Mistakes make all the difference again for Hawks
It seems like every mistake the Blackhawks make is costly these days. In reality, they’re making just enough of them to lose.
After Jonathan Toews staked the Hawks to yet another early lead, the Stars parlayed turnovers and misplays into three goals en route to a 4- 2 victory before 21,422 at the United Center.
It was the Hawks’ fourth consecutive loss and their eighth in their last 10 games as they continue to stumble out of playoff range. The Hawks ( 24- 22- 8) fell eight points behind the Wild for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference, with three other teams in front of them.
“I don’t know,” said Brent Seabrook, who assisted on both of the Hawks’ goals Thursday. “I thought we came out and had a good first, and I thought we played a good game. But for whatever reasons, we’re having a hard time putting the puck in the net. And little mistakes seem to be costing us. It’s tough to recover.”
Toews broke an 11- game goal drought when he scored off a mini breakaway for a 1- 0 lead in the first period. Seabrook banked a long pass off the boards to set up Toews, who beat Ben Bishop for his 15th goal of the season.
But Anthony Duclair’s turnover in the offensive end led to a Stars 2- on- 1, with Tyler Seguin getting an easy tap- in off a pass from Alexander Radulov at 5: 44 of the second period. Stephen Johns tied it 59 seconds later with a slap shot from the point to give the Stars a 2- 1 lead.
Artem Anisimov tied it 2- 2 on a power- play goal on a rebound of Seabrook’s shot that hit the back board. But a late turnover by Duncan Keith proved disastrous as Tyler Pitlick beat Anton Forsberg with a big slap shot with 4.5 seconds left in the second period to make it 3- 2. Seguin’s empty- net goal in the final minute accounted for the final score.
No tears for Quenneville
Like Hawks coach Joel Quenneville, the Stars’ Ken Hitchcock is used to dominant regular seasons and perennial playoff appearances. Unlike Quenneville, Hitchcock hasn’t had much to show for it since winning the Stanley Cup with the Stars in 1999 in his fourth season as a head coach.
So, no, Hitchcock doesn’t have any sympathy for Quenneville’s plight as he hurtles toward the worst full- season record of his illustrious career.
“Empathize with Joel Quenneville?” Hitchcock said with a chuckle. “He can give me his rings all he wants. I don’t give a damn. Competition’s competition. He’s had his day in the sun, and he’s a great coach. But you can’t feel for anybody. . . . During competition, you’re in your own group, and you hope the other group fails like crazy.”
Quenneville has said repeatedly this season — including after Tuesday’s loss to the Flames — that nobody is going to feel sorry for the Hawks. And there’s no doubt the rest of the league is taking some joy in seeing the mighty Hawks in last place, and in serious danger of missing the playoffs for the first time since the 2007- 08 season.
But the Hawks still garner respect. And until they’re officially dead, Hitchcock isn’t burying them.
“I think all of us, quite frankly, we live in a little bit of fear of the Hawks,” he said, “because we know they’re capable of getting on a run, and that scares everybody.”
Quenneville would settle for one good 60- minute effort.
“I think we have some really good stretches in games [ when it] looks like we could put something together,” he said. “But that inconsistency in games is probably [ because] we haven’t been consistent in putting a stretch together, game in, game out [ where] we know what to expect from every single line and every single pair. That’s the part that fluctuates.”
Contributing: Mark Lazerus
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