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Hawks will bounce back in Los Angeles

Call it a case of mental or physical fatigue.

Even though it looked like the Chicago Blackhawks wanted to compete in the third period Wednesday night against the Los Angeles Kings, they couldn't get it done.

Maybe the Hawks were just flat or simply hit a bad stretch, but the Kings put up five goals in that third period, and the Hawks, who had been lights out until then, finely laid an egg.

Hey, it happens to the best of them, and the break between games as the Hawks head to Los Angeles couldn't come at a better time.

The two teams will play again Saturday night, and I believe we will definitely see a Chicago team ready to go.

When things go south in their game, Blackhawks goaltender Corey Crawford is most often the scapegoat. While that's sometimes unfair to him, this time I have to say that not all the goals scored in Wednesday's game were difficult - and let's leave it at that.

That's the nature of the position, and it's why sometimes people don't have complete faith in Crawford's play. I believe we will see a bounce back game on Saturday night, and look for Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane to make some noise as Crawford's performance improves. My prediction: the Hawks win 3-2.

NFL slow to respond:

The hypocrisy of the National Football League is rearing its ugly head againwith the Jim Irsay situation.

The beleaguered owner of the Indianapolis Colts was arrested on March 16 for allegedly driving while intoxicated and possession of controlled substances. Police also reported he had more than $29,000 in cash in his briefcase and a laundry bag inside of his vehicle, and the arresting officer believed "Irsay to be intoxicated on a substance other than alcohol," according to a report in the Indianapolis Star.

Football players such as the Colts' Robert Mathis and others who failed drug tests administered by the NFL have to pay the price with suspension and lost wages, but Mr. Irsay was able to make a pitch to get the Super Bowl for his town of Indianapolis.

While I believe Irsay runs a solid organization and has done some good things, I also find it disconcerting the league hasn't punished him in some way.

Roger Goodell can say he's the commissioner for all, but his actions speak louder than words. The commish has to pull the trigger and cannot ignore the obvious.

If a player got caught red-handed like Irsay did, there would be a price to pay, and so should Irsay.

Let's see what happens. If you are a member of the NFL, then you have to be concerned with the double standard.

Stay tuned, because this story is far from over.

Program notes:

Follow me on Twitter@ north2north, and listen to Fox Sports Daybreak with Andy Furman and myself from 5-8 a.m. Monday through Friday on Fox Sports radio. Catch my show from 7-11 a.m. Sundays, and check me out on iHeart radio or Foxsportsradio.com.

• Mike North's column appears each Tuesday and Friday in the Daily Herald, and his video commentary can be found Monday, Wednesday and Thursday at dailyherald.com. For more, visit northtonorth.com.

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