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CHICAGO -- Anytime a team underachieves as the Chicago Blackhawks did this season, the blame game undoubtedly gets played. And for the Hawks, plenty can be assigned to the players.

But what about the men in charge?

There will be an offseason-long debate about who deserves more, general manager Stan Bowman or coach Joel Quenneville? Even for them there is enough to go around:

Stan Bowman: 65 percent

Second-line center: The moment Bowman traded Brian Campbell he was on the clock. He had newfound money and needed a second-line center. It was plausible a good one wasn’t an available via free-agency last summer, after Brad Richards’ mega deal in New York, but that doesn’t mean a trade couldn’t be pulled off either before the season or in season. The New York Islanders’ Frans Nielsen could have been had, but it would have cost Dylan Olsen. Antoine Vermette had a glorious playoff series against the Hawks but Bowman didn’t want or couldn’t get him from Columbus. The Coyotes did. The addition of a center would have had a trickle up and down effect on the entire team. It’s still a need.

Playoff built: Though Bryan Bickell led all skaters in the entire first round, through six games, with 32 hits, the Hawks weren’t built for a long, gritty postseason run. Even giving Bowman a pass for the moment on the goaltending situation -- though the regular season told enough there -- the team was constructed to win one way, with wide open offense. That doesn’t fly in the playoffs. At the end of the day the grit they picked up wasn’t good enough.

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CHICAGO -- If the Chicago Blackhawks were given a pass by fans and media a year ago after an early exit, they’ll get anything but this time around -- and they know it. After losing in six games to the Phoenix Coyotes in the opening round of the 2012 postseason, there are no excuses to be had.

“When you come in off a long offseason like we did last year, we had high hopes for this team this year,” Jonathan Toews said after the season-ending 4-0 defeat to Phoenix. “With the hopes comes a lot of pressure as well.”

Maybe the pressure got to them. It’s as good a reason as any for their underachieving season. The Stanley Cup championship from 2010 is beginning to become a distant memory after back-to-back first-round exits.

“You remember how long a playoff run it is, and how fun it is,” Duncan Keith said. “It’s disappointing when you don’t get a long playoff run.”

Keith and Toews are part of the Hawks’ core. And it’s that core that will be most scrutinized this summer. They failed to produce against the Coyotes, and at many key times, this year. Should it be broken up? That’s a question that will gain momentum.

Patrick Kane had no goals and four assists in the series, all in the first three games. He totaled six shots in Games 4, 5 and 6. Patrick Sharp scored once, on a tip-in at the end of regulation in Game 2. And he wasn’t his normal shoot-first-and-ask-questions-later type of player throughout. Dave Bolland had a few good moments, but finished with three helpers in six games. Brent Seabrook, who was so noticeable towards the end of the regular season, was less so as the series wore on.

Only Toews is above question. He scored in his return after missing 22 games due to a concussion and he slowly got better as the series went along. Yes, he admittedly dipped in Games 2 and 3 but started to find his legs as the series got more important. The rest of the core went backwards.

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GLENDALE, Ariz. -- A quick look at the Chicago Blackhawks' 4-3 overtime win over the Phoenix Coyotes on Saturday night at Jobing.com Arena in Game 2 of their Western Conference quarterfinal series.

How it happened: Bryan Bickell's second goal was the game winner in overtime as the Hawks tied the series at 1-all. Improbably, for the second straight game, Brent Seabrook came through in the clutch in the closing seconds. With an extra attacker on the ice for the goalie, Seabrook’s point shot was tipped in by Patrick Sharp with 5.5 seconds remaining in regulation to tie the game. In the first two periods, it was a special teams-filled game that was going the Coyotes’ way as they scored two power-play goals to the Hawks’ one. Chicago scored first for the second straight game when Bickell tallied out of midair on a rebound of a Dave Bolland shot during a first-period man advantage. But Phoenix scored twice before the opening 20 minutes were over. Shane Doan beat Duncan Keith behind the Hawks' net, then found Raffi Torres in front for the tally. Then Jonathan Toews was inexplicably called for goaltender interference, and Antoine Vermette tipped one in from in front of Corey Crawford on the ensuing power play. Brandon Bollig tied the game in the second period with his first career goal, but Phoenix retook the lead on another power-play score from Vermette after Andrew Shaw was called for charging on Coyotes goalie Mike Smith. The Hawks failed to record a shot on goal in the opening nine minutes of the third period, but Seabrook and Sharp performed their heroics before the final buzzer went off.

