"A funny thing happened in the neutral zone when no one was looking.

Brian Campbell, the Blackhawks' free-wheeling, offensive-minded defenseman, has displayed some serious shutdown skills.

The 11-year veteran leads the Hawks with a plus-10 rating, the best indicator of defensive play, in 15 games. That statistic flies in the face of the label occasionally affixed to Campbell as much offense, little defense.

"I'm just really comfortable in Joel (Quenneville's) system right now," Campbell, 31, said. "When you've been at it for a couple of years, you feel a lot more comfortable. I'm not doing anything differently but just paying attention and knowing what I have to do."

That plus-10 rating is a point of pride for Campbell, who set a career high with 52 points (seven goals, 45 assists) in 2008-09, his first season with the Hawks after signing an eight-year, $56.8 million free-agent contract.

During last season's run to the Stanley Cup, Campbell was a plus-18 with seven goals and 31 assists. In parts of eight seasons with the Sabres (and 20 games with the Sharks in 2008), he ranged from a minus-14 in 2005-06 to a plus-28 in '06-07.

"I've always tried to take pride in it," Campbell said of his defense. "As you get in the league, that was something that I was always told I need to shore up. When I was playing in Buffalo, I tried to do that, and then coming here … I've just learned a lot from the coaching staff to be better defensively."

He has been just that since returning from a knee injury suffered during the exhibition season that caused him to miss the first 13 regular-season games. Offense hasn't come as easily; Campbell has one goal and six assists."