Hawks fail to break out of scoring funk in 2-1 loss to Minnesota

How many of you have fallen hopelessly behind playing a pro sports video game, screamed in frustration and slammed the reset button?

Yep. Knew it. I see lots of nodding.

While the Blackhawks can't do that with this disappointing season, they are hoping a 10-day break resets a moribund offense that managed 17 goals in 14 January games.

I put on my detective's hat to uncover the reasons behind this malaise before the Hawks dropped a 2-1 decision to Minnesota in a nationally televised game Wednesday.

Here's what I unearthed:

Injuries

It obviously hurts that the Hawks lost Taylor Hall for the season, Andreas Athanasiou for three months and counting, Tyler Johnson for a month and Connor Bedard for 6-8 weeks. That's a lot of scoring potential.

But those losses create a two-pronged ripple effect by:

∎ Forcing some to move into roles they either aren't ready for or talented enough to succeed in.

∎ Creating a never-ending merry-go round on the lines. One night you're with this guy; the next, with someone else. It's not easy — and that goes for veterans and rookies alike.

“Some guys click right away; some guys it takes a while,” said Nick Foligno, who scored at 13:44 of the second period to tie Wednesday's game at 1-1. “I know my first year in Boston, it wasn't an easy transition. … Also maybe you're playing up in the lineup, which you weren't expecting.

“It can kind of put you in a tailspin mentally. Then you're really pushing it too because you're like, 'Oh, I'm playing more; I've got to be scoring more.'”

Stop picking corners

The Hawks rank last in the league in high-danger chances per 60 minutes at 8.81 per game, but things started turning around during their four-game road trip before the break as they created 39 opportunities in four games.

The problem is they converted just once.

Coach Luke Richardson believes players need to stop getting too cute.

“I know sometimes we’re trying to pick that little corner,” Richardson said. “(We need to) get the puck in between the pipes, make sure we’re hitting the net, make the goalie make a save.

“We’ve had a couple of tough looks where it has beaten the goalie and hit the pipe or hit the knob of their stick on the last road trip and it just doesn’t go in. But you have to be more determined. You can’t be discouraged.”

Confidence critically low

Pro golfers who start missing 4-foot putts can get the yips. The best NBA sharp shooters can go into prolonged slumps, as can some of MLB's best hitters.

Hockey is no different in that players need to see results to gain confidence.

“Sometimes you see guys go through these slumps and you're like, 'How is that possible?'” Foligno said. “Even the greats — Connor McDavid, Sidney Crosby, Alex Ovechkin.

“So you have to realize that it happens to everybody, but also what are you doing to get out of it?”

Foligno used Montreal's Josh Anderson — who scored 6 goals in 10 games after opening the season on a 24-game drought — as an example of what confidence can do for a player.

“Now it's like, what a goal scorer!” Foligno said. “But it's so weird how that works.”

The Hawks mired in shooting slumps include Philipp Kurashev (2 goals on last 42 shots on goal), Taylor Raddysh (no goals on last 26 SOG), Ryan Donato (no goals on last 31 SOG), Lukas Reichel (1 goal on last 28 SOG) and Seth Jones (1 goal all season on 79 SOG).

“It's obviously frustrating,” said Raddysh, who piled up 20 goals last season and just missed redirecting a pass from Kurashev into the net in the second period. “You get chances that you'd expect to go in and sometimes they don't. That's the way the game works. All you can do is keep working hard and hopefully bounces go your way.”

Not much went the Hawks' way against the Wild as they managed just 1 shot on goal in the entire first period — and that was a floating dump in by Foligno that was easily saved by goalie Filip Gustavsson.

It appeared the game might get to overtime, but Foligno's brother, Marcus, notched the game-winner at 10:07 of the third period. Marcus also engaged in a lengthy fight with Hawks D-man Jarred Tinordi in the second period.

The Hawks (14-35-2) continue their five-game home stand against Artemi Panarin and the New York Rangers on Friday. Panarin, who began his career with the Hawks, has 31 goals and 36 assists in 50 games.