Talking Blackhawks defense and more as season winds down

The Blackhawks have lost six straight.

They're 9-18-1 in their last 28, having been outscored 104-72.

No doubt, it's been a really rough stretch with not much positive to report. So let's take a run at another Five Things as the season screeches to a halt:

Systematic problem?

At a recent practice, the Hawks tried to improve their slot coverage by running a 3-on-3 drill for 20 minutes. There were numerous times in which coach Jeremy Colliton yelled out, "Defend the slot!" or "Get to the slot!"

Despite the extra work, opponents are still taking advantage of the most dangerous spot on the ice. A perfect example came during Carolina's 6-3 victory Tuesday when Teuvo Teravainen slid into the slot uncontested, took a pass from Sebastian Aho and rifled a shot that Collin Delia had little chance of stopping.

The backbreaking tally made it 4-2 with 12:41 remaining. Nikita Zadorov was slow to react, but so was Patrick Kane, who also didn't get in hard on the forecheck after an Alex DeBrincat dump-in moments before.

There are plenty of other examples, including Brandon Montour's rocket that gave Florida a 3-2 lead in the third period last week. DeBrincat abandoned the slot a split second before a charging Montour arrived and took a pass from Alex Wenneberg.

So is it a systems problem? A talent issue? A hockey IQ issue? Or all of the above?

Whatever it is, the Hawks need to figure out this dilemma or there will be little sustained success in the coming years.

Rough night:

Last week, Dylan Strome talked about wanting to prove himself after being a healthy scratch in two of three games against Nashville. He was solid in his first three games back, but was a minus-5 with 3 giveaways in just 13 minutes during the Hawks' 6-3 loss Tuesday at Carolina. He also was whistled for tripping at 5:09 of the first period.

Meanwhile, Patrick Kane - who did have 2 assists - was a minus-4. Kane has just 2 goals in the last 19 games and is a minus-13 over that stretch.

Is Kane playing through an injury? Exhausted? Checked out? Tough to say, but he definitely isn't playing the way he did during the first 34 games, when he had 13 goals and 33 assists.

What a season:

Patrick Kane was the slam-dunk MVP in the first half of the season.

As for the second half? Pass that baton to Alex DeBrincat.

After a disappointing 2019-20 campaign in which he scored just 18 times in 70 games, DeBrincat has proved to be the Hawks' best overall forward over the last two months.

His 28 goals in 49 appearances is a 46-goal pace over a full season. His 26 scores since Feb. 4 ranks second only to Toronto's Auston Matthews' 33. The next best two scorers on the Hawks over that span are Dominik Kubalik (15) and Patrick Kane (10).

It's not just the offense, though, as DeBrincat has proved to be an incredibly effective penalty killer. His instincts and quickness have created numerous short-handed chances over the last week. He converted his first career shortie against Carolina on a breakaway in the first period Tuesday.

"He's done a great job (on the PK)," Jeremy Colliton said. "(He's) getting better and better without the puck, but his instincts to create loose pucks, know when to jump and pressure, that's going to help. Nice to see him put the puck in the net, but he's been creating a lot of chances.

"It was only a matter of time."

Dach done?

Kirby Dach sat out Tuesday's game with right-wrist scar tissue aggravation. Dach, who broke his wrist playing for Team Canada in World Juniors in December, has 2 goals and 8 assists in 18 games.

"I don't know exactly what the plan is going to be here for the rest of the games here," Jeremy Colliton said. "It's not totally unexpected to deal with scar tissue. Came to a head today."

The Hawks have just three games remaining - at Carolina on Thursday and at home against Dallas on Sunday and Monday.

Tom Wilson:

Let's close with a few words about Tom Wilson, who was fined $5,000 for slamming a helmetless Artemi Panarin to the ice - not once, but twice - during the Capitals-Rangers game Monday. The incident ended Panarin's season.

The league's response is simply mind-boggling. Remember when Duncan Keith was suspended six games in 2016 for whacking Minnesota's Charlie Coyle in the head with his stick? The last of those contests was Game 1 of the Hawks' first-round series with St. Louis, which the Blues claimed in seven.

Something similar for Wilson, who has been suspended five times during his career, would have been handed down if the NHL wanted to be taken seriously about stopping reckless behavior.

I would have sat Wilson for 15-20 regular-season games, but since we're so close to the postseason it should have been the Capitals' last four games plus Games 1 and 2 of their first-round series.

That sends a message. Five thousand dollars to a guy making $4.1 million does not.