The Chicago Blackhawks are on the brink of elimination from this years Stanley Cup Playoffs, but this isn’t the first time with their backs against the wall.
In the conference semifinals last year, Chicago fell behind, by then western conference rival, the Detroit Redwings. There’s a few similarities from that series that should keep the Blackhawk faithful from pushing the panic button.
The first being Chicago basically the same roster.
Chicago is packed with high scoring forwards, between; Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews, Patrick Sharp, Marian Hossa, and Mr. Playoff Brian Bickell, there is still plenty of offensive fire power to go around. Towes and Bickell are among the playoff leading goal scorers, with 8 and 7 respectively.
On the defensive side, few teams block shots the way the Blackhawks defenseman do. The first pair on defense of Duncan Keith, a Norris Trophy finalist, and Brent Seabrook both have double digits in points. Not to be out done the brick wall that is Niklas Hjalmarsson, blocks more shots than the majority of defenders on the ice. Add Nick Leddy, Michal Rozsival, and Johnny Oduya you have one stacked defense.
Special teams is something that will have to change for the Hawks. Scoring an abysmal 17.4% on the power play, only the New York Rangers have a worse active PP. However on the penalty kill, Chicago is second best among active playoff teams stopping 84.5% of their chances.
The last aspect, goaltending. Corey Crawford hasn’t gotten enough credit. The majority of the press has been calling him mediocre, and even calling for Antti Raanta after the last game. But I wouldn’t take the Stanley Cup winning goalie out just yet. At home this post season he is 7-1. He’s not playing too far off from his regular season statistics. Crawford is boasting a .918 save % and 2.34 goals against average, compared to the regular season where he had a .917 sv% and 2.26 GAA.
The huge stat for the rest of the series is that 2/3 games are at ‘The Madhouse on Madison’. The Madhouse will surely be rocking tonight and hopefully Sunday. Chicago is 7-1 at home this post season, the only loss coming in a questionable game 2. Where it appeared the referees had their own agenda for the Kings to win that game.
As Seabrook said this morning, “We’ve got to come out, we’ve got to lay everything on the line or else our season’s over. I think we understand that.”
The home ice will be huge for the Blackhawks down the stretch this series. The big question is if they get to game 6, can they take the one game need to in LA.
It will be no easy task to win out, to make it to the Stanley Cup Finals. They’ll need their top scorers to step it up the rest of the series. If there is a roster that can make this ground up, It’s the Chicago Blackhawks.
Game Prediction
Blackhawks 4-2 in a noisy ‘Madhouse on Madison’
photo credit: getty images gifs: sohockeyeh, peteblackburn