Hoge: Hawks' Sense of Urgency In Question After 2-0 Loss
By Adam Hoge --
"Not good enough," defenseman Chris Campoli said.
"We need more," captain Jonathan Toews added.
Both were talking about goals and a sense of urgency, two things the Blackhawks lacked in Sunday night's 2-0 loss to Tampa Bay at the United Center.
"We need more," head coach Joel Quenneville said about his team's urgency. "Especially being down. It's all gotta come out. We only have four games left and we're certainly looking for more. We're looking for more offense."
The Blackhawks were stonewalled by Lightning backup goaltender Mike Smith who recorded his first shutout since March 31, 2010. Smith made 31 saves in the game.
The Hawks were sluggish in the first period and fell behind 1-0 when Vincent Lecavalier scored his 21st goal of the season 7:56 into the game. From there, the Lightning frustrated the Blackhawks by sitting back and playing a defensive-minded game, which they often do with a lead.
"They play a frustrating game," defenseman Brian Campbell said. "You kind of know that. We talk about it. Sometimes it's not the easiest to get around them, but I think we had enough chances in the game to tie it 1-1. We just have to find ways to put it in the net."
The Blackhawks controlled the game for the final two periods, ultimately outshooting Tampa Bay 31-15. But Smith was too good and the Blackhawks failed to capitalize on some golden scoring opportunities. Lightning center Nate Thompson added an empty netter with 22 seconds left in the game to make it 2-0.
"Maybe it isn't good enough right now," a frustrated Toews said. "But we're not going to get negative; we're not going to point fingers. It was a rough game. It's frustrating to lose at home 2-0 to that team."
To make matters worse, Calgary beat Colorado 2-1 Sunday night to climb within one point of the Blackhawks for the final playoff spot in the West.
Sharp nearing a return
Before Sunday night's game, Quenneville said Patrick Sharp (knee) would be reevaluated after the game. He's been optimistic about the injury all along and if there aren't any further problems, Sharp could return to the ice this week.
