The pairing of Duncan Keith and Adam Boqvist has been a staple atop the Blackhawks’ defensive intensity chart since December.
Despite their radically other personalities — Keith is deadpan at his very best and prickly at his worst, whilst Boqvist radiates goofiness — and much more other ages, they’ve advanced robust chemistry off the ice, too.
But up towards the deadly Oilers duo of Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl — and with simplest two, possibly 3, video games left to unravel them — the Keith-Boqvist pairing is being examined greater than ever.
“Experience is important, but those two guys are a big part of our team and we need to get them going,” trainer Jeremy Colliton mentioned Tuesday. “We addressed some things we didn’t like and reminded each other the things we need to do have success in the next [game].”
In the Hawks’ Game 1 win, Keith-Boqvist if truth be told excelled. In the 10 mins they have been at the ice in combination at even energy, the Hawks out-shot the Oilers 10-0, out-chanced them 7-Zero and outscored them 1-0. That used to be regardless of them going through the Draisaitl line for 3 and a part of the ones mins and the McDavid line for any other 3 mins.
In the Hawks’ Game 2 loss, on the other hand, Keith-Boqvist struggled mightily. In their 11 mins in combination at even energy, they have been out-shot 10-6, out-chanced 6-Five and out-scored 3-0.
Their woes began at the sport’s opening shift when Keith handed within the incorrect route whilst coping with an Oilers dump-in, Boqvist were given stuck napping at the incorrect facet of the ice and McDavid scored simply.
“We talk a lot about…how we want to play certain situations,” Keith mentioned. “It’s always easy to second-guess things when they score a goal. To me, it’s a bang-bang play, it’s in the net.”
Keith and Boqvist, observed right here colliding with Andreas Athanasiou, have been out-scored 3-Zero via the Oilers on Monday.Getty
This is the place the 37-year-old veteran and 19-year-old rookie’s robust friendship and mentorship will end up the most important.
Keith garnered some laughs all over a coaching camp interview when he admitted Boqvist incessantly is helping him out all over practices. Keith it seems that struggles to grasp the other drill directions Colliton supplies, so he’ll flip to Boqvist — affectionally nicknamed ‘Bokey’ — for a more practical clarification.
Now, because the Hawks get ready for Game Three on Wednesday, Keith’s skill to pay off Boqvist within the type of battle-tested postseason recommendation is being applied.
“In the playoffs, there’s lots of talk, there’s a little more media attention — obviously we’re doing these press conferences and things like that,” Keith mentioned. “You can get a little bit wrapped up in it as a young guy if it’s your first time. But at the end of the day, it’s still hockey. It’s something you’ve done your whole life.”
“[Boqvist is] at his best when he’s confident and he’s really good with the puck… When we’re moving the puck, we’re skating, making good plays out of the zone, through the neutral zone, in their zone — that’s when we’re at our best and the team is at our best… The focus on that is the stuff we’ve talked about together.”
Keith, after 3 Stanley Cups and 128 playoff appearances (and counting), has certainly observed on the subject of the entirety.
He used to be in certainly one of his deadpan moods Tuesday, and hopefully referred to as the Hawks’ 1-1 sequence tie a “good position” to be in. At this level in his profession, it’s unimaginable to argue towards his checks, together with that one.
He simply must impart that very same self assurance and unflappability on his mentee.
“It’s playoffs. There’s going to be ups and downs,” Colliton mentioned. “Sometimes it’s going your way, and sometimes they have a night… [You] can’t get too high or low.”