Sluggish start leads to home loss for Hawks

Blackhawks coach Denis Savard set a goal for home ice wins this season.

"We have a number -- 28," Savard said. "There's no secret, you watch the teams that make the playoffs and their special teams are in the upper echelon and their home record is good. We need to establish home ice, no question."

There's no way the Hawks will approach 28 wins at home if they play like they did Wednesday night. Looking sluggish and slow against a quick St. Louis Blues team, the Hawks lost 3-1 at the United Center.

The Hawks are 2-2 at home after four games, and even in those victories over Detroit and Dallas they had to stage late rallies before winning once in a shootout and the other time in overtime.

The Blues, off to a 4-1 start, scored twice in the first 6:31 and that basically was the game.

"We weren't ready right off the bat," Hawks defenseman Duncan Keith said. "They were obviously a little sharper early on."

Savard didn't think the Hawks (3-3) had an inspired morning skate, and the problem carried over into the first period.

"We have to come ready to play," Savard said. "We know in this league when you have a poor start like we did it's tough to come back every night. We've worked hard to come back in some games, but we've got to learn to get better starts."

The Blues got a power-play goal from Paul Kariya at 2:14 with Robert Lang off for hooking, then made it 2-0 at 6:31 when Bryce Salvador beat Nikolai Khabibulin to the short side from the left circle -- a shot that probably should have been stopped.

All 3 Hawks wins this season have been of the come-from-behind variety.

"It's been our starts, and eventually it's going to catch up to you," Keith said.

"It's tough to play after getting behind, especially in this league," said winger Sergei Samsonov, who Savard felt was the Hawks' best forward. "We came back on a couple occasions, but you can't do that every time."

It wasn't a great night for the Hawks' defensemen, most notably partners Brent Seabrook and Keith. They were on the ice for both Blues power-play goals, including the second by Keith Tkachuk at 5:17 of the second period when he was left all alone in front to make it 3-1.

"We were fighting the puck, a lot of guys on defense," Savard said. "It was one of those nights where it just didn't click for us."

Jason Williams scored the Hawks' only goal on a power play in the first period. Williams' shot rebounded off the end glass, bounced on top of the net and went in off the shoulder of Blues goalie Manny Legace.

The goal didn't count right away. There was a video review after play continued for more than a minute, then the review took more than 10 minutes while officials in Toronto determined if Jonathan Toews touched the puck with his stick while it was on top of the net.

It would have been no goal had Toews touched it.

"It was a little long, but they made the right call," Savard said.