Chicago Blackhawks

The Chicago Blackhawks left Western Canada on a less than positive note for the second time this season. As they did in November, the 'Hawks dropped three straight games to Vancouver, Edmonton and Calgary.

Patrick Kane delivered a goal for the ages on Saturday night, courtesy of the NHL All-Star Skills Competition.

The Chicago Blackhawks star was taking part in the Breakaway Challenge, giving the league's best scorers the chance to show off what they can do one-on-one against the goalie. 

There has been a lot of criticism towards Patrick Kane as of late. Most of it is coming as Kane is currently in one of the worst slumps of his NHL career.

Fans have speculated that Kane could be traded for a player with more "grit" and more "determination." But the simple truth is Kane is an elite player in his own way, and many teams would love to have the abilities that he brings to the table.

The Chicago Blackhawks have 14 games remaining against the teams in the Central Division, starting with a pair of games with Nashville. The home and home gets started on Saturday night when the the league-leading Blackhawks travel to take on the fourth-place Nashville Predators.

The Chicago Blackhawks have a dilemma with All-Star winger Patrick Kane.

What will it take to get Kane back into the All-Star form that led the Blackhawks to a Stanley Cup Championship?

As of late, Kane seems to be struggling to find the back of the net. He has played six games in January, racking up a total of three points and a minus-three rating. In the past four games Kane has mustered only one assist in 82 minutes of quality ice time.  

Daniel Carcillo's ride with the Chicago Blackhawks came to a tumultuous conclusion Friday with the news that the infamous forward will be undergoing knee surgery to correct a torn ACL suffered in a January 2nd game with Edmonton.

At the beginning of the 2011-12 hockey season, Andrew Shaw was trying to find a spot on the fourth line of the Rockford Ice Hogs. Friday night, Shaw centered two NHL All-Stars.

A year ago at this time, Jimmy Hayes was attending Boston College. On Friday, Hayes played power play minutes in Chicago's 4-0 loss to Colorado at the United Center.

Friday, December 30 was the Chicago Blackhawks' final game of the 2011 calendar year, and it ended in a 3-2 win over longtime rival Detroit Red Wings.

This win over Detroit was not a cheap one. Joel Quenneville and the Hawks had to work for everything they earned during all 60 minutes of fast-paced, physical hockey.

December was a kind month for the Chicago Blackhawks, but January will be much more of a challenge, and every game is important for the West's top team.

There are 13 games on Chicago's January schedule—five games are against division opponents, nine opponents are Western Conference foes, and 11 of the 13 opponents have a record over .500. 

The Chicago Blackhawks have utilized some of their young talent in Rockford in the season's first three months. A trio of forwards may factor into the club's plans as the season wears on.

Marcus Kruger, Ben Smith, Jeremy Morin and Brandon Pirri have all seen action at the NHL level so far. It's a safe bet that one or more of these players are going to contribute to Chicago's fortunes in 2012.