Hawks' road trip shows strengths, weaknesses

Whether it was a good road trip or bad road trip for the Blackhawks isn't the discussion for today.

Instead, let's look at what we learned from watching the Hawks for the last six games they were away from the United Center:

• 1. The Hawks aren't necessarily small, but they need their bigger people to play bigger.

Forwards Dustin Byfuglien, Troy Brouwer, Andrew Ladd and Ben Eager have decent size, but they need to use it more, particularly against big and strong teams such as San Jose and Anaheim.

Byfuglien is 6-feet-3 and 247 pounds, but his physical presence too often is minimal. His slow start is beginning to be a concern. With just 2 goals and 4 assists in 19 games, Byfuglien is on an 8-goal pace for the season.

In addition, the need for an experienced physical defenseman to help clear the front of the net never has been more glaring.

• 2. Nikolai Khabibulin is the man.

The Hawks won their first three games on the trip with Khabibulin playing great, and they were tied with the Sharks 1-1 late in the second period Wednesday when Khabibulin suffered a lower body injury.

They would lose 3-2 in overtime, then drop games in Anaheim and Los Angeles with Huet in the net.

The Hawks look like a more confident team when Khabibulin plays as opposed to Huet, which the numbers back up. Khabibulin is 7-1-4. Huet is 3-5-2.

• 3. Patrick Kane and Patrick Sharp are the offensive leaders.

Kane and Sharp each had 4 goals on the road trip, but they are going to need more help on a consistent basis from forwards Jonathan Toews, Martin Havlat, Brouwer, Ladd, Byfuglien, Dave Bolland and even Kris Versteeg.

Toews has 4 goals in 22 games and Havlat 6. That's not enough from two of the top four offensive guys on the team.

• 4. The defense needs some attention.

The Hawks are going to miss steady Aaron Johnson over the next eight games while he sits on long-term injured reserve with an upper body injury.

James Wisniewski's return from knee surgery in less than two weeks should help the cause, but what is general manager Dale Tallon going to do to clear salary cap room for Wisniewski's $900,000 cap hit?

Cam Barker is a candidate to go back to Rockford because of his $2.4 million cap hit, but Barker has been contributing with 10 points in 14 games.

Brent Sopel has a $2.5 million cap hit, which makes him a candidate to be moved off the roster. Sopel has two more years left on his contract and is minus-7, so it's difficult to imagine another team being interested in the veteran.

• 5. The Sharks are a beast, but the Hawks have gone toe to toe with them twice.

There's little doubt San Jose is the best team in the NHL at this point with its 20-3-1 record.

That first period the Sharks played against the Hawks on Wednesday was breathtaking. Coming in waves, the Sharks outshot the Hawks 17-2 and only Khabibulin's sensational play kept the game close at 1-0.

The Hawks have lost two 1-goal games to the Sharks and were in position to win both. The Hawks have shown they can play with any team in the NHL, which indicates a much improved hockey team.

But this week is another big test. The Hawks return home Wednesday to play Anaheim and need to stop the bleeding at three games. A fourth straight loss would send them to Detroit on Saturday potentially in a panic mode.