An ugly loss for the Chicago Blackhawks on Tuesday, dropping their fourth consecutive loss in a 2-1 game against the Utah Hockey Club, sparked heated comments from defenseman Seth Jones, who is rumored to be on his way out.
Good on Seth Jones for doing so, my issue with this is the $9.5M defenseman has been serving as the Blackhawks alternate captain all year, and throughout that time has not voiced displeasure or held teammates accountable.
Jones called out his team, stating he has seen zero improvements at all.
«I think we're the exact same team right now as we were in Game 1. It's pretty evident out there. We haven't made any strides to be a better, more simple hockey team, and it shows. We don't get a lot of wins because of that,». Jones told reporters.
Jones then commented on the fact that he's endured the worst years out of most, as he's been donning the Blackhawks sweater for four years now.
«This has been almost four years of (being at the) bottom of the league, so it's not just this year, for me at least.»
Jones was the only goal scorer for the Hawks as they endured the 2-1 loss to Utah on Tuesday.
The Blackhawks were clearly outpowered and outskilled, losing in shots, face-offs, but the Blackhawks did win in one category - penalty minutes, and Jones felt the need to voice his opinion on that as well.
«It puts a ton of pressure on Sody (goalie Arvid Soderblom), it just kills momentum. If you have one or two good shifts in a row and then you take a penalty - three in the first, two in the second
10 minutes is a long time on the kill, you don't get the flow of the guys offensively, now guys have to sit, and it's tough to get anything going,» Jones said.
Soderblom had an impressive performance despite lack of effort from teammates, stopping 34 of 36 shots against.
«Definitely staying out of the box is key. But I'll say it again, (Soderblom) was unbelievable. We have zero chance of winning if he doesn't stand on his head,» Jones added.
Just a few weeks ago, Jones and his agent began discussions with GM Kyle Davidson to explore a trade to a contending team.
Jones has put up seven goals and 20 assists for the bottom-dwelling Blackhawks in 41 games this season, and hopes for a change of scenery.