"Making up for the loss of defenseman Brian Campbell hasn't been easy for the Blackhawks. His absence has forced coach Joel Quenneville to juggle his pairings, power-play units and lines.

''It's obviously important minutes, a lot of quality minutes,'' Quenneville said. ''One thing with Soupy that he brings is the element of the pace coming out of our end, his speed off the rush. In offensive zone cycles, he's dangerous as well. Maybe our puck-possession game isn't as smooth as it was or we would like it to be.''

Campbell took plenty of risks offensively and was a key part of the Hawks' overall strategy because of his abilities to move the puck and skate. He had 38 points and a plus-18 rating in 68 games before suffering a fractured rib and collarbone when he was hit by Alex Ovechkin on March 14.

The Hawks' recent slide might have started before Campbell's injury, but it deepened without him. It doesn't help that Kim Johnsson has missed the last nine games with what still is being called an ''upper-body'' injury. "