Ton
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To the Blackhawks, it's more than just a game. It's a mental problem. Losing to the streaking Avalanche is further proof that a trade won't tighten the screws that have loosened over the season.
You can say it's coaching, you can say it's defense, you can say they don't play physical enough. But the bottom line is they have trouble finding themselves, their identity as a team.
"When you get into a losing streak, sometimes it can be mental and play games on your mind," Keith said. "You're thinking, `What can you do? What can you do?' I think the best thing to do is work hard and simplify things and everybody worry about doing their job."
One season ago, similar things were said about the Blackhawks, even two years ago when they won the Cup they fell in the standings through March. But this season has a different feel, almost disconnected from themselves, and when the going gets rough the Blackhawks get going. Literally, just mentally check out.
That's when good teams get hungry. They dig deep, they find a way to win even when things don't go their way. For the Blackhawks, it's not a matter of things going their way or not, for them they need to create the opportunity for themselves to succeed. Good teams do that too and right now the Blackhawks just aren't getting it done in any area of their game.
It's a problem Jonathan Toews is willing to face, encouraging his teammates to do the same.
"It's not like we're enjoying this. We're trying to fix the problem. No one's going anywhere. No one's running away from it.
"We're looking each other in the eye. We're expecting every single guy to be better and pick up the slack and that's what we've got to do. We can't hide from these problems. We have to face them and deal with them."
We can dissect every goal by the Avalanche tonight, sure. But it's more of the same story. Too many forwards playing passive defensively, not enough communication, poor power-play, soft plays, the list goes on and on.
Is it coaching? Did Stan give Quenneville enough meat for his roster? Or do the players just need to put the onus on themselves and work things out?
Whatever the story, they are slipping down the standings faster than a kid going down a slip-and-slide on the side of a mountain. Good teams would have overcome this games ago, although they are on a prolonged road trip there is no excuse to come away with 1 point so far--which for the record was against the Vancouver Canucks. Without a doubt the best team the Hawks have faced this entire road stretch.
BLACKHAWKS THREE STARS OF THE GAME
1. Brent Seabrook
2. Patrick Kane
3. Viktor Stalberg
Click here to view the article
You can say it's coaching, you can say it's defense, you can say they don't play physical enough. But the bottom line is they have trouble finding themselves, their identity as a team.
"When you get into a losing streak, sometimes it can be mental and play games on your mind," Keith said. "You're thinking, `What can you do? What can you do?' I think the best thing to do is work hard and simplify things and everybody worry about doing their job."
One season ago, similar things were said about the Blackhawks, even two years ago when they won the Cup they fell in the standings through March. But this season has a different feel, almost disconnected from themselves, and when the going gets rough the Blackhawks get going. Literally, just mentally check out.
That's when good teams get hungry. They dig deep, they find a way to win even when things don't go their way. For the Blackhawks, it's not a matter of things going their way or not, for them they need to create the opportunity for themselves to succeed. Good teams do that too and right now the Blackhawks just aren't getting it done in any area of their game.
It's a problem Jonathan Toews is willing to face, encouraging his teammates to do the same.
"It's not like we're enjoying this. We're trying to fix the problem. No one's going anywhere. No one's running away from it.
"We're looking each other in the eye. We're expecting every single guy to be better and pick up the slack and that's what we've got to do. We can't hide from these problems. We have to face them and deal with them."
We can dissect every goal by the Avalanche tonight, sure. But it's more of the same story. Too many forwards playing passive defensively, not enough communication, poor power-play, soft plays, the list goes on and on.
Is it coaching? Did Stan give Quenneville enough meat for his roster? Or do the players just need to put the onus on themselves and work things out?
Whatever the story, they are slipping down the standings faster than a kid going down a slip-and-slide on the side of a mountain. Good teams would have overcome this games ago, although they are on a prolonged road trip there is no excuse to come away with 1 point so far--which for the record was against the Vancouver Canucks. Without a doubt the best team the Hawks have faced this entire road stretch.
BLACKHAWKS THREE STARS OF THE GAME
1. Brent Seabrook
2. Patrick Kane
3. Viktor Stalberg
Click here to view the article
