As the clock wound down on the embarrassing defeat, the already small crowd steadily filed out of the United Center on Wednesday, no doubt thinking of all the other things they could have spent their hard-earned money on besides what they had just witnessed.
One fan, exiting the 300 level, wasn’t content with just booing or whistling.
“Never again,” he shouted, over and over. “Never again will you get my money.”
The Blackhawks’ 5-0 loss to the Vancouver Canucks–a team finishing up a stretch of nine of 11 games on the road–was that kind of game, the kind that becomes the final straw for some who vow to take their money where they actually might be entertained.
Judging from the half-empty building on game nights so far this season, many more are way ahead of Wednesday’s crowd.
It was the kind of game that forces a general manager to sit by himself in the mezzanine section the next day and watch practice from a distance–all the better to draw a critical eye on what needs to be done or, perhaps, to find safe distance from what has been done.
It was the kind of game that forces a head coach to bring out the whip–again–for a grueling practice. Nine games in, the Hawks have faced two physically punishing practice sessions. Their effort once again raises questions about the team’s character.
“We don’t battle hard enough,” the coach said.
Whether the mercurial quality of “battling hard enough” can be coached or is just part of someone’s DNA can be debated. Thursday came down on the side that it can be forced into someone–at least for an hour.
Games like Wednesday’s, which alienated more of an already disgusted fan base, are the kind of games that make organizations ponder where they are going and who is taking them there. Or at least they should.
What kind of evaluation is currently going on at the United Center is unknown. But in a four-year span in which some bad hockey has been put on by the NHL locals, Wednesday ranks right up there.
Certainly the loss of Martin Havlat, Michal Handzus, Tuomo Ruutu and Nikolai Khabibulin plays a large factor.
But injuries are part of every sport. Losing talented players hurts every team.
It’s one thing to get blown out of the water by a better team. It happens and is forgotten. Games like Wednesday’s, however, in which there was precious little urgency or initiative in the opening 20 minutes, leave a sour taste that lingers.
Wednesday was also an indication that the Hawks are as vulnerable as they were last season, Havlat taking the role of Eric Daze, depended on to carry a team that’s unable to cope when he’s gone.
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Either the talent and attitude aren’t as good as the Hawks thought. Or those charged with getting the most out of them simply haven’t.
It’s one or the other. The Hawks can’t afford to ponder the question much longer.
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