Blackhawks' DeBrincat has been struggling to score goals. He's determined to turn things around.

Alex DeBrincat knows what his primary job is on the Blackhawks.

And that's to put the puck into the back of the net as often as possible.

He accomplished that goal with great regularity during his first two seasons in the NHL by scoring 69 times in 164 games.

This season has been a different story, however, as DeBrincat has managed to score just five times in 23 games, an 18-goal pace over an entire season.

“I feel all right. I think I can be a lot better,” said DeBrincat, who hasn't scored in eight straight. “I'm fumbling the puck a little bit too much.”

DeBrincat's strongest attribute is his shooting accuracy, something he perfected by firing at pop cans that his dad hung on a net while growing up in Michigan.

We saw the fruits of that labor over and over again last season, especially when DeBrincat would snap off shots from the middle of the ice from about 30-40 feet out.

For whatever reason, DeBrincat's touch is a bit off right now. Early on, it affected his confidence and even had him hesitating to shoot — something that's rarely been a problem in the past.

“I feel like at the beginning of the season I wasn't really playing the game I'm used to,” said DeBrincat, who is averaging 4.22 total shot attempts per game compared to 4.93 in 2018-19. “I don't think I was playing well at all. I was a little panicked with it and then I started holding onto it a little bit longer.

“It got a little bit better as we went. Right now I think I'm in that ‘mid-zone' where I'm just not making the right plays at the right times.”

Said coach Jeremy Colliton: “He's had a lot of chances. He just hasn't quite been able to convert.”

Many of those chances have come on the power play, but DeBrincat has been unable to connect much with his deadly one-timer.

A prime 5-on-5 opportunity arose during the Hawks' 4-2 loss to Tampa Bay at the United Center on Thursday. As Patrick Kane drew a couple of defenders to him while entering the offensive zone, he dumped the puck back to Dylan Strome, who then fed it to DeBrincat.

It wasn't the easiest of passes to handle, but DeBrincat completely whiffed on the attempt with 14:56 left in the game and the Hawks trailing 1-0.

“That one just bounced over my stick,” DeBrincat said. “But it's my job to get some wood on it (and) get it towards the net. It's something I need to work at and obviously get better at. That's a crucial part of the game, and if I score that it's a whole different game.”

Let's pause here to recognize that DeBrincat has certainly improved his passing skills and it's helped him amass 13 assists, 8 of which have come in the last seven games. His perfect dish to Olli Maatta set up the Hawks' only goal in their 2-1 shootout loss at Dallas on Saturday.

“I'd rather be doing both at the same time rather than one or the other,” DeBrincat told reporters in Dallas. “It's good (that) I can help the team when I'm not scoring. I've just got to be better overall. I think I can bring a lot more to the table and I've got a lot more to give.”

Last season, DeBrincat's 18.6% shooting percentage was ninth best in the NHL (minimum 100 attempts). This season, that number has plummeted to 8.3%, which is just 10th best on his own team among players with at least 20 shots.

DeBrincat was adamant that he's not feeling the pressure of the three-year, $19.2 million contract extension he signed on Oct. 3, noting that it doesn't even kick in until next season.

The sharpshooter's just a little off his mark and in an uncharacteristic slump. He steadfastly believes that when the next one goes in, another will follow.

And then another. And then another.

And Colliton believes the exact same thing.

“He's a streaky player at times,” Colliton said. “At times it looks like he's fighting it.

“But the ability to finish, not many guys in the league have it. And he's also the type of player (that) when he gets one, he can get 10 in two, three weeks. ...

“They'll go in.”

Alex DeBrincat's stats

After 23 games each season:

Season G A Pts. S%

2017-18 10 7 17 23.8

2018-19 9 8 17 13.4

2019-20 5 13 18 8.3

After 82 games:

Season G A Pts. S%

2017-18 28 24 52 15.5

2018-19 41 35 76 18.6

This season's pace:

2019-20 18 46 64 8.3

S% - Shooting percentage