Entering this season, the Chicago Blackhawks and Chicago Bulls were picked by many to make deep playoff runs in their respective sports. With injuries and up-and-down seasons surrounding both teams, it is only the Blackhawks who have found success this season and clinched a spot in the playoffs.
The Chicago Blackhawks will soon be the only team playing at the United Center in the next couple of weeks. This year’s team has all but secured the third seed in the Western Conference.
The Blackhawks look to add on to their dynasty and are seeking their fourth title in the last seven years, something that has not been accomplished in over a quarter of a century in sports.
Coming off of another championship run last season, the dynamic Hawks have not let up in 2016. After a good start, injuries stated piling up along the way. That, coupled with a red-hot start by a Dallas team on a mission, and the fact that the Blackhawks play in one of the toughest conferences in the NHL, kept Chicago from dominating the entire conference.
As the season comes to a close, the Blackhawks look to get healthy and make another attempt at Lord Stanley’s Cup. With goalie Corey Crawford set to return this weekend; Marian Hossa, Artem Anisimov and Andrew Shaw all look to return to the lineup for the upcoming playoff run.
The Blackhawks, who will finish with the season with over 100 points for the sixth time in the last eight years, also have some individual hardware coming their way. Patrick Kane is poised to win the Art Ross Trophy for leading the NHL in points scored.
Meanwhile, Kane’s line mate Artemi Panarin is a strong contender to win the Calder Memorial Trophy, the league’s outstanding rookie award. He would be the first Blackhawks player to win the award since 2008, when Kane took home the trophy himself.
After going 16-7 in last year’s Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Blackhawks look to repeat their postseason success. The Blackhawks are poised to face one of their division rivals in the first round: the Dallas Stars or the St. Louis Blues.
Chicago has split the series at two games apiece with the Blues this season, but St. Louis has yet to beat the Blackhawks in regulation. Chicago has struggled playing the Stars lately, losing four out of five games to Dallas this year.
With much of their team still intact, Chicago has reputation and experience on their side heading into the playoffs. The Blackhawks are 24-10 in the first two rounds of the playoffs during the past three seasons. The Stanley Cup Playoffs will begin in the middle of April.
