Chicago Blackhawks: Are Jonathan Toews and the Rest of the Team Out of Gas?

The Chicago Blackhawks played a tight game against the Montreal Canadiens.  They leaned heavily on their core players and had trouble finding the net.  Thanks to their rookie goalie, they managed to come up with a single point in the Bell Centre.  It wasn't exactly what they needed, but was crucial nonetheless.

Just another day at the office Tuesday night.

In whatever fashion the 2-1 defeat in Montreal is explained away and despite a Dallas victory that puts them two points behind the Blackhawks, nothing really changes about the final three games of the NHL regular season.  All the games are huge and Chicago must approach them with the goal of winning all three.

It also looks as if the Blackhawks will have to do this despite the fact that Jonathan Toews is out of gas.

I'm not slamming the kid.  It's not his fault.  Tazer keeps on going as hard as he can.  He's doing everything within his considerable power to get this team into the playoffs.  He has just exhausted himself doing so.

No matter how we got here (and we'll all over-speculate this summer), the Hawks are largely a one-line team.  That line is beat up and worn down to boot.  Toews has had to be the primary scoring center as well as the shutdown center.  It's a lot to ask of your captain night in and night out.

Again, with Dave Bolland out, there's little that can be done.  The team is throwing all of its eggs in the captain's basket.  Look at the minutes of the other centers.

Ryan Johnson, who is winning over 60 percent of his faceoffs (and who seemed pretty comfortable with the headset between periods—will we see him in a studio one day?), played less than eight minutes.

Marcus Kruger, the player Stan Bowman insisted was the master plan at center, played 7:27.  In Kruger's defense, he has looked good for what he is.  He's a young two-way center with a lot of potential who was tossed into the lineup early due to injury.

Toews has not registered a point in his last four games, matching his longest point drought of the season.  In his last six games, Toews has a goal and a minus-3 rating.  Toews, Patrick Kane (who produced the Blackhawks' only goal with a nice individual effort) and whoever lines up on the left wing are getting the best of the opponent's defense.  Right now, none of the other lines are picking up the slack.

The forecast doesn't get a lot brighter, either.  Not much is coming in the way of help.

Patrick Sharp, who the team thought would be skating earlier this week, has still not taken the ice going into Wednesday morning.  Bolland is making no progress.  Troy Brouwer hasn't been announced as out for the Blues game Wednesday night.  After seeing him skate off with his arm hanging down, though, it's hard to believe he'll be ready to contribute for a while.

Sharp, Bolland and Brouwer represent a lot of playoff experience for this 'Hawks squad.  That's going to be impossible to replace right now.

Whether John Scott gets micro-minutes Wednesday or Chicago calls up a forward form Rockford (Jeff Taffe, Rob Klinkhammer, Ben Smith), it doesn't add anything in the way of scoring.  Unfortunately, that's what the Blackhawks sorely need at this point.

Wednesday's game with the Blues is by no means a sure two points, but with the home and home with Detroit looming, and Dallas and Calgary still a win away from equaling the Blackhawks point total, it's yet another that has to be considered a must win.

I know, I know.  We're all getting sick of hearing about must-win games.  But that's the way it is.

Welcome to life on the fringe of the playoffs.