Questionable calls: At least one of two Coyotes power-play goals came after controversial penalty calls that went against the Hawks. First, Toews was called for goaltender interference despite Smith initiating all the contact. Vermette’s first goal came on that ensuing power play. Then Shaw’s hit on Smith could have been called a two-minute minor penalty, but the referees deemed it a major penalty and kicked Shaw out of the game. The game misconduct means he could be further punished by the league.

What it means: Bickell’s two goals were huge, and the Hawks stayed in the game despite playing poorly on the penalty kill. Both power-play goals were a result of men open in front of Crawford without a Hawks defender near them. It’s been a season-long problem, and it continued in Game 2. On offense, Joel Quenneville changed up the lines, and it produced some chances with Toews, Sharp and Viktor Stalberg skating together, as did Patrick Kane, Marian Hossa and Andrew Brunette for a while. Seabrook has proved to be clutch and has the best shot from the point, but it was the unlikely star, Bickell, who will garner the headlines. It’s a huge win when a loss seemed likely.

What’s next: The series shifts to Chicago with Game 3 on Tuesday after an off day Sunday and a practice session Monday.

GLENDALE, Ariz. -- If the Chicago Blackhawks would have won Thursday’s playoff game against the Phoenix Coyotes it would have been tough to find a bigger star from Chicago’s side then defenseman Brent Seabrook.

Even in a 3-2 overtime loss he came up big, including scoring the tying goal with 15 seconds remaining in regulation.

“Kaner did a great job getting the puck to the net and like I said I was just in the right spot at the right time,” Seabrook said afterward.

When you’re in the right spot at the right time more often than not maybe there’s a reason behind it. Seabrook snuck in from the point. After Kane hit the post, the puck squirted to him and he finished. He’s done it several times this year in big moments.

“We had some momentum in the third period and it took all of 20 minutes to get one by him [Mike Smith],” Seabrook said. “It’s one of those things, we have to continue to work hard, put pressure on him and make it tough for him to see pucks and put lots on him.”

Seabrook did as much of that as he could. He sent a total of 14 shots toward the net -- seven got through, four were blocked and three missed the net. And of course, one got in. Seabrook added six hits and two blocked shots to his night as his strong play from the regular season carried over to Game 1.

Even in a losing cause.

Slappers

• The Hawks outshot Phoenix 45-33. Seabrook and Patrick Kane had seven apiece. Only Duncan Keith, Sean O’Donnell and Brandon Bollig failed to record at least one. Keith’s shot was blocked six times.

• The Coyotes’ Radim Vrbata left the game with an undisclosed injury after playing just two shifts. Coach Dave Tippett said he’s day-to-day.

• The Hawks won just 43 percent of their faceoffs. Only Dave Bolland (65 percent) won more than he lost.

• Jonathan Toews played 24:29 was plus-2, scored a goal, had two shots on net and won 45 percent of his faceoffs in first game since Feb. 19.

• The Hawks were outhit 48-22.

• The Hawks were 0-4 on the power play, making them 0 for their last 14 attempts and just 3 for their last 39 going back to the regular season.

• Joel Queneville thought there were six men on the ice for Phoenix just before they scored their first goal in the second period but no call was made.

Quotables

“We need more guys across the board. There were some guys that were good but we need everybody to be good,” -- Quenneville.

“I felt as good as I possibly could. It’s tough. It’s a fast and physical game. For the most part I just went to the net hard," -- Toews, on playing in his first game in 23.

GLENDALE, Ariz. -- For whatever reason, the Chicago Blackhawks can’t clamp down and win a low-scoring affair this season. For the 66th time in 83 games they were required to score three goals to win, but they failed to do so, falling to the Phoenix Coyotes 3-2 in overtime in Game 1 of their playoff series Thursday night.

