Black Hawk
FanSided

Chicago Blackhawks stunned by Red Wings in 2-1 loss

ByRyan Fedrau|
TORONTO, ON - JANUARY 18: Corey Crawford #50 of the Chicago Blackhawks watches for a shot against the Toronto Maple Leafs during an NHL game at Scotiabank Arena on January 18, 2020 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Blackhawks defeated the Maple Leafs 6-2. (Photo by Claus Andersen/Getty Images)
TORONTO, ON - JANUARY 18: Corey Crawford #50 of the Chicago Blackhawks watches for a shot against the Toronto Maple Leafs during an NHL game at Scotiabank Arena on January 18, 2020 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Blackhawks defeated the Maple Leafs 6-2. (Photo by Claus Andersen/Getty Images)

After winning four straight games, the Chicago Blackhawks were stunned by the worst team in the NHL. Where does the team go from here?

The Chicago Blackhawks had a chance against the last-place Detroit Red Wings to move up in the standings. If anything, they moved down with that poor performance. The count goes back down, with 14 games left, the Blackhawks are back to six points out of the playoffs.

Even though the Canucks and Jets won, the Blackhawks could have stayed the course with a win. Not only does it losing hurt, but it also brings them even further away from their goal of making the playoffs. Instead of them being down two games, they’re down three.

There are just 14 games remaining on the Blackhawks schedule. Realistically, they’d need to restart a winning streak this Sunday against the Blues. If they lose on Sunday, the season is over. I know mathematically it wouldn’t be, but I’ll lose all hope if they fall back eight points.

The Blackhawks came out slow and sluggish. This was the worst game they’ve played in a really long time. Besides Connor Murphy, Patrick Kane, Corey Crawford, and a few others, everyone looked sluggish out there.

I’m not questioning anyone’s effort. The team was obviously tired. This doesn’t matter in the standings though, there aren’t extra points handed out for being tired.

Look, all season I’ve been pushing hard for this team. I’ve tried to sell this team as a playoff contender for as long as possible. If they can’t win on Sunday, the season is shot. I will admit defeat.

I sound like a broken record but Sunday is a must-win game. There are 28 points left for the Blackhawks to get. They need at least 20 points to keep it competitive. That’s a 10-4-0 record. It’s very possible.

If they can get past the Blues in good shape, next week won’t be too harsh for Chicago. They’ll get a few days off and play on Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday. They have the Sharks, Senators, and Capitals. From there, they have two games against the Wild. These games are all winnable.

Sunday decides everything for me. I just can’t believe the Blackhawks lost 2-1 to the worst team in the NHL. It’s embarrassing.

Home/Analysis

Schedule