McKnight: Blackhawks Still Figuring Out Who They Are

By Connor McKnight--

If the Blackhawks could go ahead and figure out what kind of team they are, everyone would really appreciate it, thanks.

Trying to make sense of this team after a 7-2 loss to the Flames and a 7-1 win over the Canucks is a nightmare. Marty Turco looked lost and confused Friday night in Calgary. The defense was poor. The effort was lacking. It was ugly. Saturday night in Vancouver everything turned around a full 180 degrees.

Perhaps the best thing to do with the beatdown by Calgary is throw it out the window. Games like that happen. Goalies have bad nights. What counts is that the Hawks were able to forget about it when they saw Roberto Luongo, Alexander Burrows, Alex Edler and the rest of the Canuck whom they've so soundly beaten over the past three seasons.

When the Hawks have lost this season it's been because the big guns--Marian Hossa, Patrick Sharp and Patrick Kane--have been non-existent. Kane, especially, turned that around Saturday night.

Kane's three points (1 G, 2 A) combined with a steady diet of puck possession and playmaking hearkened back to the highest points of last season. When Kane is on top of his game, the Hawks play a different kind of game. It would be easy to say that the Hawks early struggles have been a function of Kane's inconsistent play. While that is likely a bit to sweeping a statement, it's not too far off either.

Still, while the Hawks are able to post nights like Saturday, they've been unable to play the type of game Joel Quenneville has been looking for in consecutive games. Most important during this road trip is finding the level of effort needed to consistently perform with the intensity the Hawks brought to Saturday's game.