The Hawks did plenty right, but just enough wrong to lose. The decisive period was the middle 20 minutes when the Coyotes erased a 1-0 deficit to take a 2-1 lead.

“We had turnover trouble there,” coach Joel Quenneville said. “We got caught standing still with the puck. We didn’t advance it. We had some long shifts in our end and got a tired group a couple times.”

Those are just a few of the little things the Hawks did wrong. They lost faceoffs, 57 percent of them; they also took icings and had bad line changes. Maybe these are the reasons the Hawks didn’t earn a shutout throughout the regular season and now one playoff game. They just don’t bear down, especially with the lead.

“We were standing around a little too much trying to make plays without our feet moving,” Patrick Sharp said. “Quite a few turnovers [too].”

Add turnovers to negatives for the Hawks. Sharp was on ice for the sequence that led to the Coyotes' second goal. A harmless-looking delayed offsides call turned into a counterattack by Phoenix. The Hawks were late for a line change and Antoine Vermette blasted one by Corey Crawford. Before that, sloppy play in the Hawks' own zone led to a disastrous fourth line shift leading to a Taylor Pyatt score.

“We turned the puck over way too much,” Jamal Mayers said. “[If] we fix those things we’ll be fine.”

Mayers and his wings were on the ice for a whopping 1:46 before the Pyatt score as they couldn’t clear the zone. Neither could defensemen Niklas Hjalmarsson and Sean O’Donnell. A few turnovers in the sequence didn’t help matters.

This could have been the night the Hawks put themselves in a position for a much-needed shutout. Crawford was playing well but then the Hawks hung him out to dry.

“Tough way to go down in Game 1 but we have some positives to take out of this one,” Jonathan Toews said.

Toews was one of them. He played great and scored on his second shift of the game. But the Hawks were careless and it caught up with them in overtime as well. After Marcus Kruger iced the puck, he lost a faceoff and Martin Hanzal tipped in the game winner seconds later.

"We didn’t think we were going to win this series 4-0 so now we have our work cut out for us,” Brent Seabrook said.

At some point, the Hawks will need to win a 2-1 or 1-0 game. Thursday was the night it could have happened. There is no panic nor any reason to believe the Hawks can’t win the series, but giving away games could come back to bite them, especially when the goalie on the other side is capable of what the Hawks are not -- shutting down an opponent completely.

“Just a combination of a lot of things [went wrong]. We’ll look at it tonight and discuss it,” Sharp said.

Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Brent Seabrook talks about his strong play down the stretch, his importance on special teams, and how excited the team is to make a long postseason run.



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The Blackhawks took the day off on Sunday and soon enough our attention will be on the Phoenix Coyotes for Round 1 of the 2012 Stanley Cup playoffs. But let’s take a moment to hand out some regular-season awards. Will there be enough success for a postseason award blog? We’ll find out soon enough.

Team MVP

Patrick Sharp: Jonathan Toews is excluded from the voting due to missing more than a quarter of the season with his concussion and Patrick Kane doesn’t win due to a very quiet stretch of games mid-season, though his play early and late was more than admirable. No, this award comes down to two people, Marian Hossa and Sharp. Sharp gets the nod for several reasons. His point-per-game average was about the same as Hossa’s, and he was slightly more consistent.

Hossa had some well documented long point streaks, but Sharp failed to earn at least a point in just one stretch that lasted more than three games. It’s Sharp who led the team in goals (33), despite missing eight contests. And it was Sharp who not only broke a bone in his hand, and didn’t miss a beat when he came back, but he also missed all of training camp due to an emergency appendectomy. Could you even tell by watching him he had been injured twice? On top of all that, he led all forwards in the NHL -- that aren’t on the Boston Bruins -- with a plus-28 rating, a career high. Criticizing Hossa is like finding fault with a perfect rainbow -- though he did take a few games off and seem to go through the motions killing penalties. Sharp also stepped up his playmaking. According to the Elias Sports Bureau 19 of his 36 helpers were primary assists. That's the second most of his career. He earned helpers off shots on net -- he was 12th in the league -- and off some nifty passing, which wasn’t necessarily part of his game in the past. Think of Game 82 in which he earned assists both ways. But at the end of the day Sharp is a sniper -- and one of the best at that. On the play that he broke a bone in his wrist, he still managed a pretty shot and goal. That’s quintessential Sharp. Score the goal then go get a cast put on. He turned 30, had a baby daughter mid-season and came back strong from those injuries. In some ways he’s the heart and soul of the Hawks, one of the rare holdovers from the previous regime, and he’s also the Hawks' 2011-2012 Most Valuable Player.

