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Hawks' ugly start not end of world

Walking out of the UC Wednesday night I heard a disgusted Blackhawks fan sum up his feelings in just a few words.

“You know what?'' he said to his buddies. “We're gonna lose 60 (flippin') games this year.''

That's a little funny, and a lot of anger, after one week of hockey.

Seems a bit of an overreaction after 4 games considering everyone knew this season was going to be difficult even if the entire roster returned.

As defending champs, you knew the Hawks would be a target every night, sluggish to start the year, and would struggle all season to find a hint of hunger.

There are, after all, reasons no team has repeated in the NHL for 13 years.

But half the roster's gone and with it went character, depth, versatility and skill players who could slide between lines whenever Joel Quenneville looked for a spark.

Now, there are two new goalies, questions on defense after the top four, and concerns on offense, none bigger than locating someone to skate on the top lines with Jonathan Toews, Marian Hossa, Patrick Sharp and Patrick Kane.

Tomas Kopecky has 4 points in 4 games and has been OK on the top line, but someone with better hands would have 8 points already, as would Hossa (6) and Toews (3).

Still, Hossa (+5), Kopecky (+4) and Toews (+3) are a combined plus-12, while defenseman John Scott (+1) is the only other player on the team in plus territory.

Kane is a team-worst minus-5, and Sharp (-3) and Fernando Pisani (-3) aren't far behind.

Not that the defense has been good thus far, but responsible play and puck support from the forwards has been a rumor.

So Quenneville has bigger problems than the top line, like finding someone for that second line, and avoiding the temptation to play Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook for entire periods at a time.

Keith, not surprisingly, leads the NHL in ice time with 32:03 per game, while Seabrook is eighth at 26:28.

On the bright side, Nick Leddy looks like he'll be fine as their fifth defenseman once they get their top four back in order, and Corey Crawford has played a couple solid games despite some ridiculous bounces against him.

Marty Turco hasn't been good, but he has six months to get his game together before it matters what they get from him.

Dave Bolland is far from sharp, but he's third in the NHL in takeaways. Bryan Bickell is fifth in the league in hits and Jack Skille 14th, and both have earned more ice time, while Troy Brouwer and Jake Dowell have played some solid games.

Give Quenneville time and he'll figure out some productive lines.

So all is not lost, even though the Hawks lost a tough game in the final 30 seconds Wednesday night, missing two of their top four defensemen against a team that gives them fits.

It hasn't been easy to watch thus far, but despite all their problems, most of which were fully anticipated, all 3 defeats are by a single goal.

Has it been pretty? No. Good personality? Not even. Aggravating? Completely. Should we get used to it? Definitely.

The good news is the Hawks have until the middle of April to figure it out. They have to find a way to make the playoffs and then discover the energy that's tough to locate during the regular season.

No one picked them to repeat and nothing we've seen thus far would change any minds, but it's only one week of NHL play and a bit early for panic in the streets.

UnBearable

Here's Mike Martz describing how little he's concerned about Jay Cutler's health.

“As soon as somebody has been (cleared to play), then you have to assume that everything is fine,'' Martz said. “I'm just assuming everything's good with him.''

Guess he's already forgotten what life is like with Cutler watching the game in street clothes.

The reality

The Seahawks stop the run but not the pass. So what's their one chance to win Sunday's game? They go after Cutler's concussed noggin on the first play and don't stop until Cutler's out cold or the game's over.

Scary.

Briggs out?

For all the talk of Julius Peppers, Lance Briggs has been every bit as good and he may be the Bears' best player this season, which is never a surprise. Briggs hasn't practiced this week and it's a huge loss if his injured ankle keeps him out Sunday.

Lee's bad thumb

The Braves revealed that Derrek Lee played with a torn thumb ligament in the postseason, and apparently played through pain and injury before the trade, which explains a lot about his 2010 season.

Umpires

Good news is that Joe West isn't scheduled to work the LCS. Bad news is Angel Hernandez will work the ALCS.

Congrats to Chicago native and Lake Park High grad Tony Randazzo, who will be in Texas to work his first career LCS.

And finally…

Comedian Alex Kaseberg, on USC's loss to Stanford: “USC coach Lane Kiffin is so unhappy he's seriously thinking of giving some players a pay cut.''