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Emma: Spotlight's On Stan Bowman To Bolster Inconsistent Blackhawks

By Chris Emma--

(CBS) One year ago Monday, Chicago hosted the Boston Bruins on Hockey Day in America for a battle played before a national audience. It was a disastrous day.

The Blackhawks were embarrassed by a beleaguered Bruins team that had dropped six straight game, trailing 6-1 late into the third period before Bryan Bickell deflected a David Rundblad shot in for some Bronx cheers from the restless United Center crowd.

Long after the final horn of a 6-2 pummeling, the Blackhawks stayed in the locker room for a team meeting. They had dropped their third straight game and were drastically underachieving. Needless to say, this group didn't look like a Stanley Cup contender at the time.

Sunday's sorry showing amid the snowglobe-like setting of TCF Bank Stadium in Minneapolis brought back similar feelings from that dark day last season. The Blackhawks fell by a similar 6-1 score and hardly appeared to be playing the same game as the Wild. Their pace on offense was non-existent, and the defensive effort was poor.

The Blackhawks have earned just five points in their last six games -- including a 1-3 stretch in four straight home games -- and are 6-6-1 in the 13 games that followed a 12-game winning streak. What came of Sunday was all around awful.

Coach Joel Quenneville desperately paired Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane when trailing 4-0 in the second period, removed starting goalie Corey Crawford for Scott Darling in the third period and then went with the empty net as seven minutes remained on the clock. He tried every trick, but couldn't get his Blackhawks to full form.

Truth be told, there's a common denominator to games like these -- Sunday's stomping, the poor showing against Dallas 10 days ago, the 5-0 loss in Carolina prior to the NHL's All-Star break and so many we've seen before. The Blackhawks appear to be the Western Conference favorite once again but still have a tendency to take games off. After all, hockey is a game that requires the utmost effort. It was lacking in the Twin Cities.

Of course, if bad games in February are among the greatest frustration for a team that will be playing deep into the spring, it's fine in the Blackhawks' world. By now, Chicago can accept off games better while grasping the reward of three championships the past six years.

The greatest takeaway of the Blackhawks' current state is their need for another top-six forward. The second line of Artemi Panarin, Artem Anisimov and Kane has been outstanding, but Toews is struggling with his top unit -- especially as Marian Hossa misses time with a lower-body injury.

Toews has seen a dip in production, with only 42 points (21 goals and 21 assists) in 60 games. Solidifying the top line should be a priority for the Blackhawks.

Just more than a week stands between the Blackhawks and hockey's Feb. 29 trade deadline. General manager Stan Bowman, architect of some remarkable roster rebuilds, will surely be busy between now and then. Soon following that loss to the Bruins last season, Bowman went out and got the Blackhawks center Antoine Vermette, forward Andrew Desjardins and defenseman Kimmo Timonen -- each key parts to the team's Stanley Cup championship.

Chicago stands atop the Western Conference immediately following its Sunday loss, with 81 points just one ahead of Dallas and two separated from St. Louis. This is arguably the NHL's best team -- despite the dramatic moves of this past offseason -- and is sitting in strong Stanley Cup contention.

A master at the cap crunch, Bowman must look at what he can do in order to deal for Jets captain Andrew Ladd or Hurricanes winger Eric Staal, with each serving as a potentially fantastic fit at left wing alongside Toews and Hossa. Bruins forward Loui Eriksson is another name to watch. Perhaps another veteran role player could provide an important acquisition, like Desjardins did last year.

Help is needed on the blue line, too, where the Blackhawks could use reinforcements to the reliable Duncan Keith, Brent Seabrook and Niklas Hjalmarsson. However, finding a top-six forward remains the top priority.

As currently constructed, the Blackhawks have what it takes to win the Stanley Cup, but that won't stop Bowman from aggressive work prior to the trade deadline. He's been known to work creatively around the cap.

What the Blackhawks showed in Sunday's ugly slugging was their need for Bowman to work his magic. Last season shifted quickly when Vermette, Desjardins and Timonen came to town and bolstered a championship roster.

As for the lackluster effort on the national stage? The Blackhawks are at their best come time for the Stanley Cup chase.

Chris Emma covers the Chicago sports scene and more for CBSChicago.com. Follow him on Twitter @CEmma670 and like his Facebook page.

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