Rough stretch continues as Phoenix wins in shootout

The Blackhawks are playing as if they can't wait for the Olympic break to get here.

Captain Jonathan Toews said after Friday's 2-1 loss to Phoenix in a shootout that it was time for the Hawks to wake up after a second straight sluggish performance at the United Center.

"It just comes down to our energy level," Toews said. "We've got to find ways to push ourselves and motivate ourselves for these games. I don't know what we're thinking about right now, but definitely our focus isn't there.

"It has been in some of the games we played well. You think back to that game where we pulled off an overtime win in San Jose. I think that was our last game where we played solid through three periods. We haven't found a way to do that since then.

"I don't know what's wrong with us. We've got to talk to each other on the bench, recognize our mistakes and go out there and have better shifts afterwards. We're not doing that. We're just letting it snowball on us and getting down on ourselves a little bit."

In a game that could have gone either way, it didn't go the Hawks' way. They've now lost three in a row for the first time all season.

"I don't think there's any reason to panic," defenseman Duncan Keith said. "We don't want to lose three in a row, but at the same time we let in one goal tonight and it was a pretty even game.

"Definitely you don't want to be losing points because points are at a premium right now."

The Hawks outshot the Coyotes 29-22 but Phoenix backup goalie Jason LaBarbera was excellent. He made game-saving stops on Keith and Patrick Kane in overtime when the Hawks had a 4-on-3 power play for the final 47 seconds.

Former Hawk Adrian Aucoin won it for the Coyotes in the third round of the shootout with a shot that went in off goalie Cristobal Huet.

Marian Hossa needed to score in the Hawks' half of the third round to keep the shootout going, but LaBarbera poked the puck off Hossa's stick before he could get off a shot.

"To be a top team you have to beat a great team like Chicago," Aucoin said. "They're young and going through some growing pains, but they're playing well. Our goaltending was awesome."

Once again the Hawks didn't have many quality chances for much of three periods.

"When you don't have puck possession like tonight nothing's going to happen for you," Toews said.

"It's no secret when you shoot the puck you need guys in front of the net getting those rebounds," Keith said. "Right now teams are tightening up. It's later in the season and more and more those are the kind of goals we're going to need, the rebound goals and guys standing in front tipping them in."