks Blackhawks' comeback win over Capitals

After four fruitless power plays in the first two periods, special teams seemed like they would be the Blackhawks' downfall Tuesday against the Capitals.

But then the penalty kill — the brightest spot in a dim season — stepped up yet again. Ilya Mikheyev’s shorthanded goal early in the third period sparked a comeback from two goals down for a 3-2 win.

“Everybody knows how good the penalty kill has been,” interim coach Anders Sorensen said. “Then [when] you get a goal out of it, that’s a huge bonus.”

Defenseman T.J. Brodie made up for getting undressed by Andrew Mangiapane on the Capitals’ second goal by ripping home the equalizer with 5:53 left, and then forward Ryan Donato made a powerful move to the net against Mangiapane and stuffed in the game-winner with 2:18 left.

The Hawks have now killed 28 straight opponent power plays since Nov. 29, improving to fourth in the NHL with an 84.9% kill rate this season. And they’ve gone 10 consecutive games without allowing a power-play goal for the first time since 2013 — and only the second time since 1974.

Sorensen, who improved to 3-3-0 as interim coach, credited assistant Kevin Dean for the penalty-killing success.

“He’s really clear in his communication,” Sorensen said. “He analyzes and [helps] the guys know where the threats are coming from. Also our habits have been really good on the ‘PK.’ [We’re] breaking up a lot of things with sticks, [and our] posture is really good.”

The power play still ranks a respectable 14th despite their 0-for-4 effort Tuesday, but Sorensen criticized them for getting “stuck on the perimeter looking for the perfect play.” Goalie Arvid Soderblom came up huge down the stretch, racking up 11 of his 20 saves in the third period.

Nazar learning

Frank Nazar’s first three games of the season with the Hawks have been fine, but one can practically see the organization’s
top prospect forward learning the difference between NHL and AHL defenses in real time.

During an early second-period shift, for example, Nazar made several slick plays and clever passes, only for a Capitals player to get a stick on the puck at the last second to thwart the play.

Nazar’s zero points so far — in contrast to his explosive production with Rockford during the first two months of the season — don’t seem to have affected his confidence, which is a good sign. Sorensen gave him a healthy 16:27 of ice time Tuesday.

Capitals revivals

Written on a whiteboard in the Hawks’ locker room Tuesday morning, the Capitals’ first line — ex-Hawk Dylan Strome centering ex-Hawk Taylor Raddysh and up-and-comer Connor McMichael — garnered some second glances.

During 2½ years in Washington, Strome has evolved into the stellar player that he always seemed poised to become with the Hawks — had coaches or management believed in him more. In fact, nobody in the NHL believed in him back then.

Strome recorded 65 and 67 points the last two seasons, and he’s on pace for 101 points this season. He has played a huge role in the Capitals’ shockingly good start to the season; they’re still 21-8-2 even after losing Tuesday.

Raddysh hasn’t stood out quite as much, but he nonetheless already matched his point total from last season (14) in less than half as many games. He seemed due for some positive regression this season after posting a miserable 4.2% shooting percentage last year, and that is exactly what has happened.

Sitting on the Dach

On the topic of notable ex-Hawks now in the Eastern Conference, however, Kirby Dach has experienced the opposite fate so far in Montreal.

After missing all but two games last season with a torn ACL, Dach has struggled this season, tallying only nine points (including only two goals) in 31 games. His woes have sparked a league-wide discussion about how poorly the 2019 draft class has turned out. Alex Vlasic, the Hawks' 43rd overall pick, is one of few bright spots. Dach, the third overall pick, is definitely not.

As Dach nears his 24th birthday, the odds he ever develops into a legitimate top-six center are decreasing steadily — and Davidson's decision to trade him for the 13th pick in 2022, used to select Nazar, looks increasingly wise.