The Blackhawks have lost five of their last six (1-4-1) games, and basically imploded in the last 8 minutes of a game on national TV versus one of their arch-rivals yesterday.
This is where message board chatter gets really negative—and not without reason. Yet somehow, as poorly as the Hawks have been playing of late, and did to start the season, they are still in first place in their division.
Part of that is simply math; they've played more games and therefore had more opportunity to accumulate points. And if they continue to play as they are, they won't be in first place much longer.
Part of it is they've had stretches where they've played insanely well.
And, all season, they've been carried by arguably the best goaltending tandem in the league this season.
The really big question is—why would anyone be surprised?
Stan Bowman just inked another big, fat extension with another "core" player, only adding to the Hawks' uniquely top heavy roster. In the meantime, the Hawks continue to play a lot of rookies or near-rookies, and play them a lot, and play them in situations that are probably not where they will excel.
Because they have to.
Making matters worse is the spate of recent injuries to Artem Anisimov, Jonathan Toews, Marian Hossa, and Marcus Kruger. When it was announced yesterday that the Hawks would play the Winter Classic without Hossa and Kruger—while I can't speak for my readers—I personally believed the Hawks would be hard-pressed to pull out a win.
Because, let's face it, the 2016-17 Hawks, at least, are a Jekyll and Hyde team; very good, if not elite, when completely healthy. Average or worse when they take an injury or two to their core. And there's almost no disputing it at this point.
Sure enough, it was a bonehead move by one of the relatively inexperienced players, trying perhaps to make a play he shouldn't in any situation, that led to the go ahead goal for the Blues, a very quick meltdown over the next eight minutes, and a 4-1 Blues victory.
The puck is pretty much always a hand grenade on Richard Panik's blade. But he decided to go Full Patrick Kane with a cutesie play in the Blues' end, and a few seconds later Corey Crawford is picking a puck out of the twine behind him.
But let's face it, Panik is, on his best day, a third line/energy forward.
Lots of fans are sending out search parties for "THE" Jonathan Toews—yet Toews may still be playing through a back injury—and he's playing with a couple more third liners, and rookie third liners at that, in Ryan Hartman and Vince Hinostroza.
Yes, you need more individually out of Toews (and Patrick Kane for that matter).
But NHL hockey teams consist of 20-plus players. It's a question of critical mass. Like any team, the Hawks have depth. They just distinctly lack the quality (and more experienced) depth they've had in years past.
So while Bowman has kicked the can on Artemi Panarin's Blackhawk career down the road another couple of years, he has a more immediate challenge. And one that, at the same time, will endure until its addressed.
For anyone assuming or hoping or waiting for Hartman, Hinostroza, Tyler Motte and Panik to "bloom" as 20 goal-plus per season players, it may be a long wait. All have been (and to many observers still are) projected as lower line/role players.
Hinostroza and Hartman show the most promise at present, as small but willing, disruptive, energy-type forwards.
But while there was legitimate question whether the Hawks had the quality forward depth to go deep in the playoffs last year, those questions have only grown more pronounced.
And "depth" in this discussion, includes the top 6 left wing that the team's been missing since the summer of 2015.
The postmortems on Toews at age 28 are way, way too early. But it might take another summer of rest, and/or some offseason medical attention to get him fully "right" again. In the meantime, you have over half a season and hopefully the playoffs left this year.
And there will be a more robust discussion at some point about what the front office can do in the offseason to address these issues. And the seemingly growing Hawk scouting presence in the KHL is maybe no coincidence.
But right now, the early lead the Hawks jumped out to in the Central Division appears to be just that—an early lead that is now in trouble unless they get and stay real healthy at the top of their roster. Leaving fans to wonder if Bowman is assembling some cavalry over the hill, or if the roster you see today is the one you will see after March 1.
But maybe the Hawks put together another surge with Hossa returning soon a heavy home schedule coming up. Though, again, that only gets the team to about the halfway point in the season. And more injuries could happen.
I'll be back with a preview of Thursday night's game with the Sabres in the next couple of days.
JJ
Chicago Blackhawks Blogger • 
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