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A quick look at how the Chicago Blackhawks pulled out a 5-4 win over the Nashville Predators on Saturday night.

How it happened: A crazy night went the Hawks’ way when Andrew Shaw found a pinching Brent Seabrook for the winning goal midway through the third period. It was a perfect back-hand pass and helped ease the pain of the Hawks blowing a 4-0 lead. Patrick Sharp and Dave Bolland scored power-play goals followed by a Patrick Kane mini breakaway tally. Then Viktor Stalberg finished a nice rush by banking one in off of Predators goalie Pekka Rinne. It was Stalberg’s 20th goal of the season. But Nashville responded with four straight goals of their own between the second and third periods, including two on the power play and two by Shea Weber. Nashville had all the momentum until Shaw found Seabrook to avoid a heart-breaking defeat.

What it means: The Hawks are in the playoffs for the fourth consecutive year, but they didn’t make it easy on themselves. Playing the night before didn’t stop Nashville from outplaying the Hawks in the second half of the contest, but another big goal late in a game by Seabrook was the difference. The Hawks’ power play was much better getting pucks on net from the outset. But problems in front of Corey Crawford continue. With Weber, and others, blasting away from the point there was too much traffic in front of the Hawks goal. And no one was putting a body on them. It’s something that needs to be fixed before the playoffs, if it can be at this point. It’s still a good enough road win, despite the near collapse, and the Hawks will play on into mid-April as they improved to 44-26-9.

Playoffs: The Hawks are in and tied Detroit in points with their 97th, but remain the No. 6 seed at the moment due to a tiebreaker. The Hawks have played one more game than Detroit and have three games remaining in the regular season.

What’s next: The Hawks return to Chicago for a Sunday evening contest against the Minnesota Wild.

CHICAGO -- Maybe playing without suspended defenseman Duncan Keith was too much to overcome for the Chicago Blackhawks -- at least for the first game. Add the absences of Jonathan Toews and Marcus Kruger and maybe that’s the reason the Hawks fell so easily, 6-1, to the Nashville Predators on Sunday.

After the game, though, you wouldn’t find a Blackhawks player who’d use that as an excuse, as plausible as it might be.

“Obviously missing our top guys makes a difference but we’ve played well without Johnny,” goalie Corey Crawford said. “We just have to find a way to get some points.”

But the Hawks only played well without Toews after going through some growing pains. They were 1-3 in the first four games without their captain before turning things around, going 9-1-1 in their next 11.

“Those are good players, but you can’t sit here and make excuses after the game, especially after a performance like that,” Patrick Sharp said. “We have a good team that we put on the ice today. We just didn’t play like it.”

That might be true, but when you’re missing your top two centers and half of your top defensive duo it’s bound to have an effect -- at least until other players feel out some new roles.

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CHICAGO -- The calendar might still say March, but it sure felt like April or May at the United Center on Wednesday night.

But no matter if its winter or spring or even a preseason game in fall, the Chicago Blackhawks and Vancouver Canucks don’t disappoint in the entertainment department. Why? Because they simply don’t like each other and it comes out on the ice.

But you are already knew that.

“It’s a playoff atmosphere every time we play them,” Brent Seabrook said after the Hawks 2-1 overtime win. “Those are the games both sides like to play in. They’re hard fought battles. It’s nice to come away with two points tonight.”

And what about the numerous skirmishes and cheap shots to go along with 12 minor penalties and three 10-minute misconducts?

“It’s one of those love/hate relationships,” Seabrook said. “We all love to play in games like that. They’re fun and exciting. At the same time I think we hate each other.”

