Despite Chicago Blackhawks' woes, Saad remains positive

When Brandon Saad found out he was coming back to the Chicago Blackhawks last summer, he was so excited.

So pumped to return to the franchise that drafted him and he won two Stanley Cups with.

So thrilled to be reunited with Jonathan Toews so he could rekindle their magic and help the Hawks make a deep run in the playoffs.

Forty-six games in, though, nothing has gone as planned.

The Hawks are in last place in the Central Division. Saad has just 6 goals in the last 40 games and has failed to record a point in 11 of the last 15. Toews, meanwhile, has 14 goals but no points in 10 of the last 15 games.

"At times it's definitely frustrating," said Saad, whom Stan Bowman reacquired from Columbus as part of the Artemi Panarin deal. "But for us it's about staying positive."

That has been the consistent message coming out of the Hawks' dressing room all season. Stay positive, play harder, focus on a consistent basis and this thing will turn around.

That also was Saad's message to his teammates before practice Sunday at MB Ice Arena as they prepared to host the Tampa Bay Lightning.

"We're at where we're at, and feeling sorry for ourselves isn't going to change anything," Saad said. "Just get back to work and string together some wins here."

For that to happen, Saad and Toews absolutely must start producing more often. Going pointless in 60-65 percent of the games down the stretch isn't going to cut it.

Just like last season, coach Joel Quenneville has given seemingly every winger a chance to play with Saad and Toews to find, as Saad put it, a "winning combination."

Since Quenneville broke up Saad, Toews and Richard Panik after Game 26, John Hayden, Alex DeBrincat, Patrick Sharp, Ryan Hartman, Vinnie Hinostroza and Anthony Ducalir have all had a spin on the top line.

It was almost exactly a year ago that Toews basically begged Quenneville to give him consistent linemates and let them play through the rough stretches.

Amazingly, Quenneville did just that by putting Panik and Nick Schmaltz with Toews, and lo and behold, that line exploded down the stretch.

"We're getting different looks, different players and it's a different style of game," Saad said. "We've got to find a winning combination. … It's definitely nice to have that chemistry and know where each other's at, to read off each other without thinking.

"That happens by playing together."

Still, he understands why Quenneville tinkers and wasn't about to second-guess the future Hall of Fame coach.

"It's a game of production," Saad said. "As much as you want to stay together, if you're not having success you can't blame him for switching things up.

"For us, it's really about worrying about ourselves. Whoever you play with we've got a lot of talented players on this team."

There are a few things grating on Saad that he hopes will be remedied soon:

• He and Toews must use their bodies better to protect the puck, and use their strength in front of the net much more often. When both happen - as they did recently against the Rangers, Oilers and Senators - the Hawks dominate.

When they don't, the Hawks disappear. The team is 9-1-2 when Saad and Toews both score or register an assist. When they don't, the Hawks are 13-17-4.

• The Hawks' spot in the standings. Saad, who played for a Columbus squad that went 34-40-8 two seasons ago, can't believe this team might suffer the same fate as the Blue Jackets.

"Not at all," Saad said when asked if this feels like a last-place club. "I've been through worse, so coming here it's just the little things. For some reason we have it and some nights. I don't know if we're not focused enough or what it is (other times), but we definitely have the ingredients in here.

"It's just about stringing it together."

Scouting report

Blackhawks vs. Tampa Bay Lightning, 7:30 p.m.

TV: WGN • Radio: WGN 720-AM

The skinny: Tampa Bay is 31-12-3 but lost its last three games to Calgary, Vegas and Minnesota by a combined 14-4 score. "It's unreal," Tampa Bay coach Jon Cooper told reporters after a 5-2 loss to the Wild on Saturday. "The guys didn't forget how to play hockey in the last week-and-a-half. It's just weird. We're just out of sync. When one guy zigs, the other guy zags." … Nikita Kucherov leads the NHL with 61 points. He has 27 goals. … Steven Stamkos (17 goals) hasn't scored in eight straight games. … Tampa Bay ranks third on the power play (24.4 percent) but just 21st on the penalty kill (79.3 percent). … The Hawks lost 3-2 in overtime at Tampa Bay on Nov. 22.

Next: Toronto Maple Leafs at United Center, 7:30 p.m. Wednesday

- John Dietz