The stick crashed against the glass and broke into pieces. The players, having spent 45 minutes skating rigorously, gathered cautiously in a circle to stretch as coach Trent Yawney and assistants Denis Savard and Butch Cassidy left the ice.
Martin Lapointe went to the center of the circle and unleashed a tirade directed at his teammates about their lot in NHL life after 32 games.
He asked them if this is how they wanted to practice every day and challenged them to change the pattern that has developed in the first three months of the season.
“The coach has to do his job and the GM has to do his job and the players have to do their jobs, and I don’t think the players are doing their jobs right now,” Lapointe said afterward. “We’re not showing up.”
This was a team many expected to be entrenched in a playoff spot in the Western Conference, perhaps even contending for the Central Division title.
Instead, as Christmas approaches, it’s having trouble putting together consistent 60-minute efforts, let alone a two- or three-week run.
Despite having Monday off for the organization’s holiday party, the sour taste of Sunday night’s 5-3 loss to the Dallas Stars was still evident. Efforts like Sunday’s likely would result in losses against Nashville Wednesday night and Detroit Friday night–and all but end their perilous postseason chances.
“We have to figure out a way to bring the effort into every game,” Lapointe said. “There is always a period we take off and that has to stop.”
For his part, Yawney is losing patience and was upset with blown coverages in the defensive zone. He pointed out Dallas’ fourth goal as an example.
Nathan Perrott was the late player on a Dallas rush and was left alone as the Hawks’ backcheckers chased the puck.
“We picked up the wrong guy,” Yawney said.
“We work on that every day in practice, to pick up the highest forward.”
The interesting part of Sunday’s game was listening to the Stars talk afterward about how average they played and the mistakes they made.
Those comments suggest the Stars made their share of errors–mental and physical–as well. The difference is Dallas took advantage of Chicago mistakes while the Hawks didn’t do likewise.
That raises the question of whether the Hawks’ talent level is high enough to overcome mistakes that come to every team in every game.
“We score enough goals,” Yawney said. “We’re scoring three a night, but we’re giving up four and five. That’s not acceptable.”
The Hawks have scored 90 goals this season, 23rd in the 30-team NHL, and are averaging 2.81 goals per game, which ranks 21st.
They have allowed 112 goals, 23rd in the league and an average of 3.50, 24th highest. In any event, Yawney is looking for players to join with Lapointe in playing better.
“For our team to be successful, everybody has to get to the front of the bus and start driving,” Yawney said.
“Someone has to lead that charge. It can’t come from me consistently because I’m getting tired of hearing myself talk.”
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rfoltman@tribune.com
