Hawks can't seem to stabilize themselves

It was a sight that's become too familiar for the Blackhawks.

Following a deflating 4-3 loss Wednesday to the Kings, they found themselves stuck with another bitter defeat to swallow, another golden chance to win fumbled away in the third period. Two in goals the final 6:11 of regulation erased the Hawks' third 1-goal lead and catapulted the Kings in front for the first time.

“It was looking pretty good for us with that 3-2 lead late in the third, and then we just found a way to blow it,” a sullen Jonathan Toews told reporters afterward. “We played 55 solid minutes of hockey and then I think our line is obviously looking at ourselves after that one. All three of us could've been a little more intelligent in our own zone getting the puck out and not giving them those chances to score late.”

Those failures of Toews' top line to clear the puck before the goals cost the Hawks at least another standings point. Once again, they failed to get a tied game in the third to overtime, which has become a nagging trend.

“We were looking at it and I think there were four games in a month where we didn't get a point and we were tied at different times in the third period,” Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville told reporters Thursday after practice. “I mean, we had a stretch of over 20 minutes (against the Kings) where they didn't even have a scoring chance and all of a sudden they get two in a relatively short amount of time and they both go in.

“It was one of those nights where we liked the way we played, we liked what we were giving up, but it's unacceptable that we get no points.”

The Blackhawks are now 8-7-1 in the past 16 games, dating back to a 3-2 overtime road loss Dec. 20 at Columbus. Since then, they've strung 2 wins together only twice and lost consecutive games for the first time since the start of November.

Heading into the all-star break with back-to-back wins against Arizona and Pittsburgh, there was hope the time off would help recharge their energy and focus. Instead, the loss to the Kings brought back the concerns from the previous month.

The Hawks won the puck-possession battle, but just barely. They allowed another power-play goal, despite the Kings getting only two chances. They lost puck battles at critical times and were again outplayed in the third period, something that also happened in the 2 straight losses to Winnipeg and Dallas a week before the break.

Coaches and general managers break the regular season into quarters, so this season is already in the third with 34 games left. Heading into a big road back-to-back set this weekend at Anaheim and San Jose, the Hawks are third in the division but locked in a tight race with St. Louis (second) and Winnipeg (fourth).

The goal is to achieve some separation from those two before the fourth quarter is winding down.

“It's important for us to move ahead, push ahead, put ourselves in the right spot going into the last quarter knowing how competitive our division is, how hard teams play, and how it's all going to sort out,” Quenneville said. “Let's make sure we're not in that sprint, trying to battle for positioning in Games 75 to 82. Let's make sure that we prioritize this third quarter.”

The next chance to gain points is today against the Ducks, the top team in the Western Conference. Anaheim will be playing the second half of a back-to-back, after playing San Jose on Thursday, but that was the case in the Hawks' losses to the Jets and Stars too.

If the same vexing issues that have plagued them since Christmas continue, more disappointment could be ahead. Quenneville has preached the same sermon all along. In his estimation, it starts with defense for this team, despite an abundance of offensive talent.

Look no further than a 15-3-0 stretch prior to this funk. The Hawks suffocated opposing attacks and kept the puck out of their own net, and it didn't matter what goalie was in net. Their defense has lagged the past month, but it's not just the obvious culprits along the blue line.

“It's not just the defense, it's team defense,” Quenneville said recently. “Everybody's part of that and part of the solution. Everybody's part of the offense, as well. We know we'll always be able to score goals, even when we're having stretches when they're not going in.

“The capability and firepower we have is extensive enough that we can get through it, but the commitment to playing defensively is an ongoing challenge. When we nail that we'll be a better team.”