Hawks focus on art of the draw

By Chris Kuc | Tribune reporter

11:49 PM CST, February 4, 2009

CALGARY - It's hockey's version of the Thunderdome: Two men enter, one puck leaves.

Where that puck goes after it leaves the faceoff circle is often paramount to a team's success. For the Blackhawks, winning the majority of the 50 or so draws each game has been elusive.

"It's often overlooked," forward Patrick Sharp said. "If you look at Detroit and San Jose, they've beaten us consistently at faceoffs. If you do that 20 or 30 times a game, it's going it turn itself into scoring opportunities."

The Hawks rank 29th out of 30 NHL teams in faceoff percentage with a 46.9 percent success rate.

The Red Wings (55.7) and Sharks (53.2) are the league's two most successful teams and it's no coincidence they are at the top of the Western Conference standings.

"It's a little thing but it's a big thing," Hawks center Colin Fraser said. "If you win more than 50 percent or are at 60 percent, you have the puck that much more than the other team."

A good faceoff percentage is anything above 50 percent, and only Jonathan Toews is above that mark for the Hawks at 53.2 (his 405-357 mark is 28th in the NHL). Carolina's Rod Brind'amour (62) and the Wings' Kris Draper (60.9) are the league's top individuals in the category.

Fraser (47.4), Sharp (46.1), Dave Bolland (43.5) and Kris Versteeg (40.0) are the Hawks' centers who have been concentrating on improving at faceoffs.

"It's an understated part of the game people don't focus on enough," Toews said. "It's something we have to get better at."

Players have different techniques when going head-to-head with opponents at the dot.

Depending on which end of the ice players are in or if their opponent is right- or left-handed are factors.

"I watch the puck at all times," Sharp said. "Some guys have different theories, but I keep an eye on the puck and the lineman's wrist. Then I try to time it when it comes down.

"It's not just the centermen but it's all five guys on the ice helping out, holding their players up and battling for that puck. It comes down to being one-on-one battles."

Versteeg, who recently has shifted from winger to center and is learning while on the job, went 1-for-8 Saturday against the Sharks in his first game at his new position and 0-for-7 Tuesday during the Hawks' 3-1 victory over the Oilers.

"I kind of just look at the ice," Versteeg said. "Really, it's just bearing down and getting in there."

Last season the Hawks had Yanic Perreault, who led the NHL at 64.3 percent, the eighth consecutive season he was best in the league. But the 38-year-old left as a free agent and remains unsigned.

Special-teams faceoffs play critical roles, with Toews entrusted to take the majority of power-play draws (98-65) and Fraser the short-handed specialist (91-108).

"We always make it a point of emphasis going into every game," Hawks coach Joel Quenneville said.

"We still have a long way to go to improve in all aspects of it, whether it's the guys taking the draws or the guys helping out along the walls to get the puck back. [We need to] make steady progress because it's going to be critical."

ckuc@tribune.com