There has been a lot of excitement in Chicago claiming the Blackhawks are on the rise. The billboards shout “Red Rising” all over the city. But here the Hawks are in 13th place in the Western Conference and currently riding a six-game losing streak–their longest of the season–after falling to the Montreal Canadiens in overtime last night 4-3.
The team is only five points out of a playoff spot but fans are left to assume the wheels are falling off the bus like seasons past. Even with Martin Havlat back, the team hasn’t been able to get out of its slump.
“I need Johnny back,” Patrick Kane said speaking of Jonathan Toews who’s absence from the lineup due to injury. “It’s not only on the ice either. He’s been my roommate for so long on the road. I have no one to play my Wii with.”
The Hawks host the Stars tonight at the United Center and hope to break the streak.
“The faster we get this monkey off our back the better,” Patrick Sharp told reporters. “I wonder where that expression came from anyway. You think there was some dude in ancient history walking around with a real monkey on his back complaining how he couldn’t get it off. What a funny image. I’m drunk.”
Number of the Night: 6
It’s hard to ignore six losses in a row. Hopefully tomorrow’s “Number of the Night” won’t be seven.
By Kevin Rosenquist
