Chicago Blackhawks: What's the Point?

I have a problem with the Chicago Blackhawks.

I've been simmering all week, but I wanted to take enough time to pause, watch a few games against decent opponents, and see what happened.

After attending both the Boston and St Louis games, I'm hot. Joel Quenneville needs to bring in Kansas City Chiefs' head coach Herm Edwards for a pep talk before the team takes off for the annual Circus Trip.

You play to win the game!

Right now, I do not get the feeling the Hawks are playing to win. Last year, the Hawks gambled on the ice and played for the win every night. Sometimes it cost the young, inexperienced Hawks a victory; lots of times it cost the team points.

At the end of the season, the team ended up just missing the playoffs because of points many perceived as being left on the table by playing aggressive hockey early in the season.

And now we get the opposite. With three minutes left in every tied home game, the Hawks start passing the puck in a circle like the old college basketball Four Corners offense. The mindset appears to be, "Well, as long as we score a point every night, we'll stay in the mix for the playoffs."

So if the Hawks are trailing, as they were 3-1 after the first period last night, the team plays just hard enough to tie the game in regulation. Why try for the lead when you might make a critical mistake and lose? Take the guaranteed point and, if it goes to a shootout, maybe we'll be more talented and get the win?

Wrong.

This Blackhawks team has shown signs of being tough enough to play with anyone in the league. Last night there were four Hawks in the penalty box for a large portion of the first period. The team has answered my request from earlier in the season that they get more physical.

This Blackhawks team has shown signs of being able to skate circles around the best teams in the league. Against Detroit, the team had more short-handed shots on goal in the first period than the rival Red Wings did total.

Brian Campbell and Duncan Keith are probably the fastest skating defensemen in the entire NHL, and young captain Jonathan Toews and last year's Rookie of the Year Patrick Kane sometimes make moves so fast that they forget to take the puck with them.

This Blackhawks team has shown signs of having the depth to compete at the top level this year. Dustin Byfuglien is playing well. Kris Versteeg is a contender for the Calder Trophy this year.

Andrew Ladd has contributed good minutes recently as well. And last night Dave Bolland scored his first two goals of the year. Both Nikolai Khabibulin and Cristobal Huet have played well in the nets after a rough start.

So what has this Blackhawks team not shown me? A commitment to victory. This team is playing to get into the playoffs, not to win games. If you play to not lose, you'll never win.

Like Edwards said as the coach of the Jets a couple years ago, you have to play to win the game. Right now, the Blackhawks are playing for points, and it's making me mad.