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The Chicago Blackhawks have now lost ten straight road games and eight straight games overall.
The Chicago Blackhawks (29-20-7, 65 points) could not solve the defense of the Phoenix Coyotes (27-21-8, 62 pts), falling 0-3 on Saturday night.
Coyotes goalie Mike Smith blanked the Blackhawks, snatching 38 saves as the Chicago team's frustration reached new peaks. The Blackhawks, gave up two quick goals in the first period, but still seemed within reach after allowing a third goal in the second period. However, despite out-shooting the Coyotes with 38 shots on goal to 27 from Pheonix, the Blackhawks could not defeat Smith, who entered the game with a strong .923 save percentage.
On defense, the Hawks allowed uncommon penetration early in the game, giving G Ray Emery more than a handful in his third straight start. The Chicago goalie allowed three goals on the night, but collected 27 saves.
The Blackhawks will be back in action again on Tuesday night against the Nashville Predators, looking to break their now 8-game losing streak which started January 21 against these same Predators.
For updates, stay tuned to SB Nation Chicago. For more in-depth coverage of this matchup, visit Blackhawks blog Second City Hockey and Coyotes blog Five For Howling. For more from around the league, head over to SB Nation's NHL news hub.
The Chicago Blackhawks, look to break their miserable 7-game losing streak, find themselves trying to comeback from a 2-0 early deficit against the Phoenix Coyotes.
The surging Phoenix Coyotes -- currently on a 4-game win streak, having won 5 of their last 6 -- jumped ahead early when RW Radim Vrbata snuck a wrap-around goal past an overwhelmed G Ray Emery just 3:14 into the game. The Blackhawks defense, and not just Emery who is getting his first shot at the starting goalie position, looked flustered through the six minutes of the game, allowing high-quality shots on goal early.
Less than three minutes after Vrbata's goal, C Boyd Gordon knocked a 10-foot wrister past Emery, giving the Coyotes a 2-0 lead quickly. Through the first period, the Phoenix offense mustered 13 shots on goal to the Hawks' 10. In the second period, Chicago will look to pull the game closer and play more diligent defense.
For updates, stay tuned to SB Nation Chicago. For more in-depth coverage of this matchup, visit Blackhawks blog Second City Hockey and Coyotes blog Five For Howling. For more from around the league, head over to SB Nation's NHL news hub.
The Phoenix Coyotes a red-hot, and the Chicago Blackhawks are ice cold. The Coyotes have won four straight and are riding their longest winning streak of the season, while the Blackhawks have lost nine straight road games and seven in a row overall. The winning streak has helped to push Phoenix up to eighth place in the Western Conference standings and now the Coyotes are thinking about the playoffs. On the other side of the coin, Chicago has fallen all the way down to sixth place in the conference standings and can't seem to find any way to stop the bleeding.
A combination of poor goaltending and inconsistent offense has led the Hawks to be outscored 32-15 in their last seven contests, but the fix might not be an easy one. Might it be time for a shakeup if the season continues to ride off the rails? Second City Hockey considers what might be down the line:
I can't help but feeling like this is Jauron-Angelo all over again, though both of those guys were morons anyway. But Stan didn't hire Q, even if he was in on the process. Q then goes on to win a Cup with a roster that was almost completely not Stan's, and he must know now that he's pretty much untouchable. So that's why, or at least it's a theory why, Q has treated this season as a demonstration of what a genius he is. Because if the higher-ups decide that changes have to be made, it's really up for debate who they're going to side with: the coach who brought the Chalice here (whether he had that much to do with it or not) or the young GM hired under suspicious circumstances who provided two disappointing teams (if in fact this team ends the year disappointingly?) You can't say which.
The Hawks are in a dark place right now, but every next game is still an opportunity to turn things around.
Date & Time: Saturday, Feb. 11, 7:30 p.m. CT
TV: WGN
For updates, stay tuned to SB Nation Chicago. For more in-depth coverage of this matchup, visit Blackhawks blog Second City Hockey and Coyotes blog Five For Howling. For more from around the league, head over to SB Nation's NHL news hub.
VIDEO: Patrick Kane And Patrick Sharp Look For Answers Amid Chicago Blackhawks' 8-Game Losing Streak
It's a trying and frustrating time for the Chicago Blackhawks, not surprisingly, since they're trying to find answers during what has become an extended funk. It hasn't helped that Chicago happens to find itself in the midst of a lengthy road trip as this losing streak is going on.
Related: Shooting Solution
In the video below, Patrick Kane and Patrick Sharp somberly discuss some of the issues that the team has been experiencing over the course of their eight-game skid, what they can change, and what needs to happen moving forward.
Unfortunately, the road is not going to get any easier in the next couple of games, as Chicago has trips to Nashville and the New York Rangers coming up next on the schedule. The Rangers are currently at the top of the Eastern Conference standings, while the Predators are fifth out West and five points ahead of Chicago in the Central.
For updates, stay tuned to SB Nation Chicago. For more in-depth coverage, visit Blackhawks blog Second City Hockey. For more from around the league, head over to SB Nation's NHL news hub.
Feb 13 7:22p by Steven Muma