5 thoughts on the Chicago Blackhawks

With the playoffs all but out of reach for the Blackhawks, it seems like a good idea to offer up some Five Thought pieces a bit more often.

So away we go ...

Cracks showing?

The first concern is between the pipes.

Although Kevin Lankinen (16-13-4, .910, 2.95) has put together a fine rookie season, there have been some troubling signs of late. And it's not just the recent numbers, which are quite ugly (.856 save percentage, 4.39 GAA in his last six starts).

Lankinen, so strong early on, has yielded quite a few soft goals. Look no further than Erik Cernak's shot from the right faceoff dot that slid right between Lankinen's legs 28 seconds into Tampa Bay's 7-4 victory Tuesday at the United Center. He needs to make that stop.

Tampa Bay's third goal, by Alex Barre-Boulet, came after Lankinen failed to clear a rebound.

There are plenty of other examples over the last three weeks, including a 55-foot shot from Detroit's Troy Stecher that deflected off Lankinen, then bounced over his right shoulder and into the net.

So has the heavy workload been too much?

“It's probably not unexpected with how much he's played,” coach Jeremy Colliton said. “He's had some good efforts here sprinkled in as well. It's just a tough grind, this league. A lot of our guys have gone through that.”

While there's plenty of blame to go around — especially when it comes to the wretched defensive coverage in front of the net — it's also fair to wonder if Lankinen is truly a top-end goalie that can lead a team to the promised land.

Looking good:

Before the season, Ian Mitchell was the rookie defenseman everyone expected to shine. And while Mitchell had a decent campaign, it's Wyatt Kalynuk who has impressed most down the stretch.

In just 14 games, Kalynuk is tied with Duncan Keith with most goals among blue liners with 4. He's also shown good defensive awareness, is a sharp passer and adds some physicality when needed.

“He's come a long way since training camp,” Colliton said. “He's made a lot of plays at our level, which is hard to do. He's made them with his legs but also moved the puck really well. Shown a willingness to jump in the play, (which has) added to our attack.

“Defending, he's making quicker reads so he can close out in ‘D' zone, which again helps him get going the other way, helps our team to get out and control the tempo.”

More needed:

It's been a rough campaign for Dylan Strome, who was in concussion protocol for a month and scratched in two games against Nashville last week. Strome (8G, 5A in 35 games) returned to the lineup against Tampa Bay, playing center. He looked sharp in the first period, taking 3 shots on goal and nearly scoring in the waning seconds.

Still, he knows the consistency has been lacking.

“There's been five or six times this year where I've missed Grade A chances or back doors,” Strome said Wednesday. “(That would) turn 8 goals into 12 or 13 or 14. ...

“I feel like I had a lot of good chances last night and have for a while now. I've got to find a way to bear down, and when I get a chance to make a good pass, I've got to put it there and hopefully they put it in.

“Lots of things I can work on, but just capitalizing on my chances and obviously being out there for positive shifts.”

Killer decision:

Adding Alex DeBrincat and Kirby Dach to the penalty kill has really worked out. They are a big reason the PK has killed off 19 of 20 power plays over the last six games.

“It makes (the opponent) uncomfortable, no question,” Colliton said. “You can't really settle in as much in the offensive zone (and) you've got to be careful on the offensive blue line ... because you know you have a long stick with great instincts in a guy like Kirby. Brinksy's quickness, he can jump on it and create a 2-on-1. ...

“They can use those instincts and the speed and the reaction that they have to create things the other way.”

You can go home again:

After not registering a single point in nine games with Florida, Vinnie Hinostroza has 2 goals and 7 assists in 10 appearances with the Hawks. The Bartlett native has certainly proven he still belongs in the NHL, his speed and tenacity on display every night.

Hinostroza will be an unrestricted free agent this off-season. Seems like a no-brainer to bring him back on a cheap one-year deal.