Hawks' effort testing Toews patience

The burden of true greatness is often the inability to understand or accept weakness in others.

And that may be the greatest challenge facing Jonathan Toews in a season that promised difficulty and to this point hasn't fallen short of predictions for the Blackhawks.

From his words and actions there is a sense that Captain Serious is seriously close to volcanic eruption, his eyes coming dangerously close to removing themselves from his face in a fit of anger over the Hawks' lack of effort.

“We're better than this,” Toews said after a recent loss. “The effort is unacceptable, and the motivation has to come from in the room.”

Toews does, after all, have a bit of Michael Jordan in him, and nothing sickens him more than seeing teammates who aren't disturbed by defeat, or anyone giving less than 100 percent.

And that has certainly been the issue with the Hawks thus far.

Yes, it's true they've lost a lot of talent, and the depth of skill is a distant memory. They aren't nearly the team they were when they danced with Lord Stanley's bowl.

Nevertheless, the Hawks kept their nine best skaters and have a better goaltender than a year ago, and that half a team ought to be good enough for a fifth or sixth seed in the West.

A repeat may be impossible in the NHL even under the best of circumstances, but the Hawks should still be able to win a round or two once they rediscover their desperation.

Through the first 17 games, there has been little or none of that.

They lack emotion and therefore lack the need to win. They haven't found the fight necessary to win puck battles and they haven't fought for separation. Their puck support has been atrocious, shot blocking occasional and backchecking awful.

It's all missing, and it's all a result of the hangover that robs teams of their desire to compete.

The trophy is so hard to win and sucks so much energy from each individual that the mere thought of going through it all again is exhausting.

The Hawks were not to be denied last year. They would not allow any player or any team to keep them from their destiny. You saw it in every small battle and you saw it in every big game.

They would not quit. They could not quit.

It is the very reason they won the Stanley Cup. It's what differentiated them from the teams they defeated in the postseason.

But that energy is long gone. The boys don't have it physically and most important they don't have it emotionally.

They don't possess a reason to win at the moment, because all together now they've already won.

It's been about 15 minutes since they won the Cup and getting up for regular-season games in November falls under the category of, “Wake me in March when it matters.”

The fact is the Hawks have plenty of talent. Their top players are still as good as any in the game, and while they might not have the depth needed to win it all, they are good enough to make the playoffs and make a run and then you never know.

What you hope to see is the light going on again, that at some point on a long road trip, or after Christmas, or nearing the trade deadline, the players realize the game is still fun and there are plenty of wins out there for them if they just care enough to win.

One suspects that there will be a time this year when they wake up and smell the opportunity in front of them.

Effort is everything in the NHL, and the more desperate team will win 99 percent of the time, more talented or not.

And that is what's killing Jonathan Toews. He knows his team isn't what it was last year, but he also knows the Hawks are better than they've played.

He sees guys coasting, failing to take the extra step, unwilling to fight for the puck, unable to help Marty Turco.

Physical mistakes are one thing, but mental gaffes and lack of preparation are another.

It's not in his nature to understand a lack of will, and Toews can't remain under control much longer.

He is still giving every ounce of himself out there, and through gritted teeth, a bright red face and a soaked shirt, Toews has mostly held his tongue, but his blood must be boiling.

And if the Hawks don't start showing up soon, an explosion is coming.

When it happens, they best get on board or get out of the way.

brozner@dailyherald.com