The Chicago Blackhawks have one power play goal in their last 12 games. They had 33 opportunities on the man advantage during that time and were only been able to capitalize one time. Their power play currently ranks 20th overall with a 19.1 percent conversion rate. Before Connor Bedard was injured on Dec. 12, 31 games into the season, it was ranked 10th in the league at 22.2 percent.
So, what happened?
Power Play Numbers
Well, reality for one. According to Natural Stat Trick, the Blackhawks rank dead last in expected goals share on the power play (86.13 percent). When their power play was ranked 10th in the NHL, their expected goals rate ranked 32nd at 82.51 percent. In those same 31 games, they were shooting at 20 percent — fourth in the league. That’s since dropped to 15.98 percent, which ranks 11th. The Hawks currently rank 19th overall in the rate of goals scored on the man advantage at 7.1 per 60 minutes. Before the Bedard injury, they were eighth at 8.77/60.
So the numbers indicate that they were scoring at a high rate and scoring above expected. Say it together now: “regression towards the mean.”
Right. But what does this actually mean?
The Hawks rank 28th in high-danger chances per 60 on the power play. Taking a look at a heat map from hockeyviz.com gives us insight. Would you like to take a guess at who is generating shots from the right circle? Connor Bedard. How about the net-front? That’s Tyler Bertuzzi. The two team leaders in power play scoring. Bertuzzi with nine goals and 17 points, and Bedard with six goals and 15 points.
The 1-3-1
Like most teams in the NHL, the Blackhawks run a 1-3-1 power play. The point is usually handled by a playmaking defenseman (until recently, that’s been Artyom Levshunov). The weak-side flank is generally looking to score off a cross-seam pass (usually Connor Bedard). The strong-side flank is generally a strong passer and playmaker (can also be Bedard). The net-front player presents himself as a passing option (Tyler Bertuzzi). The bumper is a versatile player who can shoot off quick passes and retrieve loose pucks.
GOAL: Connor Bedard SNIPE on the power play to extend the lead pic.twitter.com/7znAxhoBK6
— BHF (@BlackhawksFocus) October 29, 2025
The Blackhawks have two players with definitive roles this season. Bedard can be both the strong-side playmaker or the weak-side option. Bertuzzi has done an excellent job of scoring from the net-front this season. Frank Nazar could be solid on the bumper, but has seen time on the second power-play unit.
Then there’s Artyom Levshunov. While he can keep the puck in at the blueline, he hasn’t displayed what we expected from him, at least consistently. He looks lost and often over-defers to Bedard (can that be a thing?) and has poor shot selection. Levshunov has the tendency to take a low-percentage shot right at the goaltender. These aren’t shots meant to generate rebounds and an ensuing scramble — they’re shots for the sake of shooting.
Other times, he can make you forget about all the bad and do stuff like this:
GOAL: Artyom Levshunov finishes off an amazing sequence in the O-zone with a snipe. What a shift. pic.twitter.com/uwHGQ55GAw
— BHF (@BlackhawksFocus) January 2, 2026
The Power Play Entry
It’s no secret that one of the biggest issues with the Hawks’ struggles on the man-advantage has been their power play entry. Like most teams in the NHL, the Blackhawks use some form of a drop pass to build speed—it’s the double-late entry for Chicago. The defenseman carries the puck from behind his net and uses the blueline as a trigger to drop pass. Two forwards swing deep to build speed and momentum. Once one of the forwards receives the puck, they have the option to pass laterally or carry the puck into the zone.
Except the Hawks are horrible at executing it. Their players lack urgency, and Levshunov’s passes are often too mechanical. The example below is perfect for what usually goes wrong. Here, the Minnesota Wild builds a wall with the PK and prevents the Hawks from entering the zone.
Blackhawks failed PP entry.
— Steve Kwiatkowski (@dirtythird.bsky.social) February 12, 2026 at 11:58 AM
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Chicago cannot rely on faceoffs to maintain possession in the offensive zone. Working on their entries is a critical component, and it’s weird because they have the players who should be able to execute this type of entry.
So what?
Most NHL teams’ penalty kills are clogging the middle of the ice. The best power plays in the league take advantage of this by working the puck down low and creating 2-on-1 battles. They force the hands of the PK to make a decision. Edmonton has Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. The Stars just funnel the puck to Mikko Rantanen (who’s supported by actual talent). The Golden Knights have Jack Eichel playmaking on the wall and Mark Stone creating chaos from the goal line.
Right now, the Blackhawks have Bedard and an ineffective power play entry.