Hawks earn standing O after killing off 5 straight penalties originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago
The Blackhawks knocked off the Florida Panthers 4-2 on Tuesday at the United Center for their fourth straight win, and the first star of the game should’ve gone to the entire penalty kill unit.
In the first half of the second period, the Blackhawks were forced to kill off five consecutive penalties, including a 5-on-3 for 1:25, and they did just that. They allowed only two shots on goal during the entire 6:50 of action, which drew a standing ovation when the fifth one was killed.
“Huge boost,” Blackhawks head coach Luke Richardson said. “Our willingness to sacrifice for our team and our goalie and especially the second period was huge, but even the third period in a crucial time in the game, blocking shots, guys are standing up and bench cheering. It becomes contagious, and then it continues into the 5-on-6 situation, which is like a penalty kill. I think it becomes like a bit of an identity for us that we’re willing to do.”
The Blackhawks committed so many penalties in the second period that Patrick Kane had only two shifts in nearly 15 minutes, and one of those shifts lasted just eight seconds.
“A lot of sitting on the bench for me,” a smiling Kane said.
Since giving up four power-play goals to Colorado on Opening Night, the Blackhawks have killed off 20 of their last 21 penalties for a success rate of 95.2 percent. That doesn’t include the four shorthanded goals they’ve scored during that stretch, either. It’s been a major bright spot in the early going.
“The penalty kill did a great job,” said Kane, who scored a goal and added an assist in the win. “And I think we can even get more momentum off that when we get those kills. So it was a good job by them tonight to hold the fort.”
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