It's Not Funny Anymore: Eight Straight

 ...Make that eight straight losses in a row! The Blackhawks can't stop the bleeding and with a hungry desperate team trying to make the playoffs, it doesn't get any easier. Getting more painful to watch and I feel sorry for the fans in attendance at the United Center that have to pay good money to watch it.

First period: 

• Delia starts. C. Jones and Regula in, Gus and deHaan out. Borgstrom, Kubalik and T. Johnson scratched again.
• Kings first goal, Trevor Moore has an open net. A couple minutes later, former-Hawk Danault banks a shot off Caleb Jones skate to make it 2-0.
• Hawks barely have any zone time, as the kings dominate the period. I am getting very sleepy...definitely nodding off.

Second period:

• Halfway through the period the Hawks have only 8 shots and 4 of them are from defensemen. Absolutely no intensity or urgency. Still very sleepy, can this game get any more boring?
• I am awoken with tree-tirty-tree left in the period because the Hawks score! Taylor Raddysh scores his 8th of the season and third as a Hawk. Maybe the Hawks can come back? We have the momentum, right?
  
• No, we don't. The Kings score 33 seconds later and maintain their two goal lead, Ugh!

Third period:

• Hawks have a power-play early in the period and have numerous opportunities including a grade A chance from rookie, Lukas Reichel, instead the Kings score seconds after the penalty expires. 4-1 Kings.
• For the first half of the period, the Hawks have plenty of offensive zone time and some good chances, but it's all an illusion because the Kings take three penalties in a row. The Hawks finish 0/5 on the power-play.
  
• With just over three minutes left, Patrick Kane scores to make it 4-2. Maybe the Hawks have a chance? We have the momentum, right?
• More false hope dashed as the customary empty net goal is scored by the Kings. Does anyone keep track of how many empty net goals a team gives up in a season? The Hawks seem to give up a lot and since they've lost so many games this season by more than a goal, we should look this up. At least, they can lead the league in something!

Takeaways:

• From a Hawks fan standpoint, this was such a uneventful boring game, especially playing at home, this has to be yet another major letdown. The past few weeks, the organization has been relying on nostalgic, past glory celebrations/milestones (Hossa, Hjalmasson, Toews etc.) gimmicky nights to keep the interest of their fan base. There better be some major changes next season or else interest in the team will tank and continue to slide to early 2000 levels.
• Reichel had a number of opportunities to score, which is a positive sign since at least now he's getting the chances. Philipp Kurachev made a couple of nifty passes to set up both goals and he's proving he has the skills to be more than a part-time player. Eddie said, Jake McCabe was the best Blackhawk on the ice, who can argue with that.
  
• Make sure to tune in to the Blackhawks TV broadcast on Thursday, as it will be Pat Foley's last call. He and Eddie are sure to share stories o'plenty on Pat Foley night! Should be a fun/sad time and hopefully the team can put in a little more effort on this special evening.

•  Where I live we're hunkering down for a huge blizzard. The airport is closed, schools are closed, highways are closed and everyone is urged to stay home. They've even postponed the Jets game tonight against the Kraken until May 1st. Instead, the Jet players will "vacation" in hot, sunny Florida for a pair of matches in the sunshine state later this week. A well earned holiday, right? Their playoff hopes continue to slip away as the Dallas Stars won last night, widening the gap to 7 points, which should mean that May 1 game will be meaningless, much like recent Blackhawks games.
  

Up next: (see above) Can the Hawks make it 9 in a row, oh god, no! Thursday night at 7 pm against the Sharks.