The numbers don't lie: The Blackhawks had 0.7 percent chance of making the playoffs going into Saturday's game against the Blue Jackets.
And while Hawks coach Joel Quenneville doesn't want to believe those numbers, he knows the odds of his team winning 17 or so of its final 19 games in order to have a chance is a long shot.
"I don't want to go there," Quenneville said before those odds dropped even more thanks to the Hawks' 3-2 loss against the Blue Jackets on Saturday night after Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio. "I just want to try to win one game knowing that's the reality, knowing if we go on more than an amazing run, that's what it will take."
The Blackhawks received goals Saturday from some unexpected places. Their first came after Ryan Hartman's backhand attempt glanced off the skate of center David Kampf just under two minutes in.
But Cam Atkinson, who earlier during the first was denied by a diving Jordan Oesterle, tied the score 1-1 with a power-play goal with just over two minutes left.
Tomas Jurco made the most of a picture-perfect pass from Patrick Kane for his second-period goal, and his first of the season. But that 2-1 lead was short-lived.
Pierre-Luc Dubois scored with 5:40 left to once again erase any momentum the Hawks had.
Josh Anderson put the Blue Jackets ahead for good when he stopped short against Duncan Keith in front of the net and put the puck past Forsberg with 8:45 left.
