Seth Jones didn’t mince words, his turnover during the Chicago Blackhawks’ 5-2 loss to the Calgary Flames on Monday undermined a potential rally.
“We had to find momentum on the five-minute power play, we score a goal, and just a boneheaded play by me, and it’s 5-2 and it feels out of reach again,” he told reporters after practice at Fifth Third Arena on Tuesday.
About two minutes before his gaff, Connor Bedard scored a power-play goal (Martin Pospíšil had committed a boarding major against Taylor Hall) to help the Hawks draw within 4-2.
But as the power play continued, Jones made a bad pass in the neutral zone to the Flames’ Jonathan Huberdeau, and Yegor Sharangovich finished off the counterattack with a shorthanded goal.
“I destroyed the momentum there,” Jones said. “Just try to make simple plays like we always talk about, find a way to string shifts and periods together.”
Interim coach Anders Sorensen said he has had talks with Jones about his play, and the Hawks have been trying to help him get out of his slump.
“He’s an accountable guy,” Sorensen said. “He knows when he’s not doing well. It’s not like he’s saying, ‘Oh, I’m playing great here.’ He’s aware.”
Jones has had a minus-8 rating through the 11 games since returning Dec. 21 from a right foot injury that sidelined him for more than a month.
But Jones said his injury hasn’t played any part in his recent struggles.
“No, I have to find a way to be better,” he said.
Jones, and his eight-year, $76 million contract signed in July 2021, have frequently been the target of some Hawks fans on social media. And he’s not oblivious.
“It’s been since Day 1 that I signed here, so it’s nothing new,” he said.
But he got direct feedback from the United Center crowd in the form of boos at certain times when he touched the puck.
“Yeah, that’s tough,” Jones said. “We’re obviously not putting the product on the ice that we want to and I’ll gladly take the blame for that. That’s what comes with the territory of the contract that I got and I’m willing to stand in front of that.
“It’s unfortunate. The losing obviously doesn’t help any of that at all, and the position we’ve been in the last few years. But start with myself and we can always find a way to be better.”
Jones has played in 28 of 44 games, but he still leads Hawks defensemen with three goals and is second in points (15) to Alex Vlasic (17).
Despite the frosty reception Jones gets from Hawks faithful, his contract indicates he’s a centerpiece of what the Hawks are trying to build on and off the ice.
“He’s a big part of what we’re trying to do here,” team captain Nick Foligno said. “Obviously there’s all of us who can play better, Seth included. That’s something I think everyone takes personal.”
