By Mark Lazerus (The Athletic)

DENVER — Let’s face it, the Blackhawks are kind of boring these days. They’re good enough to compete with most teams on most nights but not good enough to make you think they can put together the sort of miracle run needed to get back into the playoff picture. They’re a likable bunch that’s having fun and trying hard. They’re … fine.

You can thank Derek King for that. And that’s no dig.

Think back to what it was like in early November, just before the ax fell on Jeremy Colliton. The Blackhawks were 1-9-2. They were giving up nearly four goals per game and scoring a little more than two. All while the infuriating and heartbreaking results of the Jenner & Block investigation into the sexual-assault lawsuits filed by Kyle Beach and John Doe 2 cast an appalling pall over everything the organization did and had done. Fans were disgusted. Players who were kids or in other organizations back in 2010 were tense as hell. The top brass were ousted, and some of the best memories in recent Chicago history were forever tainted.

It was probably the lowest point the franchise ever reached.

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