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Seth Jones after shutout loss: ‘It sucks losing like this'

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It's been a challenge all season long for the Blackhawks to score goals, which is why Friday's offensive explosion in an 8-5 win over New Jersey was a little bit of a weight lifted off their shoulders. That also ended a seven-game winless skid at home.

Unfortunately for the Blackhawks, they couldn't capitalize on that momentum on Sunday afternoon. They were shut out for the sixth time this season — second against the St. Louis Blues — and gave their fans little to cheer about.

Seth Jones has been really good since being acquired by Chicago over the offseason, but you can sense the dejection in his voice when talking about another defeat in which the Blackhawks didn't give themselves a chance. 

"I hope it's getting through our heads here," Jones said following the 4-0 loss. "It sucks losing like this, at home, the way we're losing. It's not fun for us, for the fans, for anybody."

Jones, of course, signed an eight-year extension with the Blackhawks one week after the trade, which indicated he wants to finish his career in Chicago. You don't sign a contract like that if you don't believe the future for the organization is bright, and the Blackhawks' trajectory appeared to be pointing up after the flurry of offseason moves.

Patrick Kane has been here for the highest of highs in franchise history and has been one of the leaders in helping the Blackhawks try to maintain a winning culture through the retooling seasons. He doesn't want the younger players to get comfortable with losing, and he doesn't get the sense that they are.

"I think a lot of what’s been going on the last couple of years, you lose games and all of a sudden you start thinking, is this OK? Is this the way it should be?" Kane said after Friday's game. "But when you start looking in the mirror and start taking it upon yourself to make something happen every shift and know the moment that’s on the line, when it gets to crunch time, a lot of these young guys are really doing well in that position, so it’s good to see."

The Blackhawks have relied way too heavily this season on Marc-Andre Fleury, who masks the team's flaws as best as he can. But at some point, they need to figure things out in front of him, because who knows where the Blackhawks would be without him.

"He stood on his head," interim head coach Derek King said. "He was unbelievable. He keeps us in the games every night. ... I don't know know what else to say about this guy."

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