NHL Playoffs 2012: The Chicago Blackhawks Have No One to Blame but Themselves

Mike Smith was clearly the best player in the series. You can say that he stole Game 6 from the 'Hawks. That much is fair but only that much.

The 'Hawks put themselves in a corner. Their spotty play led to the 3-1 deficit they faced. They had opportunities; and how could you not when you head into overtime in five of six games in the series?

Can we blame the loss of Marian Hossa? You can try. While Hossa being out does sting, the Coyotes had their own injury problems with Martin Hanzal and others. Losing Raffi Torres should not be dismissed either as he was playing great hockey until his suspension.

The fact of the matter is the 'Hawks could not deliver as a unit. They couldn't even win a game in their own building. Their same problems that lingered throughout the year came back to the forefront in this series. Yes, the 'Hawks played well in Games 5 and for two periods of Game 6, but as it turned out it was too little too late.

The center position is something that they needed to address at the trade deadline and Stan Bowman failed to do it. Before the deadline, the Coyotes traded for center Antoine Vermette, for suspect goalie Curtis McElhinney and a second- and a fifth-round draft pick. Yep, that's all it took. That just would have been so easy for Stan-still Bowman to pull off, but he didn't. And Vermette was absolute murder against the 'Hawks. 

Patrick Kane is not a true center and that was evident in his face-off play in this series. Brendan Morrison is a center but was playing wing during the later games in the series. When Brendan Morrison has a regular shift you know things aren't looking good.

The defense was an issue all year. We all thought help had arrived in the form of Johnny Oduya, but he wasn't solid until Game 5. It was also painful to watch Nick Leddy on the ice with Sami Lepisto when the 'Yotes scored their second goal in Game 6. That was almost as bad as watching Leddy sharing a shift with Sean O'Donnell in overtime of Game 4.

The Hawks had two defensemen, Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook, carry the load. Nick Leddy was supposed to mature in his second full year as a pro. He is great at chipping in offensively and that's it. He is physically not strong enough to handle playoff hockey right now and his minus-12 during the regular season was nothing to write home about either. It was painful watching him lose battle after battle, after battle. He is a paycheck player and the Hawks should seriously consider shipping him out of town before he is a restricted free agent in the summer of 2013. 

The defense needs a serious overhaul and hopefully management has the guts to make some unpopular yet significant changes to the blue line.

All in all, Corey Crawford had a bad year. He was good in spurts, he was good in two games in the postseason, but those two softies he let up in the Games 3 and 4 at home ended up being the difference in the series. He just never seemed confident in the pipes this season and it will be tough on the team if this is the guy they stick with for the long term.

So here we are again. Two years after a Cup win and second first-round exit in a row. In 2011 it seemed OK, as the team was cut in half. Last summer you saw Stan Bowman make some acquisitions that many thought at the time would propel the 'Hawks back to elite status. It didn't happen, and when the trade deadline came along this season, his prospects were too precious to part with.

But the future is now. Players like Keith, Seabrook, Hossa, Sharp, Toews, Kane and Bolland are in the prime of their careers. There are few of those years and prospects should not get in the way of acquiring proven talent.

Bowman has nothing to hang his hat on. The 2010 Cup team was not his. He has let go of players like Troy Brouwer, Tomas Kopecky and Brian Campbell in favor of prioritizing players like Michael Frolik and picking up an old and beat up Andrew Brunette. I understand the Campbell move to shed salary, but letting go of the other players is not looking so good right now. Oh yeah, and you may see those Florida guys in the second round very soon.

So, the jury is out on you Stan and this team for that matter. Your hire of Mike Kitchen as an assistant coach brought a wonderful 1-for-19 power play to the postseason. Thanks.

If these 'Hawks are to get back to where they were a couple of years ago, Rocky Wirtz and company are going to have to take a hard look at the players, the coaching staff and a very unproven general manager.

This year will go down as a disappointment. I love prospects as much as anyone else, but the city of Chicago now knows what the champagne tastes like and all want another sip. Playing the future card isn't going to work any longer.

This will be a long summer in Chicago and hopefully 'Hawks management can instill confidence back in this franchise. This simply will not do.

Thanks for reading.