For what feels like the first time this season, things have died down a bit with the Hawks news-wise. No injuries, no roster decisions, no turmoil-inducing losses, and just heading off on a roadtrip. Probably also helps calm things down now that the Bears are at least somewhat interesting, shifting attention (even if they’re not actually good). With two weeks on the road, a couple things to look for and watch.
-First, while no one on the main beat ever wants to say it, we haven’t shied from pointing out that some of the Hawks even-strength woes are a result of Jonathan Toews’s “struggles.” The Hawks are still a negative team overall at 5-on-5, which is a weird thing to say about them even at this point in the season. And then you realize the Hawks’ power play has been bailing them out at time and you nearly pass out.