Finally, a breather for the Blackhawks

After playing seven games in 11 days, the Blackhawks rested on Monday.

And they’ll get another day off today to regroup after 2 straight losses that followed a 24-game point streak.

“Obviously we’ve got to regroup here and take a breath,” defenseman Duncan Keith said. “We’ve played a lot of hockey and it’s nice to get a few days off here and look forward to getting the second half going. I think it’s going to be good for us.”

The Hawks have allowed 6 goals in back-to-back games for the first time since 2007.

“We’ve lost a couple of games and we know we didn’t play our best in both games,” Keith said. “I think we need to shore up a few things defensively, whether that’s in our own zone or in the neutral zone, even being smarter with the puck in the offensive zone. I think we’re all capable of being better defensively than we’ve been the last couple of games.”

It’s the first three-day break in the schedule so far this season for the Hawks, who don’t play again until Thursday at Columbus.

“We’ve played a lot of games in the last little while and it’s nice to have a few days here before we go back on the road for four games,” winger Patrick Kane said. “It’s good to get away from the rink for a few days.”

After playing in Columbus, the Hawks will hit Dallas, Colorado again the Anaheim.

“There’s been a lot of travel for us and I just think we need some rest,” center Andrew Shaw said.

“We need to gather some energy,” coach Joel Quenneville said. “When you’re able to play the game feeling good, your thought process is much more effective. Whether it’s directed to your hands, sometimes to your feet and legs, when you’re not thinking good it slows down your team game.”

Looking back:

The Hawks didn’t win Sunday, but they still were proud of the way they battled back from a 4-0 deficit in their 6-5 loss to Edmonton.

“There are going to be nights where you don’t have your legs, but you’ve just got to play the situation and adapt to how you feel and what’s going on,” Jonathan Toews said. “It wasn’t acceptable how we started the game, but I think we showed a lot of effort and played hard as a team. Both intermissions we were talking and it was positive. We never got frustrated, never got negative with each other, we just kept going.”

Goalie Ray Emery, who started but was pulled after it became 3-0, credited the leadership of the team for the comeback.

“Guys weren’t going to have the lopsided game and our leaders picked it up and brought us back in the game,” Emery said.

The Hawks gave up 3 power-play goals for the first time all season.

“It was one of those nights when we needed a kill and didn’t get it,” Joel Quenneville said. “We’ll all take the hit: up front, back end, goaltending. We’re all responsible.”

Montador on waivers:According to several reports, defenseman Steve Montador was put on waivers Monday for the purpose of assigning him to Rockford for a conditioning stint.Montador hasn#146;t played in a game since last March 27 because of a series of concussions.It was unlikely Montador would be claimed because of his health and his $2.75 million cap hit for two more seasons past this one.