Hawks sliding just a bit
Reeling, skidding, sliding, slumping -- pick a word and it describes the Blackhawks.
What was supposed to be a big month for gaining points with a favorable home schedule has turned ugly.
The Hawks' 3-1 loss to the Florida Panthers on Sunday night at the United Center was their sixth in the last seven games since Nov. 30, when they reached a high-water mark of five games over .500.
The Hawks are back to .500 at 15-15-2 and 12th place in the Western Conference.
"I think we're getting away from how the coaches want us to play," forward Patrick Sharp said. "That's what got us our wins early in the season; that's what gave us our success. All of a sudden we feel like we can play like individuals and have the same success, and it's not working.
"Teams come to play against the Hawks now, and we have to play the right way. We've got to get pucks deep, we've got to eliminate turnovers, and we've got to play for the team. We have too many guys in here not doing that, and we've got to fix it."
Rookie Dave Bolland got the Hawks' only goal, his first in the NHL, and was part of the night's best line with Tuomo Ruutu and Adam Burish.
"We've got to stay positive, although it's hard right now," center Jonathan Toews said. "We've just got to hate to lose a little more. Right now we don't. We don't hate to lose enough, and that's probably why we're not coming out with 2 points very often the last little while."
This is a 19-year-old kid talking, but coach Denis Savard stood right behind his special prized rookie.
"That's probably true," Savard said. "We played a heck of a game. We had enough chances to win the game, but you can't accept losing. I don't think they're accepting losing, but we have to define what that is maybe.
"I talked about desperation last week, and that's pretty much what it means. We've got to be more desperate."
The Hawks outshot the Panthers 45-24, but like in recent losses to top goalies such as Roberto Luongo, J-S Giguere, Miikka Kiprusoff and Ryan Miller, Florida's Tomas Vokoun had it too easy with mostly perimeter shots with little traffic.
"We made him look good out there tonight," Toews said of Vokoun. "I guess that's how we feel, anyway."
Many of the Hawks' weaknesses have become more glaring as it gets deeper into the season. They are getting outplayed at goaltender, look to be at least one defenseman short and have become out of whack on the power play.
The power play was 6-for-52 entering Sunday's game, when it sputtered again, going 0-for-6 including a failed 5-on-3 in the first period that lasted 94 seconds.
"Once we get on the power play we're not on the same page," Toews said. "If I knew what the problem was I think I would have fixed it by now."
The Panthers got second-period goals from Richard Zednik and from Jay Boumeester on a power play to snap a 1-1 tie.
Zednik's goal came after Hawks defenseman Magnus Johansson was beaten badly along the wall that resulted in a rush the other way.