In a cramped room deep inside PPG Paints Arena late Saturday night, Patrick Kane went out of his way, unprompted, multiple times, to make clear his support of Blackhawks coach Jeremy Colliton.
But in doing so, Kane also indirectly acknowledged his awareness of the mounting pressure on Colliton, whose patient, reasoned approach has yet to yield much tangible success entering his fourth season and whose intensive training camp immediately led into a disastrous first week of this season.
“There obviously needs to be some urgency to get in the win column and play better and have better starts,” Kane said after the 5-2 loss to the Penguins. “But for us, I think we’re a good enough team [and] well-enough coached to get out from underneath this and turn it around.”
He emphasized the same sentiment again a few minutes later.
“We’ll find a way to turn it around,” he said. “Like I said, I have a lot of confidence in the team we have [and] the coaching staff.”
One glance at social media and it becomes clear how strongly and sharply the Hawks’ fan base has turned on Colliton, a man they never completely accepted after the front office pulled a quick trigger on Joel Quenneville in 2017.
Nearly every reply to the Hawks’ official final score tweet Saturday calls for his firing. His introduction as coach during the home opener pregame ceremony Tuesday, something the Hawks probably shouldn’t but traditionally must do, will be met by loud boos raining down around the United Center.
After just three games, Chicago’s previous skepticism of Colliton has quickly morphed into unequivocal condemnation and, in some cases, outright hostility. And many of the hostiles assume Kane and Jonathan Toews — the two beloved veterans (and two Quenneville products) still chugging — feel the same distaste toward Colliton, if only secretly.
Kane almost certainly does not, however. He has been a vocal supporter of the young coach since his first months in charge — they see the game similarly — and that hasn’t changed with one bad week.
But that doesn’t mean Colliton remains as secure as ever in his role. Expectations are far different this season than in his first three, now that general manager Stan Bowman has committed to spending big and promptly contending again.
An 0-2-1 opening road trip with two blowout losses doesn’t exactly look like contention. Colliton’s typical rhetoric about stringing good shifts together, hybrid defensive system characterized by lots of chasing and mellow, analytical, never fiery persona will start falling flat if not finally backed up by winning.
Many have recently mentioned the Hawks’ history of early-season firings, be it Denis Savard four games into 2008-09 or Quenneville 15 games into 2017-18. Colliton’s leash will be longer than that. The organization entered 2008 and 2017 looking for reasons to fire Savard and Quenneville; it did not enter 2021 with the same mindset. But his leash isn’t endless anymore.
And Kane, too, must improve if the Hawks are to do the same as a team. After not skating hard all summer and entering camp still somewhat inhibited by his nagging injury from last season, Kane hasn’t played like his usual dominant self yet.
He predictably holds the scoring lead with four points (one goal and three assists) through three games. But during his 47 even-strength minutes so far, the Hawks have been outscored 6-1 and swamped in scoring chances, 32-15.
“Sometimes the start of the season is a little weird,” Kane said. “I’ve never been a great preseason or training camp player. For whatever reason, I kind of feel out the games. I probably [need to] dictate it a little bit more and take over at certain times, but I’ve felt better as each game has went on.”
As the Hawks’ downward trajectory approaches a crisis point, no one involved is free from blame.
