from Steve Rosenbloom of the Chicago Tribune,

Thieves or stiffs? How best to describe the Blackhawks’ effort against the dreaded Red Wings at the United Center on Sunday?

First, don’t call it an effort. That’s why thieves fits. The players ripped off the fans and the organ-I-zation with a heartless approach not seen since then-coach Denis Savard demanded that they “commit to the Indian.’’

Then again, stiffs also works for the way they refused to deliver a professional product against an inferior opponent.

I don’t want to hear about early vacation ahead of their five-day break. The Hawks had a bad opponent coming off a bad game the day before, and they blew it. The Hawks had a day off following a big win over a conference playoff team, finally, for the first time in a month, and they gagged, losing to a team that came in with nine fewer points. That’s what stiffs do. They get shut out at home 4-0 by the aged Red Wings after all that. A joke. Pathetic.

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