Not gross in front of the net
Hawks go against trend in shutout victory; Seabrook injured in fall
Every time the Blackhawks’ offense goes dormant, the proposed solution is the same: Keep it simple. Go to the net. Score an ugly goal or two.
It’s easier said than done, of course, and the Hawks have had trouble getting anywhere near the net in a number of recent games, with opponents hemming them in along the boards and keeping them out of the high- danger area in the slot. The result has been an alarming goal drought in which the Hawks had scored two or fewer goals in six of their last eight games, exacerbated by a power play that had four goals in its last 48 chances dating to Nov. 1.
‘‘ If you’re on the outside, you’re getting boxed out and not getting a net- front presence, the goalie’s seeing the puck and you’re not going to score in our league,’’ coach Joel Quenneville said.
The Hawks found their way to the net Tuesday and, as a result, cruised to a 4- 0 victory against the Arizona Coyotes. Marian Hossa had two goals to tie Jeremy Roenick for 38th on the all- time list, and Scott Darling made 22 saves for the shutout, aided by one of the Hawks’ most dominant defensive efforts of the season.
Playing the woeful Coyotes, losers of five in a row, certainly helped.
‘‘ That’s theway youwant to play,’’ said Darling, who didn’t face a shot in the third period until there was 5: 54 left. ‘‘ I can’t remember one extremely Grade- A chance we gave up. The guys were great, the ‘ D’ were great, the forwards were great on defense. That was nice for me.’’
But the victory was tempered by yet another injury to a star player. With Jonathan Toews ( back) and Corey Crawford ( appendectomy) already out, the Hawks lost stalwart defenseman Brent Seabrook in the second period after he was tripped up by the Coyotes’ Jordan Martinook. Seabrook landed hard on his back and appeared to hit his head on the ice. He was slow to get up, skated off to the dressing room and didn’t return. Quenneville later called it an ‘‘ upper- body injury.’’ Seabrook was seen chatting outside the dressing rooms after the game, but Quenneville said he wouldn’t know his status until Wednesday.
Another slow start — just five shots in the first period against a team that had given up 42 or more in five of its last nine games — somehow yielded another 1- 0 lead, as Artem Anisimov planted himself in front of the net and redirected a pass from Patrick Kane past Mike Smith on a power play.
It was exactly the kind of goal Anisimov said the Hawks needed.
‘‘ Play a little simpler,’’ he said. ‘‘ Go to the net. Score ugly ones. A couple of ugly ones, from redirects or screening the goalie. Just go to the net hard and create chances.’’
The Hawks continued to do that in the second period. Hossa charged the net and put a pass from Ryan Hartman past Smith at 6: 26. Some terrific forechecking by Richard Panik set up Dennis Rasmussen’s goal on the doorstep 19 seconds later.
Hossa added his 14th goal — and the 513th of his career — late in the third. Hehad only 13 all of last season.
‘‘ He’s incredible,’’ Darling said. ‘‘ I still can’t believe how fast he is. He just has that next gear. He’s one of the fastest players I’ve ever been on the ice with. He’s an impressive human being.’’
The Hawks locked it down from there for a much- needed easy win.
‘‘ It’s always nice to see them go in the net, whoever’s scoring them,’’ said defenseman Trevor van Riemsdyk, who was vastly improved in his second game back from a shoulder injury. ‘‘ It just kind of gets everyone going.’’