The Chicago Blackhawks face a slew of “What if?” questions after they dropped a 4-2 series to the Phoenix Coyotes after a 4-0 loss. Joel Quenneville isn’t denying the relevance of Marian Hossa’s absence, for one thing, as he told Adam Jahns that his loss was “the turning point of the series.”
Hossa went without a point in two full games to start the series and didn’t register one through about three minutes of ice time in Game 3, when Raffi Torres landed that controversial check. Obviously Hossa wasn’t on fire to start things off, but considering the fact that the first five contests went to overtime, having one of their best snipers might have made the difference.
(Of course, much more could have been different anyway, but let’s mosey around that discussion instead.)
The Blackhawks will look back with plenty of questions, yet the future is the most important concern. Hossa’s health remains a relevant factor, and according to Quenneville, the talented winger is very early on in the road to recovery. Jahns reports that Hossa “wasn’t doing very well at all” but today was the first day he was able to leave his house.