As bottom looms, Blackhawks swear they haven't packed it in
Look out below.
That's the stone-cold reality for the Blackhawks, who have lost eight straight and could finish with the second-worst points percentage in franchise history in an 80- or 82-game season.
At 24-38-11 the Hawks have a .404 points percentage, which is better than only the squads of 2005-06 (.396), 1976-77 (.394) and 2003-04 (.360).
(There have been eight times where the Hawks finished below .400 in a 70-game season, with the 1953-54 team at the bottom at .221.)
These Hawks were actually 21-21-6 under interim coach Derek King until March 15. They've totally collapsed since, however, getting outscored 52-33 over a 13-game stretch in which they've gone 2-8-3.
So what's wrong?
King and the players are adamant that nobody's packed it in. Why would they when so many are fighting for jobs and/or roles next season?
"We have a lot to play for," said forward Taylor Raddysh after the Hawks' 5-2 loss to the Kings at the United Center on Tuesday. "All of us in there are trying to show the coaching staff every night what we do."
Said King: "They're not happy about it, trust me. There are some miserable guys in there."
There was a big difference in how the Hawks looked compared to the Kings, Stars or Golden Knights - three squads fighting to make the playoffs. You can THINK you're giving it your all, until you try matching the intensity of guys who might be able to play in May and June.
They're showing us what true desperation looks like.
"I think mentally we're gassed," King said. "Then you add on a losing streak. We can't get out of it. ...
"There are some desperate teams out there that want to get into the playoffs. It's going to take a lot of hard work, pretty solid effort and almost a perfect game for us."
Then there's the experience factor. In the Hawks' case - if we take out Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, Alex DeBrincat, Dylan Strome, Seth Jones and Jake McCabe - there were only 896 games of NHL experience on the ice against Los Angeles. That's 69 games per player, with the bottom five being Reese Johnson (33), Collin Delia (30), Alec Regula (10), Lukas Reichel (8) and Alex Vlasic (6).
"We have some young guys in the lineup, which is great," King said. "It's given them an opportunity to see where they're at, but you can see the mistakes at times."
Let's not absolve the coaching staff, either. On one hand, it makes sense to scratch Tyler Johnson to get a look at younger players, but why sit Dominik Kubalik in three of the last 10 games? Sure, he's disappointed, but enough is enough.
Of course, it's not just playoff-caliber teams that are beating the Hawks. Philadelphia, Buffalo, Arizona and Seattle have all beaten King's squad over the past five weeks.
The Hawks have a good chance to snap their skid against San Jose at the United Center on Thursday as the Sharks have lost seven in a row themselves. (Although the last five were either in OT or 1-goal games until the last minute).
After that, the Hawks are at Nashville (42-26-5), host Calgary (45-19-9) and also have dates against the Kings, Golden Knights and sizzling Sabres down the stretch.
So, look out below?
Yes, indeed, unless everyone finds a completely different gear.
Johnson signs 2-year deal:
Forward Reese Johnson agreed to terms on a two-year contract extension that carries an $800,000 cap hit. The 23-year-old has 1 goal and 5 assists in 28 games for the Hawks this season. He's also played in seven games for the Rockford IceHogs.
Bottom feeders
Worst points percentages by the Blackhawks in 80- or 82-game seasons:
Season Pct.
2003-04 .360
1976-77 .394
2005-06 .396
2021-22* .404
1988-89 .414
* 9 games remaining