"Somewhere in the United Center, star forwards Patrick Sharp and Jonathan Toews watched and eagerly waited for their wrist/hand injuries to heal.

What happened on the ice had to be as tough on them as it was for their fans to stomach.

The Blackhawks fell behind by two goals in the first period, failed to get anything going in the second, then saw their rally fall short in the third as the Nashville Predators passed them in the standings with a 3-1 victory Tuesday. "