"The Blackhawks have conga-lined to the penalty box in the last two outings during a five-game losing streak, with 11 penalties, including a double-minor, collected in all. Jonathan Toews can appreciate the reasons for some of this, in a way.

That way, more specifically: Barely concealed seething contempt.

"There are some unfortunate situations where maybe you get your stick up here and the guy throws his head back and that's all the ref sees, so he pretty much has to call it," the Hawks captain said Monday after practice."