Hawks upcoming 5-game will reveal if they're playoff contenders

Believe it or not, the sky is not falling.

Well, it certainly is if you're a Bears or Bulls fan, but Blackhawks fans take heart: Your team doesn't figure to be a miserable train wreck during the next 4½ months.

Over the past two weeks, coach Jeremy Colliton's squad proved it can stick with - and defeat - some of the better teams in the NHL. They went a respectable 5-2-1 over a just-completed eight-game stretch that I deemed critical to the success of the season.

Yes, they lost the last two games. Yes, some of the ugly habits started to reappear. And yes, fans are howling about Colliton's decision to start seven defensemen against Tampa Bay on Thursday.

But the Hawks racked up 11 of a possible 16 standings points in the last eight contests and now face a pivotal five-game stretch against Dallas (13-8-2 and 12-1-1 in its last 14), Colorado (13-7-2) and St. Louis (14-4-5).

With the Hawks in fifth place in the Central Division and 5 points behind fourth-place Winnipeg, it feels like they need to get 7 or 8 of a possible 10 points against these division foes to show they're a legitimate playoff threat.

"If we can go on a little run and get some wins, it's going to be good for us in the standings and good for our confidence," Alex DeBrincat said after an optional practice Friday in which seven skaters and both goalies took part. "Any time you're in the playoff race, it makes it a lot easier to have that confidence when you're not crawling yourself out of (a hole)."

That's for sure.

Now, let's look at a few other things that came out of Friday:

Playing defense:

Coach Jeremy Colliton stood by his unorthodox decision to start seven defensemen against the Lightning on Thursday.

"It's always an option. Probably not the first option, of course," Colliton said. "But it's a thing that teams do in the league and they have success. It's not preventing you from having success. To me it's kind of an issue that shouldn't be one."

Perhaps.

But since the start of the 2016-17 season, the Hawks went just 1-5-0 in the six games in which they started seven D-men. The lone victory came over Columbus on Feb. 23, 2017. They've tried it twice against New Jersey with disastrous results: A 7-5 loss on Nov. 12, 2017 and an 8-5 setback last January.

Colliton reiterated Friday that he wanted to get Slater Koekkoek back into the lineup, and felt it was right to play him against his former team. A healthy Dominik Kubalik sat out.

"He's a soldier for us," Colliton said. "He's been a great teammate and works hard in practice. He's been on the outside looking in at time this year and sometimes it's just circumstances than have pushed him out.

"We want to get a young player in or trying to rotate the lineup. And when he's got the chance to go in he's been pretty good."

Kane, Kane, Kane:

With just 11 forwards dressed against Tampa Bay, it meant Colliton was able to double shift Patrick Kane throughout much of the game.

Kane ended up playing 27 minutes, 52 seconds and more than half of the second period. He finished with 8 shots on goal - 7 of which came in the first two periods - and assisted on Dylan Strome's third-period goal that cut Tampa's lead to 3-2.

Last season, Kane averaged a career-high 22½ minutes - playing 23½ or more 29 times - and his production faltered a bit down the stretch (6G, 12A in the last 21 contests) In the 60 previous games, Kane had 38 goals and 54 assists.

It's a fine line to walk as a coach, and Colliton believes Thursday will be the exception.

"We were falling behind (last season) it seems like every night," Colliton said. "And when you're falling behind, he's the one that's going to get you back in the game so you put those guys back on the ice. "I also think we have quite a bit more depth up front this year, so that helps."

Kubalik's reaction:

Dominik Kubalik sat out for the second time in eight games as a healthy scratch Thursday. The forward said "you're always shocked when you see you're not playing."

Jeremy Colliton still wants the rookie forward to improve his work ethic away from the puck and to do a better job winning battles against the boards.

Kubalik has 5 goals on the season, two of which came in the four games after he was scratched against Vancouver on Nov. 7. He also hit a post against Toronto on Nov. 10.

"When I missed the first game, I thought the first couple games (back) were pretty good," Kubalik said. "We were good as a team too. It's always easier to get going when the team's going.

"Then the Carolina game was tough for everybody and for me too. Made some bad plays. ... All I can do is be positive and work hard."

Scouting report

Scouting report

Blackhawks vs. Dallas Stars, 7 p.m. Saturday at American Airlines Center

TV: NBCSCH • Radio: WGN 720-AM

The skinny: The Stars are red hot, having won 12 of 14 after getting off to a 1-7-1 start. They've outscored opponents 41-20 in the last 10 games and have vaulted themselves into second place in the Central Division. … Dallas captain Jamie Benn has just 5 goals, but 4 of them have come in the last three games. Roope Hintz leads the Stars with 9 goals, while off-season addition Joe Pavelski has 5 goals and 7 assists. Former Ducks forward Corey Perry notched 3 assists in a 5-3 win over Winnipeg on Thursday. … The Hawks went 3-1-0 against Dallas last season. ... This begins a five-game stretch for the Hawks against Central Division foes. … Patrick Kane is on an 11-game point streak in which he has 8 goals and 12 assists. Heading into Friday's action, Kane was tied for eighth with 29 points.

Next: Dallas Stars, 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at United Center

- John Dietz