Defensemen Connor Murphy and Duncan Keith had performed only one profession sport collectively — and it was in February 2018 — earlier than coach Jeremy Colliton elevated them to the highest pairing per week in the past.
Thanks to an eternity as locker-room and bench-seating companions, nevertheless, the pair has meshed seamlessly.
“I like to just mess with Duncs from time to time when I can, and he’s good at getting on me for things,” Murphy stated. “When you sit next to each other, you end up talking a lot during the game about each period, and we’ll just go back and forth and small talk.”
Murphy and Keith, 10 years his elder, have been first united this season towards the Jets and have caught collectively within the 4 video games since.
They’ve produced one of the best outcomes of the three defensive pairs.
The slowpoke duo of Brent Seabrook and Olli Maatta owns horrific possession numbers, whereas the makeshift third pairing of Erik Gustafsson and Calvin de Haan lacks a transparent id. But Murphy and Keith even have lived as much as their top-pairing standing. They’ve been on the ice for extra Hawks shot makes an attempt than opponent shot makes an attempt, one thing not many gamers on this workforce can declare.
“They’ve been good, really good,” Colliton stated. “They’ve discovered a technique to get out of ‘D’ zone, which has actually helped our group, as a result of usually they’re enjoying towards the opposite workforce’s prime line.
“They’ve been below management with the puck — that’s the largest factor. It’s high-quality to defend effectively, however you then’ve acquired to make a play to get out of the ‘D’ zone. Otherwise, you’re going to finish up defending all night time.”
Perhaps most spectacular is that Murphy has performed a minimum of 22:56 in every of his first three video games with Keith, one thing he did solely twice in 52 appearances final season. He primarily leapt proper from a brief stint on injured reserve, which price him the second half of coaching camp, into essentially the most taxing position he ever has occupied.
That’s as a result of Murphy’s defensive reliability and occasional physicality are extra valued than ever earlier than.
Whereas Gustafsson flourished offensively (however made some errors in his personal finish) alongside Keith on the highest pairing a lot of final season, Murphy is a extra pure match now given the dialed-up concentrate on scoring-chance prevention.
“[I’m] thankful for . . . being able to play certain special teams and certain matchups,” Murphy stated. “That’s what you want, especially as more of a defensive guy.”
His management abilities are also receiving further consideration now.
“He’s got a lot of maturity about him, and you can tell he wants to get better, he wants to improve, and for everybody, that’s important,” Keith stated. “He works hard off the ice every year and he’s committed to getting better, so I think that’s a big thing. He brings a lot of leadership, for a young guy especially.”
Murphy and Keith’s mutual admiration and robust rapport make for greater than good quotes.
Colliton’s man-zone hybrid defensive system requires an amazing quantity of on-ice communication. And this pairing has it down pat.
“There’s not really a whole lot that needs to be said, but if there’s the odd little play that he likes to make, then he’ll tell me that tendency that he wants,” Murphy stated. “You can just have small little comments, and it goes a long way when the game’s happening fast.”
Connor Murphy has been enjoying extra minutes than ever early on in his third Chicago season.Getty
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