Needs More Ditka

The Blackhawks’ lead is dwindling. What was once a solid ten point cushion is now a paltry five. And while the Blackhawks are nearly certain to go to the playoffs (only a Mets’ esque .200 winning percentage from here on out could leave the Hawks at home during the playoffs) the Hawks are showing kinks in the amour. This is a team separated from the nine game domination streak they ran in December. The question truly is, how separated are they?

The question of definition for the Blackhawks this season was a question of being a solid hockey team or an elite squad. Right now, it is flat out wrong to say that the Hawks are of the upper echelon. And while back to back losses are nothing of importance in the grad scheme, the nitpickers in this world (me) will be looking for specific flaws when the Hawks take the ice against the Carolina Hurricanes on Wednesday.

First, will Martin Havlat play? The almighty HavBolLadd line has played their worst two games of the season this weekend. Havlat only played seven minutes in the Sunday tilt, out with the vague lower body injury. When Gary Bettman made the injury poilicy, he must have had an upper body injury, very upper body. But, the engine that makes the Blackhawks go, HavBolLadd, and specifically the team’s best player, Havlat, are not leading the way for the Hawks right now. Perhaps that’s the entire problem. But perhaps being a combined minus ten in two games is a stronger cause for concern. Whatever it is, if Havlat is out, the Hawks will need Kris Versteeg to step up, along with Patrick Kane. Together, they can pick up the slack.

But perhaps the blue line is the problem. Matt Walker and Brian Campbell have been playing extremely craptastic, even by their lowly defensive standards. Neither are taking the body, and Walker appears to have added an extra dumbell to his ankles. What’s worse, Walker is coming up on the rush, no longer content to shoot worthless slapshots from along the boards at the blueline. Campbell is working his powerplay magic, but is in the funk that plagued the Hawks before the All Star break and at the beginning of the season. The Hawks don’t win if Campbell is not maintaining a similitude of defensive prowess. Meanwhile, Cam Barker has become the Blackhawks number one defenseman overnight, with Seabrook and Keith being an interchangeable 1a and a1. If Campbell can get back to the point where he isn’t an out of place forward, and Walker can again play like the sixth, stay at home defenseman that he is, the Hawks should be a-okay.

Carolina should be the perfect test, a playoff team that the Blackhawks, if they play their game, can defeat. It’s a strong enough opponent to be a confidence boost, weak enough to be pushed around. It’s one of the definining games each season brings, for the Blackhawks, Wednesday is another of those opportunities.