TEMPE, Ariz. – In their first year and a half together with the Blackhawks, brothers Seth Jones And Caleb Jones really hadn’t spent much time together as defense partners.
But that all changed when Jake McCabe was traded. The two defensemen have been the Hawks’ first pair since late February and have had quite a bit of success.
“We knew it was going to happen [eventually]’ said Seth. “I don’t think it was planned, but obviously trades happen, stuff like that. We played a few shifts together [in the past]…but it’s nice to stretch to develop the chemistry.”
Caleb added: “It was fun. He’s obviously a really good defender. He makes the game easy for everyone he plays with. We read from each other and develop chemistry.”
They went into Saturday’s matchup against the Coyotes with a solid expected goals ratio of 50.8% in 190 minutes at a five-for-five ratio this season. The Hawks had surpassed their opponents 9-7 in those minutes.
Hawks coach Luke Richardson pointed to a game they made against the Predators on Thursday on their first shift of the third period as an example of how well they worked together.
The Predators attempted to break out of the defending zone, but Seth swiped across the ice to knock the puck off Matt Duchene at the blue line while Caleb supported him. From the overhead camera angle, Richardson saw that the Predators had nowhere to go. The Hawks quickly turned the puck the other way and created a scoring opportunity.
“It’s a really good game because you can surprise the striker from that side,” Caleb said. “I’ve done it a few times. He does the same where he will just fall below. …You have to make sure you don’t get hit by the guy. You have to be able to skate So.”
Moments like these demonstrate their increased level of comfort with each other. Despite their blood relationship, you only learn some things by playing together over time.
“I saw her talk [Friday] on the ice before practice just about subtle details,” Richardson said. “[Seth] said, “Oh yeah, I knew you were there, you wanted to come here.”
“They obviously have a bond, closer than most people, but it’s slowly showing in their game. you enjoy it. Why wouldn’t you enjoy it? That would be a fun thing. Not too many families have the opportunity to play together in the top league in the world.”
Ceremonial Seth
With Jonathan Tows absent and Patrick Kane gone, Seth has become the Hawks’ participant in all ceremonial puck drops – a duty normally performed by the captain.
On the road, it’s more of a chore than anything. The occasions rarely matter to Jones or the Hawks.
In Anaheim on February 27, Seth was part of the Ducks’ “Angels Night” themed show with former Angels pitchers Chuck Finley And Jim Abbott drop the puck. Seth faced the former Buccaneers cornerback in Tampa last weekend round barber, who dropped the puck to honor his Hall of Fame selection. And on Saturday in Arizona, Seth was scheduled to represent the Hawks in a pregame ceremony recognizing a Coyotes designer from the clothing line.
The team reps let him know in advance. He rolled his eyes slightly on Friday when he was briefed on Saturday’s plan. But he insisted the fake faceoffs don’t break his pregame routine.
“You don’t win the draw when you’re away, so you let the home team win,” he said. “[Then you] shake hands [and it’s] Continue to play.”
Source : chicago.suntimes.com