Olczyk: Still A Work In Progress
Last year, playing at the United Center meant nearly a guaranteed win for the Blackhawks. This year, however, it's been a much different story. And that's led Blackhawks fans to wonder why the team has struggled so much on home ice.
"I think it's a combination of things," Blackhawks analyst Eddie Olczyk said on Wednesday's Mully and Hanley Show. "It's a lot of new players. Not a full lineup for Joel Quenneville to put in the [game] each and every night. And when you have different combinations going, it takes time and we know the changeover and the turnover. And that's not an excuse, that's just a fact."
LISTEN: Eddie Olczyk On The Mully And Hanley Show
Podcast
Blackhawks fans understand the turnover, but they also see the core players like Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews and Dave Bolland still around and the team still struggling.
"This team is not as deep as it has been in the past. When you get guys off to a slow start its going to make life awfully difficult. It's great though that Patrick Sharp is off to a great start early in the year, along with Marian Hossa."
According to Olczyk, the main thing holding the team back in consistency. "They haven't been able to put teams away. You let a team like Edmonton hang around or you let a team like New Jersey hang around, and you give them confidence. You have to find consistency and I think it's just a work in progress."
