Feb. 11--Headed into the Feb. 29 trade deadline, the Blackhawks seem as if they have a need for both a top-four defenseman or a top-six winger, ideally someone to play on the first line alongside Jonathan Toews and Marian Hossa. But they may not have salary-cap room for both.
Consider Tuesday's 2-0 loss to the Sharks a case for the Hawks to obtain a winger.
Without Artemi Panarin, who missed the game because of an illness, the Hawks still managed to put 33 shots on Martin Jones, but Panarin was one less skilled weapon on the ice for the Hawks and one fewer dangerous player the opposition has to account for. As a result, the Hawks were shut out for the sixth time.
"He's such a high-level, high-skilled offensive player," Hossa said. "It's not always about one guy but definitely he can make a difference."
Coach Joel Quenneville mixed up who he put in Panarin's spot alongside Patrick Kane and Artem Anisimov.
Teuvo Teravainen was there most of the time while Richard Panik got some looks as well. But the Hawks failed to generate many high-danger scoring chances during 5-on-5 play.
Outside of Toews and Hossa, the Hawks had just four from the rest of the roster. None from Kane and one from Anisimov, according to war-on-ice.com.
Paying the penalty: The possession numbers Tuesday were fairly even with the Hawks losing the 5-on-5 battle 48-42 but winning the overall battle 57-51 thanks to three power plays to the Sharks' one.
But it was the one penalty the Hawks committed that did them in.
Patrick Marleau scored on that power play in the second period and that goal stood alone until Joe Thornton added an empty netter late. The Sharks had the fourth-best power play in the league entering Wednesday and have scored a power-play goal in each of their three games against the Hawks.
One-timers: The Hawks announced a partnership with Univision Chicago, which will have the team's first-ever Spanish language radio broadcast March 6 against the Red Wings. The broadcast will air on WRTO-AM 1200. ... The upcoming game between alumni of the Hawks and the Wild (and former North Stars organization players) will air at 4 p.m. Feb. 20 on CSN, the day before the Hawks play an outdoor game against the Wild at TCF Bank Stadium in Minneapolis.
