Blackhawks Wondering What Has Hit Them

A physical game is the normal routine for the Chicago Blackhawks. But there was a little more pain and a great deal more frustration after losing to the Mighty Ducks, 4-3, in overtime Sunday evening.

This was the trip that was supposed to solidify their position in the playoff race before the league takes a holiday for the Olympics. But with 1-2 record three games into a six-game trip, Chicago Coach Craig Hartsburg ticked off a number of items his team lost at the Arrowhead Pond of Anaheim.

“We didn’t capitalize on our chances,” Hartsburg said. “We had so many chances but we didn’t turn them into goals, and [Guy Hebert] was unbelievable.”

The Ducks’ goaltender made 47 saves, several of them coming on breakaways. Add Hebert came up big in the second period on a penalty shot when he easily used his right leg to kick away Tony Amonte’s backhander to the stickside.

Just like that, Chicago was reduced to looking for answers as to why this physical team could not deliver at key times to put away the Ducks.

“Bad [line] changes cost us two goals,” said Blackhawks captain Chris Chelios. “They worked hard and they got their goals.

“We had chances but we couldn’t bury them. Heck we had three or four breakaways.”

After losing the first seven games of the season, Chicago had worked its way back into a playoff position with hard work and the scoring of Amonte and Alexei Zhamnov.

The team’s ascent in the standings gained speed after Hartsburg scraped a trapping system for one that uses two forwards aggressively on the forecheck to create pressure on the opposing defensemen as they try to move the puck out.

With the system in place, Chicago has gone 10-5-2 since Dec. 26, good enough to get them into the seventh playoff spot in the Western Conference.

However the last two games did nothing to assure the Blackhawks that things will get easier.

Chicago (21-23-9) could not get the offense going Saturday against the Kings, getting blanked by goaltender Stephane Fiset. Now this.

“We had a chance to win tonight and go 10 points ahead of Anaheim [in the standings],” said Chelios, who had a goal and an assist in the loss. “Now we’re only up by six. That’s a big difference. These are teams that are down in the standings and we should win. But you have to go out and win.”

Instead they were left a little angry with their treatment Sunday. Sergei Krivokrasov squared off with the Ducks’ Ruslan Salei in the third period and both drew fighting majors. What Salei didn’t draw was an additional penalty for a head-butt that left Krivokrasov with cuts on his right brow and forehead.

“Oh yeah he got me,” said Krivokrasov, no heavyweight at 5 feet 10, 185 pounds. “If you are going to fight, fight all the way, not just cheap shots.”

But it was that type of game all night, and what with all the scrums, elbows and high sticks, it threatened to last all night before ending after nearly 3 1/2 hours.

Afterward, Hartsburg’s inventory included the missed chances and Blackhawk mistakes. He mentioned a call he thought referee Dan Marouelli missed on the final play before quickly realizing he had no opportunity to score a point and win a game.

“There was a trip on the faceoff . . . Ahh, we came out on the short end of that.”