Positives and (Mostly) Negatives From Blackhawks' Seven Game Losing Streak

The Blackhawks have now lost seven straight games after being defeated by the Dallas Stars on Sunday night 4-6. They've gone 17 days without a win and have collected a whopping two points out of a possible 12 in that span. Not exactly the way fans envisioned the season to finish.

Don't get me wrong, they certainly weren't expecting a push for the playoffs, as the Blackhawks have been statistically eliminated in the same span of time. But frankly it has been challenging at best to watch the on-ice product. Key leadership has seemed to lose interest, coach Derek King has made some aggressive comments, and so-called "puck-luck" has been severely NOT in the Blackhawks' favor.

Despite that, there is absolutely no excuse to lose seven in a row—let alone to bottom-feeding teams like BUF, ARI, and SEA. It's a terrible perception of the team and a reflection on the glaring issues that the organization—on and off ice—needs to finally address. Understandably, the games against the Panthers and Lightning were ugly, but it gives fans a great reminder of the build and talent that teams require to be true contenders.

A major negative trend throughout the streak includes a team-wide inability to play a full 60-minute game. Let's start with blowing a four-goal lead against the Sabres. The team seems to put it all on the line for 20-40 minutes maximum before going haywire, and DeBrincat commented similarly following the game against SEA. "It's unacceptable," further noting "We're battling hard for two to three periods, but it's not enough, obviously."


Derek King has voiced his frustrations as well, and rather aggressively. Given the circumstances, I feel it's easier to bullet point some notable comments of his over the past few weeks:
a. On the loss against SEA: «No urgency too many passengers. Simple»
b. On the loss against ARI: «We just shut our brains off and let them [win] the game.»
c. Perhaps the most aggressive, on the loss against BUF: «We stopped playing the game the right way,» moving on to condemn the team's effort. «Didn't do anything we asked them to do.» Perhaps King is having a hard time maintaining his leadership and coaching abilities that proved to work for the team earlier this season.

We're through the negatives, finally. Unfortunately there are few positives to note. Offense has been spotty and inconsistent (in Kane & DeBrincat we trust), goaltending is exactly what fans KNEW it would be without Fleury, and the team just isn't able to fire on all cylinders.

In all seriousness, puck luck does play a factor and it has not been in the ‘Hawks favor. There have been some impressive flashes of offense, and genuinely fun hockey to watch (for a period or two maximum). At the end of the day, I love this team, but it's frustrating to extend our playoff drought as we stare in the face of a full-blown 3-5 year rebuild.