There’s little doubt about that last sentiment. Seabrook was in the middle of a lot of that extracurricular activity as was his partner Duncan Keith. Keith went high on Daniel Sedin with a blow that will undoubtedly get a second look from the league then he reacquainted himself with old foe Alex Burrows.

“There was a little skirmish there,” Keith said. “That stuff happens. … It’s fun playing these guys. It’s fun and intense games to be a part of.”

Keith and Burrows were sent off for 14 minutes each after that altercation.

Seabrook and Keith weren’t the only two to scrap with the feisty Canucks. This game and rivalry were made for a player like Andrew Shaw who scored yet again off his shin pad, this time to win the game in overtime. But not before sustaining several big hits including a scary one by Alex Edler right before Keith nailed Daniel Sedin.

“I get banged around a lot in every game,” he laughed. “I get hit, get back up and keep going. … With the adrenaline you don’t feel much anyway but you have to watch out for those big guys.”

Shaw takes his hits and keeps on coming, mostly to the net. That’s three games in a row he’s scored off his shin pad. All while still playing his trademark scrappy style.

“It’s unbelievable,” Shaw said. “I love it. It’s the hockey I always wanted to play.”

If the teams meet in the playoffs for a fourth straight year he’ll get his wish. And so will many fans in two cities.

Call it the Johnny Oduya effect. The Chicago Blackhawks are 8-1-1 since Oduya joined the team at the trade deadline, including Tuesday’s 5-1 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets that completed a season-series sweep.

Or maybe the Hawks defense was just due. It was fantastic in the win.

“I thought [our defensemen] had the puck a lot,” coach Joel Quenneville told reporters after the game. “I thought they were dangerous. It seems like our defensemen are getting their shots through. They’re a threat, not only just from the point. They’re making nice decisions.”

And as a result they are putting up some points. Duncan Keith had a career-high four assists while Brent Seabrook scored again. Seabrook has points in five straight games and was on the ice for all five Hawks goals.

“Our defense, offensively, has really helped us,” Quenneville said.

As much as Oduya has helped solidify the position, it still comes down to the top duo executing on both ends of the ice if the Hawks really want to do some damage in the upcoming postseason. Seabrook, in particular, is playing his best hockey. He’s killing plays and lighting up the scoresheet. He has 14 shots over his last four games and he’s plus-8 over his last three.

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STREAKING

1. Corey Crawford, Goalie: Dubbed the second star of the week in the NHL, Crawford is back as the starter heading down the stretch. He helped the Hawks beat the St. Louis Blues, pitching a shutout for 45 minutes in relief then stopped all three players in the shootout. He followed that up with a near full-game shutout in Dallas, going 99:10 over the two games without giving up a goal. He was solid again against Washington in a 5-2 win and so in this small sample size he’s playing as well as he has all season, though the defense in front of him has been much better.

2. Brent Seabrook, Defense: Johnny Oduya is garnering positive headlines for what’s he’s brought to the team since coming over in a trade, but Seabrook has been a monster on the ice and the scoresheet. He’s being physical, he’s blocking shots and adding points. He has a goal and two assists over the past three games. His highlights include a team-tying best plus-3 against Washington on Sunday, another plus-3 with four shots and three hits on Friday against Dallas and a huge game-tying goal against St. Louis on March 13. He had five shots and six hits in the comeback win, one of Seabrook’s better games of the season. He has truly been doing it all.

SLUMPING

1. Jimmy Hayes, Forward: He played a career low 3:01 against St. Louis last week and then two games later he was a healthy scratch in favor of Michael Frolik. Hayes simply hasn’t been as noticeable lately, and that’s not a good thing when you’re 6-foot-6, 221 pounds. Since being recalled on Feb. 18, for a second time this season, Hayes has just a goal and an assist in 14 games. Both points came in the same contest so he’s been shut out in the other 13. He’s not getting the minutes, but he’s not earning them either. Hayes admitted he needed to get back to “doing the things that got me here.” That includes crashing the net and using his big frame and skating ability to cause havoc.

