Cold, hard facts: Hawks don't score enough goals
If the Blackhawks don't make the playoffs, and the odds remain stacked against them, it won't be because of injuries.
It will be because they are not yet good or consistent enough in one critical area, and that's goal scoring.
The Hawks can't keep scoring 1 and 2 goals a game and hope to make the playoffs. It's simply not going to happen.
Check out this statistic: In 24 games since Nov. 30, when the Hawks were 14-9-2 and averaging 3 goals per game, they have scored 2 or fewer goals 15 times. And their record in those 15 games is 2-13, with both wins coming last weekend in shootouts when the Hawks won 2-1 after getting just 1 goal in regulation.
That brings us to the power play, which has dropped all the way to 22nd in the NHL rankings.
In those same 24 games since Nov. 30, the Hawks are 13-for-104 on the power play (8 percent). Only once have they scored 2 power-play goals in a game.
The power play is a major problem, and all the positive spin in the world from Hawks coach Denis Savard shouldn't convince anyone otherwise.
It's a power play that stays too much on the perimeter and doesn't have good enough point play to handle pressure from penalty-killers.
It was a top-10 power play until Jason Williams got hurt and Savard was left with nobody to quarterback from the point. Brent Seabrook, Dustin Byfuglien, Duncan Keith and Cam Barker haven't contributed with any consistency from the points.
Byfuglien has the potential and the shot to be a top point man, but he has had more bad nights than good ones and has fumbled away too many pucks.
"This kid has a world of potential," one NHL scout said recently. "But he gets too sloppy at times."
The Hawks have waited too long to find a replacement for Williams, who finally had hernia surgery last week and won't be back for at least four more weeks. By then the power play could rank dead last, or close to it.
Hawks general manager Dale Tallon has been looking for a defenseman to run the power play for months. Several times he thought he was close to pulling the trigger on a deal only to have it not work out. Now the Hawks might miss the playoffs because of the shortcomings of the power play.
When this week started, six of the eight teams in playoff spots in the West were among the top eight teams in the conference in goals scored. Goals win games, and teams that score goals make the playoffs.
The Hawks may have better depth than in the past, but it's not goal-scoring depth at forward. Once you get past Patrick Sharp, Robert Lang, Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane, few others have delivered.
Martin Havlat has 6 goals, but of the 21 games he has played Havlat hasn't scored in 16 of them. Tuomo Ruutu has 6 goals in 47 games, none in the last 19.
The need for goal scoring is why some fans questioned last week's trade for Craig Adams, who has 2 goals in 43 games. The only other forward Tallon has traded for this season, Ben Eager, has no goals in 26 games.
Good defense is never going to go out of fashion, but the NHL is an offensive league now. Facts are facts.
Tonight's faceoff
Blackhawks vs. Columbus Blue Jackets at the United Center, 7:30 p.m.
TV: None
Radio: WSCR 670-AM
The skinny: With the five-day all-star break awaiting, the Hawks have nothing to hold back. The Blue Jackets are 4 points ahead of the Hawks after their 4-2 win in Dallas on Tuesday. Columbus will be without Sergei Fedorov (concussion) and Dan Fritsche (back). The Jackets lead the season series 2-1, with the Hawks going 0-for-11 on the power play in the three games.
Player to watch: Rick Nash. The Hawks go from trying to contain Joe Thornton to the Blue Jackets' Nash, who has 26 goals.
Next: Colorado Avalanche at the Pepsi Center, 8 p.m. Wednesday
-- Tim Sassone