They did just that, too, as the Blackhawks stumbled out of the gate. They were more or less out of playoff contention for much of the season. Only recently, aided by an eight-game winning streak, have the Blackhawks crawled back into playoff contention — all the way into the eighth and final Western Conference playoff spot.
The playoff race in the West has been razor-thin all season and it looks like it will go down to the wire that way. Only three points separate No. 7 Anaheim and No. 10 Dallas.
The rest of the Western Conference playoff teams must be hoping that Chicago starts to fade, as even though they were forced to trade away and not resign some of its top talent, they are still pretty loaded. Patrick Sharp and Jonathan Toews are still two of the game’s best young talents (although Sharp has missed some time with a knee injury, but is reportedly progressing well). Duncan Keith and Jordan Seabrook help provide formidable defense on the blue line and the emergence of rookie goalie Corey Crawford has been a pleasant surprise.
The Blackhawks have the last spot secured for now, and they have a game in hand on the teams they’re in the race against. That may be enough, but it’s going to take some consistency in the final few weeks if the Blackhawks are to defend their Stanley Cup title into the playoffs this year.
If they can get in, they’ll be a tough out, but when the puck drops on Tuesday, that will still be nothing more than an “if.”
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Will the Chicago Blackhawks make the playoffs?survey software