2. Jonathan Toews, Forward: Out of the lineup is about the only way Toews would find his way into the Slumping column. Really, it’s just his recovery that’s Slumping. On the ice for four days and feeling optimistic about his return gave way to a relapse of concussion symptoms which have kept him out of the lineup for 13 games. Fortunately, the Hawks went 8-4-1 in that time frame, but there is no timetable for Toews’ return. He hasn’t skated or practiced with his team since last week though there might be some encouraging signs over the next few days, if his off-ice recovery keeps progressing. Whenever he skates again he’s still probably a week to 10 days away from playing.

DETROIT -- If nothing else, the season series between the Chicago Blackhawks and Detroit Red Wings should get both teams ready for playoff hockey.

The Blackhawks need to learn how to win tight games and they’re finally doing just that, taking their third one-goal game in a row with a fantastic 2-1 victory over the Wings. The Hawks recorded a 2-1 win in Ottawa two days earlier and both victories were extremely impressive.

“It was comparable to how we played on Friday,” Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville said after the game. “With details, with purpose, everyone contributing. Another big win for us.”

Quenneville had called Friday’s victory the “biggest of the year.” This one isn’t far behind. Not when you consider the Wings were 27-3-2 at home coming into the contest and sit near the top of the conference in the standings.

“They are fun games to play in,” Patrick Sharp said. “Little bit of everything out there. I’m sure we’ll see them again down the road.”

That little bit of everything included a power-play goal by Sharp, followed by his game-winning set up of a Patrick Kane score late in the second period. Make no mistake, special teams play has been the difference in the last two games. The Hawks have two power-play goals and a score on a delayed penalty, plus they’ve given up nothing when down a man. That’s a winning playoff formula.

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CHICAGO -- As bad as the Chicago Blackhawks have looked in recent weeks, they can take solace in knowing they’re not the Toronto Maple Leafs.

In what could’ve been billed as an Original "stinks" matchup, Chicago ended its three-game losing streak with a 5-4 win over Toronto on Wednesday night. The Leafs lost their sixth straight and are mired in a 1-9-1 slump.

Needless to say, Toronto coach Ron Wilson isn’t looking too good. He declined a pregame interview on Canadian TV. The Leafs haven’t made the playoffs since the 2003-04 season and don’t look to be breaking that streak this season.

Sixth place never felt so good.

“Yeah, yeah, you know how it is in Toronto, or anywhere in Canada, but especially Toronto,” Blackhawks star Patrick Kane said. “We don’t have to worry about that. We’re worried about ourselves in here.”

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CHICAGO -- “We’ve got 18 games left,” Chicago Blackhawks forward Jamal Mayers said after Tuesday’s practice. “We have to decide as a team how we want to play.”

And so the Hawks begin the stretch run, clinging to a playoff spot, knowing what their roster will look like with the NHL’s trade deadline in the rear-view mirror. Even for guys who weren’t going to be traded, the passing of Feb. 27 provides a sense of relief. Maybe this is the new beginning they need after going 4-10 since the All-Star break.

“You put a full lineup out there with our team, we’re going to be tough to beat,” Patrick Kane said. “Obviously that’s not where we are right now, so some guys are going need to step up and try to take over a little bit.”

Kane should be one of those guys, and he knows it. He said he has been in contact with injured captain Jonathan Toews on a daily basis but couldn’t provide any insight into his return. No one can. That’s how it goes with what is believed to be a head injury.

So, all eyes are now on newly acquired defenseman Johnny Oduya. He lined up with Brent Seabrook at practice after arriving to town early Tuesday morning.

“Anytime you have a team this good that wants to bring you in and see if you can help out, that’s something you have to appreciate it,” Oduya said. “I feel fortunate coming in.”

Oduya performed as advertised: a smooth player and good skater. How he reacts in the Hawks’ zone remains to be seen. But puck possession and movement alone should help the defense.

“I was pretty happy with this,” Kane said. “We picked up a guy like Oduya who will help out or defense a lot. He seems like he’s a good puck-moving D-man, and he’ll get us the puck.

"It’s a good team in here, a good bunch of guys. We feel like we have a chance to do some special things.”

And he’ll eat up some minutes.

“It’s always good to add a guy that can help you out in that way,” Seabrook said. “[Oduya] can play some big minutes, some tough minutes. It’s going to be good for us.”

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