I was looking forward to seeing them play again. I'm really underwhelmed and disappointed.

They're just not that great this year. They haven't been good since December. Face it: this is a third-place team.

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I'm actually whelmed.

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"Play until it hurts, then play until it hurts to not play."
http://soundcloud.com/darkside124 HOF 2013, MM Champion 2014

Blues came back from a 2-0 hole to beat Tampa Bay, and of course the Avs gained two points on the Hawks. Another year of limping to the finish line.

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Varlamov has a .963 sv% (131/136) against the Hawks through ten periods and an overtime. They'll be lucky to win a single game if they meet in the playoffs as scheduled.

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I think it would be easier if you just listed the 1 or 2 teams you think the Blackhawks can beat in the playoffs .

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Proud member of the white guy grievance committee

It aint the six minutes. Its what happens in those six minutes.

They should just quit now.

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"Play until it hurts, then play until it hurts to not play."
http://soundcloud.com/darkside124 HOF 2013, MM Champion 2014

Do the Hawks still have time to trade everyone and try to rebuild this mess?

Okay. Vancouver, Dallas, Anaheim, Los Angeles, Phoenix, and Winnipeg.

Quite frankly, all the Hawks have done is get fat on a Venn diagram of bad teams and Eastern teams while getting pantsed against real contenders. They haven't beaten St. Louis, they haven't beaten Colorado with their #1 goalie, they've struggled with Minnesota, and they've struggled with San Jose. That's a problem, you know. Neither of the championship teams were this blatantly fragile against fellow contenders. They beat good teams often. Hell, last year's team beat everyone (except the Ducks). I'm not comfortable just declaring this a great team by fiat. They need results every now and then.

There's no reason to dismantle, but it's not worth the risk to mortgage, either. All they can do is just go forth with what they have, just keep limping to the finish line like they did in 2012, and hope that they have a weak path through the playoffs, because honestly, it's a weak excuse for a contender relative to the teams that are so much better than they are. Sucks, but that's what it looks like.

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Since New Year's:

REGULATION WINS: New Jersey, Edmonton, Anaheim, Vancouver, Los Angeles, Anaheim, Pittsburgh

OVERTIME WINS: none

SHOOTOUT WINS: Boston

SHOOTOUT LOSSES: San Jose, Detroit, San Jose

OVERTIME LOSSES: Long Island, Montreal, Colorado, Calgary

REGULATION LOSSES: New York, Minnesota, Winnipeg, Phoenix, New York, Colorado

23 points taken, 27 points given. That's a bad team. Averaging two goals a game over the last five games. Also not good.

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Kings Dux and pens not easy teams to beat.

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"Play until it hurts, then play until it hurts to not play."
http://soundcloud.com/darkside124 HOF 2013, MM Champion 2014

2 of the losses to the Blues were via shootout and the third was 3-2. The Hawks haven't lost to Anaheim or Sharks in regulation. Those losses were in shootout. Minnesota definitely have the Hawks number and Colorado has always given the Hawks fits. But c'mon, 963 save percentage for Varlamov isn't sustainable.

Until I see possession and shot totals decrease then I'd get worried. There's no such evidence. They've been steady with stinkers here and there.

Snake in the grass. Just setting them all up.

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That's my purse! I don't know you!

Hawks are just fine. No reason to panic. They'll crank it up come playoff time.

CH, keep this up & Shakes will be calling for Q's firing again.

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CSFMB 2014 Nascar Pick 'em Champion

We don’t have a trillion-dollar debt because we haven’t taxed enough; we have a trillion-dollar debt because we spend too much. — Ronald Reagan

Just gotta wait till they're done looking ahead to the Olympics oh whoops

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I don't know how some of you can watch this team this season and go "oh yea, they'll pick it up come playoff time". Based on what? What have you seen from this team this season that makes you believe that? I don't recall any stretches this season of great all-around hockey. We get small glimpses for a shift, period or game, that's it.

Maybe they can pick it up for the playoffs and win it all again, I'm certainly hoping so, but to just excuse all the huge issues on this team because they won a Cup last year when we're 60 games into the season is just absurd to me.

There was no doubt in my mind that team was winning it all last season, they were clearly better than everyone else. Even down 3-1 I still believed because I knew how great they were and that they could easily take 3 straight from Detroit.

I'd love nothing more than to see them go on a 10 game winning streak now and roll through the playoffs but I don't see it happening. I don't believe this season, gays. Sorry.

We've become such an entitled first world problem fan base. Yes, we're not steam rolling the regular season. But we're right there with top teams in the West. We shouldn't be the favorite but we still have a solid chance.

The talent is there but as HG said, they haven't really shown it all season. That's why it's frustrating for me to watch. The should/could be great and they aren't.