5 Biggest Reasons for the Chicago Blackhawks' Lackluster Start to 2014-15 Season

The Chicago Blackhawks make no secret of their long-term goals. They want to win the Stanley Cup every season—and general manager Stan Bowman and head coach Joel Quenneville believe they have a strong enough roster to contend for their third championship in the last six years.

Quenneville, for his part, ranks third in all-time NHL coaching victories, and he is clearly one of the best coaches in the game's history. His roster includes superstars Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, Marian Hossa and Duncan Keith (and they also have an impressive supporting cast).

However, the Blackhawks (11-7-1) have not gotten off to a sharp start as they near the quarter pole of the 2014-15 season. They are tied for third place with Winnipeg in the NHL's Central Division behind Nashville and St. Louis as they begin a critical six-game road swing through many of the Western Conference's most competitive franchises. The road trip began with a tough 4-3 win over surprising Calgary and will conclude with an emotional game against the Stanley Cup champion Los Angeles Kings.

The Blackhawks have had success on this road trip in the past, recording a 6-1-0 mark last year, 3-3-0 in 2011 and 4-2-0 in both 2010 and 2009. Playing six games on the road offers the team a chance to correct some deficiencies. In this piece, we look at five reasons why the Blackhawks have gotten off to a dull start.

Marian Hossa's Inadequate Offensive Production

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Throughout his career, Marian Hossa has been one of the most consistent two-way players in the NHL. Hossa is playing as hard and responsibly as he ever has this season, but the production has not been there.

After scoring 30 goals and grabbing 30 assists in 2013-14, Hossa has two goals and nine assists through his first 19 games this year.

That's not enough for a first-line forward. At 6'1" and 210 pounds, the 36-year-old Slovakian can still power his way to the net and skate fast enough to create opportunities. The numbers bear this out, as he hast taken 58 shot shots on net, but he has only buried 3.4 percent of those attempts.

Hossa has been victimized by some eye-catching saves, but he has also been firing the puck right at the opposing goaltender's midsection on too many occasions.

Patrick Sharp Injury Slows Down Attack

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The Blackhawks played their best and most decisive game Nov. 4 when they rolled into the Bell Center and trounced the high-flying Montreal Canadiens 5-0.

However, it wasn't all good news that night, as forward Patrick Sharp went down with a knee injury after absorbing a check from Montreal defenseman Alexei Emelin in the third period. Sharp had to be helped off the ice and he has not played since.

While this is not expected to be a long-term injury, some of the swagger has gone out of the Blackhawks lineup without Sharp. He was the team's leading point producer a year ago with 34 goals and 44 assists, and he had three goals and six assists at the time of the injury.

The Blackhawks have gone 4-2-0 since Sharp's injury, but his presence is sorely missed because the 32-year-old is a leader in the locker room as well as on the ice. 

Sharp could be back in the lineup by early December—barring any setbacks—and his return will give the Blackhawks a lift.

Ordinary Power Play Is a Drag

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A team like the Blackhawks should have one of the best power-play units in the league. With players like Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, Duncan Keith and Marian Hossa, the Blackhawks have the ability to control the puck, make pinpoint passes and set up cashable scoring opportunities.

But the Blackhawks have regularly struggled on the power play, and that trend is continuing this year. They have converted on 18.7 percent of their power-play chances, ranking 19th in the league in man-advantage success.

Sharp's injury comes into play here as well, since all three of his goals were scored on the power play.

The issue with the Blackhawks power play is often passing too much as they look for the perfect shot. Quenneville has pointed this out, via Tracey Myers of CSN Chicago, from time to time. The Blackhawks will start shooting for a game or two, but then they tend to revert back to form and overpass once again.

A talented team like the Blackhawks can survive and thrive over the short-term when the power play is not working. However, when they fail to convert over a 19-game period, it tends to drag the team down and keep it from picking up valuable points in the standings.

The Blackhawks Must Cut Down on Giveaways

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The Blackhawks cannot continue to make errors when they have the puck if they are going to climb in the standings and make a run at first place in the Central Division.

They are not a physical team that is going to punish opponents with checking on most nights. Instead, they depend on puck possession and skill. That skill means stickhandling well and making accurate passes that lead to clean scoring opportunities.

It does not mean giving the puck away (and that's been a problem this season). The Blackhawks' 164 giveaways in 19 games  ranks  20th in the NHL when it comes to puck security. Compare that to 2012-13, when they were 11th in the league.

Stop Shooting Blanks

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The Blackhawks are not having any problem getting their shots off and making the goaltender work to keep the puck out of the net.

However, the Blackhawks' 704 shots have only resulted in 52 goals. That 7.39 percent conversion rate ranks them 29th in the league, ahead of only Buffalo (6.93) and Winnepeg (6.3).

In addition to Hossa's struggles when it comes to finding the back of the net, Sharp (5.4 percent), Brandon Saad (7.0 percent), Brad Richards (6.3 percent) and Ben Smith (3.8 percent are all struggling to get the puck by the goaltender.

This is a crucial stat that is going to have to improve. The Blackhawks ranked seventh in shooting percentage last year (9.61) and sixth (9.97) in their Stanley Cup-winning year in 2012-13.