The defending champion Chicago Blackhawks wild season has come to an end. Thanks to the Minnesota Wild, the Hawks have the opportunity to defend the Stanley Cup because of the Wild’s 5-3 win over Dallas this past Sunday. There could not have been a better way to sum up the Hawks’ regular season roller coaster ride than the way it finished on Sunday.
Fans are going to have high expectations for their team the year following a championship. However, this year was different for the Blackhawks. Following the Stanley Cup championship, it was a matter of days before they had to unload contracts in order to maintain the NHL’s salary cap. Dustin Byfuglien, a key player in the Hawks playoff run last year, was sent to Atlanta, and his presence was missed dearly. Big Buff leads all blueliners in goals this year, and that’s not surprising because of how many game-winning goals the guy scored throughout the playoffs last year. On top of that, he was selected to his first All-Star Game.
Shortly after Byfuglien was traded to Atlanta, Andrew Ladd followed. The two-time Stanley Cup champion was nothing more than a role player for last year’s Blackhawks. This year, he was the captain of the Thrashers. In a salary-capped sport, it’s nearly impossible to replace two players of their caliber when a team has a core set of guys occupying the majority of the team’s cap.
On top of losing key role players from last year’s championship team, the Blackhawks could not remain healthy throughout the entire season. Hossa, Toews, Kane, Sharp, Bolland, Brouwer, and even Coach Q had to miss games due to injuries or illnesses. Only Brent Seabrook and Duncan Keith were able to play all 82 games in the regular season. However, the Hawks managed to squeak their way into the postseason and give themselves a chance to bring home Lord Stanley’s Cup for the second straight year. It’s just a matter of time until we find out whether or not the Hawks will be back-to-back champions.
This Wednesday the Blackhawks begin the Western Conference Quarterfinals against Bobby Lou (Roberto Luongo) and the Vancouver Canucks. The Canucks held the NHL’s best record this year, however, the Blackhawks were fortunate enough to bounce the ‘Nucks from the Western Conference Semifinals the past two years. This year’s Blackhawks team is nowhere near the same team as last year’s, but if they are 100% healthy throughout the playoffs they have a chance to make another run. Dave Bolland and Troy Brouwer’s return from injuries for the opening round is key for the team to prevail. My optimistic instinct is to say these two guys will be ready for playoff hockey, and will do what they have to in order to raise the Cup another year.
If the Hawks are healthy, they will win the series with Vancouver in six games. If, and when the Hawks beat Vancouver, they have all the momentum and are the team to beat in the Western Conference.
History will be made.
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