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Highlight reel goals. They’re fun to watch, eh?

But for every pretty, awwww-inspiring goal like that in NHL games, plastered all over blogs and nhl.com, there are many, many more scored that are not nearly as pretty.

And yet they all count the same on the scoreboard.

Pierre-Marc Bouchard used to score highlight reel goals.

Pretty, perimeter plays look wonderful—but they’re low percentage hockey, especially in an NHL that is now being officiated a lot more like it was before the 2004-2005 lockout than it has been any time since.

The Blackhawks aren’t scoring (1 goal in the last 120 minutes of regulation) for a few reasons. They've taken 3 of their last 4 possible points, which is fine, but theplayoffs fast approach and every point right now matters.

One reason for the Hawks' lack of offense, sure, is the absence of the league’s leading scorer (before his injury), Patrick Kane. Another is normally reliable scorers like Patrick Sharp hitting a lot of iron—just bad puck luck. Another is a defense that is still really doing it more with smoke and mirrors in the absence of a top 4 guy (Johnny Oduya) and quality depth overall.

But a really big reason is the Hawks too often default to pretty plays, and over-passing or over-handling the puck—and not getting bodies to the net, looking for a deflection, setting screens, etc.

It’s not glamorous. It doesn’t skew Corsi off the charts (hence it just doesn’t compute for some), but it’s winning hockey.

So while it’s fun to pile on Bryan Bickell for being (deservedly) benched, the sad truth is, the Hawks need him, engaged and parked in front of opposing netminders. The Hawks need their road graders like Andrew Shaw, Bickell, and even Dan Carcillo opening some space so their smaller skill guys can carry the puck to the net.

Teuvo Teravainen’s confidence is growing and with it so are the skill plays he’s making. But closing the deal on NHL scoresheets often calls for muscle and willingness in the middle of the ice, and the proof is a couple of consecutive goose eggs in regulation. Not TT’s fault at all, he is what he is, And last night probably the Hawks’ most noticeable offensive player—but someone on the Hawks needs to be willing to do the dirty work.

Well, someone other than #19, #65 and #16.

On the other end of the ice, you need to stop your opponent—especially if you’re not scoring goals. TT remains a “work in progress” in that regard, and I’ll leave it at that. But certainly, solidifying the blueline with Oduya’s return should help as well. Less minutes for Michal Rozsival and David Rundblad should only help the Hawks tighten it up a bit—and improve their transition game on offense.

You heard it in post-game comments from Joel Quenneville, and from Ranger goaltender Cam Talbot, and it’s really nothing new for the Blackhawks—take away the center of the ice (between the boards in front of the net), push them to the outside, and you can beat them.

The Hawks need to answer, or all the deadline trades in the world won’t make a difference.

JJ


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