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‘Hawks power-play woes bleeding into other areas

Florida Panthers v Chicago Blackhawks

CHICAGO, IL - FEBRUARY 24: Patrick Sharp #10 of the Chicago Blackhawks controls the puck against the Florida Panthers at the United Center on February 24, 2015 in Chicago, Illinois. The Blackhawks defeated the Panthers 3-2 in a shootout. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)

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The Chicago Blackhawks can’t seem to get anything done with the man advantage. Their last power-play goal came on Feb. 24 and they’re just 2-for-28 over their last 10 games.

That’s bad enough on their own, but their power-play struggles don’t exist in a vacuum. Lately when they fail to convert on those opportunities, it has a lasting negative impact.

“It slows our team game down,” said coach Joel Quenneville told CSN Chicago. “The guys who are out there, they don’t get the production and then they get the hesitation to their game and it slows us down. In the last 10 games it’s happened too many times.”

Losing Patrick Kane has certainly hurt, but they realize they have to find a way to get by without him for now.

“We realize how fortunate we are when you have Kane on the power play, be it entries, loose pucks, play recognition,” Quenneville said. “There’s a void there and opportunity. Someone has to seize it and grab it. When we do that it’ll be a big difference to our team game.”

At the end of the day, even if their power play isn’t great, they can overcome that to an extent superb 5-on-5 play. That’s assuming though that they stop allowing their power-play struggles to hurt them in other situations.

Chicago will face Arizona, which ranks 26th when it comes to killing penalties, on Tuesday.

Follow @RyanDadoun