Sorry Blackhawks Fans: One Point Is NOT Better Than Two

So it has come to this.

I have held my tongue through these first 15 games of the regular season, just hoping and praying that the Blackhawks could turn their poor performance in shootouts around. It hasn't happened yet.

Yes, Blackhawks fans, the Hawks have gotten a point in every single home game that they have played this season. They currently stand at 6-0-5, to be exact. The number zero in the middle is great mind you, but the five at the end is completely unacceptable.

Earlier in the season, I bemoaned the fact that the Hawks had let a golden opportunity to pick up another point slip away against the Detroit Red Wings. I had also made the argument in that column that the Blackhawks finished a mere three points out of a playoff spot last year, and that this proved the worth of the eight points they left on the table.

My how time has proven me right.

The Blackhawks have now been involved in five shootouts and one overtime this season. That means that in 40 percent of their games, they have had a chance to get two points instead of one, one of the truest hallmarks of a good hockey team.

They have managed to accomplish this only once. The worst part about that telling stat is that the shootout victory occurred on the road, in the 'Hawks only win on the road this season.

This greatly disturbs me. I know that the 'Hawks have only played four road games this season, and that they have played a couple of tough teams in Washington and the Rangers. This does not, however, change the fact that there are some aspects of this team that remind me a lot of the old culture in Chicago, the culture that caused players to go amnesiac when it came time to slam the door on an opponent.

There was a great example tonight. The Blackhawks had a power play opportunity with two and a half minutes remaining in the game. They had the Blues on the ropes, and yet they could not seal the deal.

They also compounded the mistake by allowing a power play to the Blues in overtime. For those of you keeping score at home, that is the second game in a row that they have given their opponent the benefit of four-on-three skating in the extra period. Boston was unable to capitalize on this on Wednesday night. The Blues did.

The Blackhawks, especially Nikolai Khabibulin, played solid hockey for 51 minutes after the Blues took a quick 3-1 lead after the first nine minutes of the game. This, however, was only enough to tie the game, not take the lead, and therein lies the Blackhawks problem:

They lack a killer instinct.

The great teams like the Red Wings and Sharks smell blood in the water, put their foot on your neck when your down, and keep raining haymakers down on you even when you are bloodied and on the mat. Pick your analogy for merciless, and they fit it.

The Blackhawks aren't even close this season. They continue to grit and scuffle until they tie the game, and then it's like they call off the hounds. They did it Wednesday night against Boston and they certainly did it again tonight against St. Louis.

This kind of play is the kind that makes teams like the Minnesota Wild, who are solid in the regular season, complete spineless jellyfish in the playoffs.

I think the Blackhawks need to find a player who is willing to show no mercy to his opponent. Don't tell me about Patrick Kane or Jonathan Toews being able to do this. They are far too young to be expected to be the "bad guy" who plunges his sword through his opponent's abdomen after he defeats him on the field of battle.

The Blackhawks need to find a player who is willing to do this, a grizzled veteran who knows how to be tough without being stupid about it.

That man is Mats Sundin.

All indications are that the free agent will not be back in Toronto. Hell, The Star newspaper even reported that he finally sold his house in the city. He is, according to reports, working out feverishly getting into hockey shape for a return romp through the league, and the Blackhawks would be well advised to take a look at him.

He has 94 game winning goals in 17 NHL seasons. That works out to roughly 5.5 a season. Think about that. If Sundin were in a 'Hawks uniform, could one of those game winning goals have already happened?

You may make the argument that this team is already pretty well stocked at the center position, but let me give you a little piece of advice: When you are looking at a Hall of Fame caliber center, you find a way to make room on your team if you can. Mats Sundin would be a much needed shot in the arm for this franchise, and I think he could lead us farther than just a first-round playoff exit.

Now that I have enthusiastically endorsed the notion of bringing Mats Sundin to the West Side of Chicago, let me make something else perfectly clear to my readers. I am not sounding the bell of absolute doom yet. I realize that the 'Hawks are a young team, and that getting one point in a loss is better than getting none at all.

I'm also a realist, however. I realize that these crucial points that the Blackhawks are letting slip away could possibly come back to bite us in the butt later on, and I really don't want to have to sit through a summer thinking about why the hell the 'Hawks couldn't get one more damn point out of the Detroit game, and if they had, they would have gotten into real meaningful April hockey.

There is a lot that this team has going right for it. There is a lot also that they need to work on. What we all need to remember about this situation, however, is a mantra that needs to be drilled into every hockey player, front office guy, and fan across this continent of ours.

In the only sport that truly unites the United States and Canada, there are three words that perfectly illustrate the beauty, and occasional frustration, of this great game:

EVERY POINT COUNTS!