Observations From Section 321: Like An Avalanche Coming Down The Mountain

I think using the lyrics of a Butthole Surfers song is very appropriate for the way the Blackhawks have been playing lately.  I have no idea what is going on but this is now a team wide epidemic of suck!  It has affected everyone, including all 6 defensemen and even Jonathan Toews and Marian Hossa aren’t safe from it.  It looks like nobody gives a crap about protecting the puck any more.  The turnovers are killing the Blackhawks right now.

I hate to say it, but this is starting to look like a team who has tuned out its coach.  Q has tried everything he can do with the personnel  and nothing is working.  The line juggling is not doing anything because the same mistakes are happening every night.  I have seen better on ice decision making out of Squirt teams than I have seen out of the Blackhawks recently.   This team is in need of a major wake up call and I am not sure what it is or where it should come from.  So instead of changing the lines its time to change the system.  Its time to simplify things.  Its time to play a boring dump and chase game.  No one wants to see that, but the current game plan is not working any more.

This team started the season looking like the 09-10 Blackhawks but since the start of January have looked more like the 10-11 team.  When the Hawks have to play an opening round game 7 in San Jose or Vancouver we can look back at this road trip as to the reason why.  The Blackhawks have entered the 3rd period tied in 3 of the 4 games on this trip and have one point to show for it.  They have been outscored 10-2 in the 3rd period during that stretch. 10 to freaking 2!!  Last night the Blackhawks had a chance to gain 2 points on Detroit, one point on Nashville and keep pace with St. Louis.  Instead they wet their breezers in the 3rd period again.

• Here is a very telling stat of how last night went; the Colorado Avalanche had 7 odd man rushes.  The Blackhawks had none.

• Duncan Keith needs to have surgery to remove his head from his ass!  He had been brutal!  Yes he had 2 assists last night, but he still managed to finish a -2.

• Sean O’Donnell, ugh.

• Stop me if you heard this one before; Viktor Stalberg turns the puck over at the blue line and it winds up in the Blackhawks net.

• What’s wrong with this picture? O’Donnell played nearly 17 minutes and Steve Montador played only 9.

• Patrick Sharp has 4 points in 4 games since his return to injury.  He has been one of the only bright spots since the All Star break.

• Sami Lepisto is the new Kim Johnson! Who’s girlfriend did he get too friendly with?

• Anyone else noticed that Andrew Shaw hasn’t done squat since the “Shaw Facts” craze hit the Twitter world?  Just two points and a -6 in his last 7 games.

My Blackhawks Player of the Game

The Blackhawks are making it harder and harder to pick a player of the game.  Going to go with Patrick Kane.  He scored his 12th goal of the season and was one of the few Hawks that didn’t finish the game as a minus.  He has been playing well since the All Star game which can not be said for the majority of his teammates.  He is started to shoot the puck more which is exactly what the Hawks need!

My Turds of the Game

The Blackhawks power play gets the TOTG honors today.  The Blackhawks went 0 for 3 on the power play last night, including blowing two chances in the 3rd period.  In six minutes with the one man advantage the Blackhawks recorded zero shots on goal!  Not one f*&$ing shot!! The power play unit has been bad all season but now its hit an all time low.  I want to take Mike Kitchen’s umbrella and beat him over the head with it!!  That system doesn’t work.  It didn’t work last year and it sure as hell is not working this year!  Maybe the shakeup the Hawks needs is telling Kitchen to take a hike.  You have the talent to have one of the best power plays in the league.  There is no way a unit that can roll out Toews, Sharp, Hossa and Kane should be this bad.  That means the system is all wrong.  Take the fowards off the  point and play two defensemen.  This will allow the 3 forwards to spread out and let your play makers make plays.  Play below the goal line and force the opponent’s defensemen to make decisions.  This will open up the front of the net and more goals will come, or at least more shots.  I can see this,  thousands of other Hawks fans can see this, so why can’t Kitchen see this?