Brent Seabrook's Game Expanding in the Midst of a Career Year

Brent Seabrook has always had a huge shot and been known for scoring big goals throughout his career.

He appears to be taking it to a new level in 2014-15, as he was one of five Blackhawks players voted onto the NHL's All-Star roster and is having his best season in a Chicago uniform.

Seabrook regularly has to take a backseat to defense partner, a two-time Norris Trophy winner Duncan Keith. Additionally, when the Blackhawks go into a shutdown mode, head coach Joel Quenneville tends to put the defensive pairing of Niklas Hjalmarsson and Johnny Oduya on the ice.

That makes it difficult for Seabrook to get recognition for all his contributions.

While he has not been at Keith's level, and he may not be as proficient on the defensive end as Hjalmarsson, he has been a solid—and sometimes spectacular—contributor since the 2005-06 season. 

Seabrook's booming shot from the point is his calling card, and that shot has been even more effective this year than in the past. As the season nears the halfway point for the surging Blackhawks, Seabrook has already scored seven goals and 15 assists.

Seabrook has a plus-three rating and Behind the Net indicates he's posted a plus-15.79 on-ice Corsi. He is scoring on 8.2 percent of the shots that he has landed on goal.

Seabrook seems like a cinch to reach double figures in goals scored and could end up in the 14-16 range. Seabrook has never scored more than nine goals in the regular season.

“I’m shooting more, getting some looks and things are going in,” Seabrook told Tracey Myers of CSN Chicago.

He scored the game-winning goal in a 5-2 victory at Colorado in late December, and Seabrook told Myers that when he got his opportunity, he simply blasted the puck on goal and did not try to pick the corner.

That is part of the reason that Seabrook is having a big season, and it falls in line with Quenneville's philosophy.

The Blackhawks regularly will try to make the extra pass so they can set up the picture-perfect scoring attempt. That has been one of the issues that have impacted their power play negatively. However, Seabrook doesn't look for the perfect pass. He is willing to take the shot whenever it fits in the flow of the Chicago offense.

Seabrook played a huge role for the Blackhawks in their 2013 championship run. He scored the series-winning goal in overtime of the seventh game against the Detroit Red Wings and also nailed the overtime winner against Boston in the fourth game of the championship round.

That may have been the crucial goal of the Stanley Cup Final because it allowed the Blackhawks to tie the series at 2-2. If the Bruins had scored in overtime that game, they would have taken a 3-1 advantage in the series and would have been in an advantageous position to win the title.

In addition to the increase in productivity, Quenneville believes that Seabrook is playing better defense than he has in recent years. His strong defensive play is leading to more offensive opportunities.

Quenneville addressed that improvement when speaking with Myers last week:

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I think he has a better gap and his stick has been more efficient. He’s broken up 2-on-1s the last four or five games, at least half dozen to 10 of them. He’s got a quicker stick; pucks aren’t going through him or past him. He’s aware of his positioning but I think it’s the stick and from there, the transition leads to either an odd-man break or at least some offensive zone time.

"

The All-Star selection marks the first time he has been selected to play in the showcase.

“It’s something I’ve never done, so I’m looking forward to it," Seabrook told reporters. "It’s nice to be able to share the experience with a few teammates. I’m truly honored to have been voted in by the fans. It’s pretty exciting and I’m really looking forward to it.” 

Keith, Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane and Corey Crawford were also voted into the All-Star Game as Blackhawks representatives. The game will be played Jan. 25 at the Nationwide Arena in Columbus.

Seabrook is on pace to have his most productive year from an offensive and defensive perspective. He has taken 85 shots in 39 games and is on pace to take more than 170 shots this season. Seabrook has never taken more than 156 shots in a season.

It's a conscious decision to shoot more, but he's also turning defense into offense, and that pleases Quenneville, the rest of the coaching staff and Seabrook's teammates.

Seabrook's play is one of the key reasons the Blackhawks are tied for first place in the Central Division and in a position to make a run at the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference.

They need more of the same from Seabrook the rest of the way if they are going to have another strong regular-season finish this year.