Blackhawks Hit Slump

After other loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets Sunday it's safe to say the Blackhawks have hit a skid in the road. The Blackhawks have posted a below average 3-5-2 record their last ten games.

The reason for the loss on Sunday is a little harder to know than the loss last Thursday. No Blackhawk player can seem to agree either.

“We just seem to be going through the motions,” John Madden said. “We need to pick it up a little bit more and play with a little more desperation. Everybody.”

Forward Kris Versteeg has a whole new outlook on the problem.

“I think we played the way we wanted to, tonight,” Kris Versteeg said. “We definitely came [out] on the wrong end but we gave a good effort, we had good goaltending, and some bad bounces. I think, obviously, that is going to change.

“We’re not worried about anything. We’re confident in this room.”

Even coach Quennville seems to be on a different road. 

“The pace of our game was the one thing noticeable tonight,” Quenneville said.

The slump is only a minor one, and it can defiantly be linked to the recent defensive injuries. Brian Campbell and Kin Johnsson are both still out with injuries. 

It seems the only thing the Blackhawks can do is to continue to play to their strong suits. They didn't look terrible at all Sunday. It just didn't go their way. A change in the defensive pairing that put Brent Seabrook and Nikolas Hjarmalsson together and Duncan Keith and Brent Sopel together. Keith and Sopel were a minus two. 

Quennville felt the need to change up the lines a little bit after the 8-3 loss three days ago, but it didn't seem to do any good. It might have done the opposite. 

Whatever the reason for the Blackhawks' slump, it doesn't stop other teams from winning, and that's what San Jose did Sunday, pushing into a comfortable six point lead in front of the Blackhawks. 

With eight games left in the regular season the Blackhawks do have time to find out the answer to their problems.