The goal all along for the Blackhawks on their eight-game road trip was to come out of it having earned double-digit points.
Victories in the first two games gave them a fast start, but losses in two of the last three — including Saturday night’s 5-1 setback against the Canucks — and uncertainty with the goaltending has made getting those last four points a challenge.
The Hawks took Sunday off and spent it in Vancouver, where they will practice Monday before heading to Edmonton to face the Oilers on Tuesday night.
Coach Joel Quenneville likely will use the time to try to straighten out the situation in goal, as Antti Niemi had made two consecutive starts for the first time this season but was yanked in favor of Cristobal Huet after yielding three first-period goals Saturday.
Quenneville said he “wasn’t blaming the goaltending” when he made the change, pointing out Niemi didn’t have enough help from his teammates. “[Vancouver] had pucks at the net, loose stuff we didn’t clear,” Quenneville said. “Second and third opportunities there.”
Whoever gets the call in goal Tuesday will face an Oilers team that is the worst in the Western Conference with a 16-28-6 record and gives the Hawks a chance to get back on track.
“We’re doing lots of good things,” Hawks winger Marian Hossa said. “We have three more games on the road [and] we just have to face it’s going to be tough.”