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Coach Q: Hawks must work for PP chances
From chicagoblackhawks.com: (link)
CHICAGO -- Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville said after analyzing the tape from Game 1 that his team has to work for their power plays. He was obviously hinting that they didn't work hard enough because they didn't draw any power-play opportunities.
Patrick Sharp agreed when he was asked about it Monday morning.
"You can't always look to the refs to give you one," Sharp said in the hours before Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final (8 p.m. ET, NBC, CBC, RDS). "We have to be more poised with the puck and hang on to it. That's often how we draw penalties. We can't go into the game waiting for a power play and thinking that's going to be the difference. We managed to squeak out of Game 1 with no power plays, but it's on us to earn it."
Hawks' captain Jonathan Toews wasn't buying into the idea that they didn't work hard enough to get a power play. He was clearly miffed that they didn't get one.
"It was frustrating," he said. "We felt like we worked hard enough and we could have drawn a few. Again, that's one of those things that sometimes is not going to go your way. It's frustrating when it doesn't. You do what you have to do to keep kicking and survive in those situations, and hopefully we'll get a few breaks this game. Even if we do get a couple of power plays, it's up to us to go out there and take advantage of it."
The Hawks, who also won Game 1 against San Jose without a power play chance, do believe there were missed calls in Game 1, such as the time Brent Seabrook was clipped in the face by Mike Richards' stick during a Flyers' power play in the second period.
But a disconnect in their passing game and too much standing around didn't help convince the refs to blow the whistle in their favor.
"We love the puck possession game," Kane said. "I don't know if we did enough of that in Game 1. If you look at some of the plays, I mean, here and there, two of our defensemen got cut on sticks. Sometimes you are hoping for those calls. To go a whole game without a power play, I don't think that's realistic."
It seems ridiculous to think the Hawks will go another game without a power play. Provided they get one Monday night, look out for Kane, Toews and Dustin Byfuglien.
Chicago's top line, which combined has 11 power-play goals in the playoffs, was limited to zero points and only five shots on goal in Game 1. Byfuglien's effectiveness was essentially cancelled out by Chris Pronger, but it would seem harder for the towering defensemen to be as physical on the burly winger in a 5-on-4 situation.
"We have to continue to work and move our feet, and the penalties will start coming our way," Byfuglien said. "We didn't get one last game. We didn't get any calls, so that's something we have to work on and keep working harder for."
CHICAGO -- Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville said after analyzing the tape from Game 1 that his team has to work for their power plays. He was obviously hinting that they didn't work hard enough because they didn't draw any power-play opportunities.
Patrick Sharp agreed when he was asked about it Monday morning.
"You can't always look to the refs to give you one," Sharp said in the hours before Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final (8 p.m. ET, NBC, CBC, RDS). "We have to be more poised with the puck and hang on to it. That's often how we draw penalties. We can't go into the game waiting for a power play and thinking that's going to be the difference. We managed to squeak out of Game 1 with no power plays, but it's on us to earn it."
Hawks' captain Jonathan Toews wasn't buying into the idea that they didn't work hard enough to get a power play. He was clearly miffed that they didn't get one.
"It was frustrating," he said. "We felt like we worked hard enough and we could have drawn a few. Again, that's one of those things that sometimes is not going to go your way. It's frustrating when it doesn't. You do what you have to do to keep kicking and survive in those situations, and hopefully we'll get a few breaks this game. Even if we do get a couple of power plays, it's up to us to go out there and take advantage of it."
The Hawks, who also won Game 1 against San Jose without a power play chance, do believe there were missed calls in Game 1, such as the time Brent Seabrook was clipped in the face by Mike Richards' stick during a Flyers' power play in the second period.
But a disconnect in their passing game and too much standing around didn't help convince the refs to blow the whistle in their favor.
"We love the puck possession game," Kane said. "I don't know if we did enough of that in Game 1. If you look at some of the plays, I mean, here and there, two of our defensemen got cut on sticks. Sometimes you are hoping for those calls. To go a whole game without a power play, I don't think that's realistic."
It seems ridiculous to think the Hawks will go another game without a power play. Provided they get one Monday night, look out for Kane, Toews and Dustin Byfuglien.
Chicago's top line, which combined has 11 power-play goals in the playoffs, was limited to zero points and only five shots on goal in Game 1. Byfuglien's effectiveness was essentially cancelled out by Chris Pronger, but it would seem harder for the towering defensemen to be as physical on the burly winger in a 5-on-4 situation.
"We have to continue to work and move our feet, and the penalties will start coming our way," Byfuglien said. "We didn't get one last game. We didn't get any calls, so that's something we have to work on and keep working harder for."
