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Chicago hopes to fix struggling penalty kill

Marian Hossa

Marian Hossa

Ronald C. Modra/NHL

The Chicago Blackhawks were able to eliminate the Nashville Predators in six games, but it was far from the perfect series for them. One of their biggest issues in the first round was their performance when attempting to kill penalties.

Chicago only managed to escape 72.7% of Nashville’s power-play opportunities without allowing a goal. In total they surrendered six markers in the first round, which is more than any other team. That’s in contrast to 2014 when Chicago allowed just 10 power-play goals in 19 playoff games and the Blackhawks’ 2013 Stanley Cup-winning run when they were charged with just seven power-play goals against in 23 contests.

Making the matter even more worrying for the Blackhawks is the fact that their new opponent, Minnesota, went 4-for-12 with the man advantage in the first round.

“We definitely weren’t happy with how the PK worked out. We got scored on more than we’d like to,” Marian Hossa told CSN Chicago. “Right now we talk about it. We looked at some films to be on the same page, that’s the key.”

Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville hopes to get off on the right foot and build some confidence. If they don’t succeed in doing that, then this could become a critical issue for Chicago going forward.

Follow @RyanDadoun