For the 5th time in their last 8 games, the Blackhawks were outplayed by an inferior opponent, and fell 2-1 to the Phoenix Coyotes in the shootout.
Many, myself included, had been lending a number of excuses to the Hawks as of late. I don't think an excuse can be made anymore. Yes, they played an 8 game road trip. Yes, that's difficult to overcome. Yes, Antti Niemi is sick, and Cristobal Huet could probably use a night off. These are ALL valid points, but champions don't look for excuses.
While it's not quite time to panic, some unnerving trends have surfaced in the last little bit.
The first, and in my opinion most worrisome problem has been the recent play of Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook. The Hawks two workhorses look like they're out of gas, as Hawks analyst Steve Konroyd pointed out on the Score's Danny Mac Show earlier this week. It's hard to blame them, considering the ice time they get. There have been lazy passes and mental errors Hawks fans don't usually see from the dynamic duo. These mistakes are signs of fatigue. Granted, Keith and Seabrook playing at 80% is still better than 90% of the other defensive tandems in the league, but the Hawks have grown used to, and expect their tandem to be the absolute best.
To add to the concern, both are going to be key contributors for Team Canada in the upcoming Vancouver Olympic games. While most of the league is resting, they will likely be playing deep into a competitive and ferocious international tournament.
In my opinion, this makes acquiring another solid defenseman a priority. Maybe it won't be Scott Niedermayer (or maybe it will), but the Hawks need one more guy to gobble up some of the minutes and take some pressure off Keith and Seabs.
Another issue I've seen arise of late has been the Hawks unwillingness to put the puck on the net. They've passed up chance after chance to make that one extra pass, and it's costed them. They've been way too cute. Get a body in front of the net, and get the puck on the goalie. Simple hockey.
Opponents are learning how to defend the Hawks. Clog up the neutral zone, take away the cross ice pass, and play physical. The Hawks are going to have to adjust. I'm confident they can and will, but every point is important. They can't let them slip away.
A lot of us were getting comfortable with the Hawks point total, but now teams are gaining ground, including the Coyotes, who now only trail the Hawks by 4 points.
Maybe the Hawks were getting comfortable as well. These losses better serve as a wake up call. Teams aren't going to lay down and die when they see the indian head. In fact, most teams step their game up a notch when they know their opponent is one of the best teams in the league.
What makes some of these recent losses so frustrating is the fact that the Hawks seem to hit a switch late in the game and take over. It happened Wednesday night vs the Blues, and tonight against the Coyotes. That's great that they can turn it on like that, but why is it taking 40 minutes to happen?
When the Hawks put 60 minutes together, there is no better team in the league. Once they learn to play a complete game balls out, they'll get back on track. Until then, let's hope the standings gap they've created doesn't become a mere sliver.
Hawk fans, join Hawks Head Coach Joel Quenneville and I next Thursday, February 11th at Cork and Kerry for the first ever "Q at the Cork" event. Coach Q will be answering your questions and signing autographs from 7pm-8:30pm. Come on out and meet the man behind the moustache.
Jay Zawaski is the Executive Producer of the Danny Mac Show (9am-1pm M-F) on WSCR, 670 the Score.
Filed under: Antti Niemi, Blackhawks, brent seabrook, Chicago Sports, Cristobal Huet, danny mac show, duncan keith, hockey, NHL, Scott Niedermayer, sports, wscr
Tags: antti niemi, blackhawks, brent seabrook, chicago sports, cristobal huet, danny mac show, duncan keith, hockey, NHL, scott niedermayer, Sports, wscr
