They won’t admit it, but the Blackhawks are using a different power-play formation and it appears to be working. Although they scored only one power-play goal in the playoff opener, the Hawks consider Joe Murphy’s second goal a power-play goal since it came just after a penalty to Sandy McCarthy expired.
Friday night they scored on their first power play of the game. They failed to score on the next six, including three full minutes of a 5-on-3, but forced Calgary goalie Rick Tabaracci to come up with several brilliant saves.
“We’re just moving the puck around a little quicker,” said defenseman Chris Chelios. “Over the last few weeks of the season we started to get a few (power-play goals). We’ve been talking enough about it. Hopefully we’ll get it going.”
“We’ve tried some different things on it,” said coach Craig Hartsburg. “Basically we’re just trying to get the puck moving a little more.”
Moving up: Goalie Ed Belfour’s victory Friday night moved him into a tie with Glenn Hall for second place on the Blackhawks’ all-time playoff list with 31. First on the list is Tony Esposito, but the Blackhawks would have to win the Stanley Cup and Belfour would have to get all the decisions to tie Esposito this year.