Chicago Blackhawks: 2014-2015 Season Preview

The Chicago Blackhawks stood in shock and utter disappointment on the other end of the ice as the Los Angeles Kings celebrated their overtime victory in Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals and advanced to the Stanley Cup Final for the second time in the last three seasons.

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Puck Prose

After yet another playoff comeback that saw the Blackhawks come from a 3-1 series deficit to force a Game 7, the defending champs left couldn’t pull off one more frantic finish and fell to the eventual champs on home ice at the United Center, 5-4.

Such a crushing defeat for the Blackhawks could really change things in the years to come, right?

Wrong.

Dead wrong.

Sure, some faces have changed (Hello, Brad Richards and Goodbye, Nick Leddy), but the goal for the five-time Stanley Cup Champions remains the same: Raising Lord Stanley in June.

So, what does the 2014-2015 season look like for the Chicago Blackhawks?

Vegas likes the ‘Hawks

Chicago opens the season as Vegas’ odds-on favorite to win the Stanley Cup in June at 6-1. The defending champion Kings come in as 8-1 favorite to repeat.

(Reminder: No NHL club has repeated as Stanley Cup Champions since the Detroit Red Wings in 1997-1998.)

The Boston Bruins, the team that the Blackhawks defeated in six games to win the 2013 Stanley Cup comes in with the second-best odds at 7-1. Those three clubs are followed by Pittsburgh (who is tied with Los Angeles at 8-1), Anaheim (10-1), with San Jose, St. Louis and Minnesota all coming in with 12-1 odds.

(Another reminder: Don’t look to ESPN for quality hockey coverage. “Pro Hockey Championship“?)

“The Tazer & Kaner Show” is here to stay

Cha-ching!

Two of the most popular athletes in the history of Chicago sports saw lucrative paydays in the offseason. Center Jonathan Toews and right winger Patrick Kane both signed monster, eight-year, $84 million contract extensions to stay with the Blackhawks for a very loooong time.

The catalysts to the Blackhawks becoming of the best franchise in the National Hockey League, Toews and Kane provide fans with a show on the ice on a nightly basis. Between Toews’ grit, elite-level skill and the pure will to win and Kane’s flashy, yet unbelievable offensive skill-set, Blackhawk fans will be spoiled for the upcoming season and beyond.

(Also, more dance-offs at the Blackhawks Summer Convention too.)

Seven months of playoff hockey … before the playoffs

No ifs, ands or buts about it: The Chicago Blackhawks play in the toughest division in hockey. The Central Division possesses (arguably) five Stanley Cup title contenders: Chicago, Colorado, Dallas, Minnesota and St. Louis.

Between the dangerous and deadly Avalanche offensive attack, the up-and-coming Stars, the gritty, fiesty Wild and the ol’ rival Blues, the Blackhawks begin the postseason in October, not April.

It’s hard enough to make it out of the Western Conference Playoffs. It may be even harder to make it out of the Central Division.

Key regular season meetings

Whenever and wherever the Blackhawks play, it’s sure to gain loads of attention from hockey fans.

Here are some key match-ups for the ‘Hawks in 2014-2015:

• Blackhawks at Dallas, Oct. 9th – Season opener

• Blackhawks at St. Louis, Oct. 25th – First meeting since the ‘Hawks eliminated the Blues in last year’s playoffs

• Blackhawks vs. Anaheim, Oct. 28th – Western Conference Finals preview?

• Five-game West Coast trip – Nov. 20th – Nov. 29th (Calgary, Edmonton, Vancouver, Colorado, Anaheim and Los Angeles. Ouch.)

• Blackhawks at Boston, Dec. 11th – 17 seconds. ‘Nuff said.

• Blackhawks at New York (Isles), Dec. 13th – Hello again, Nick Leddy

• Blackhawks at Washington, New Year’s Day – 2015 Bridgestone Winter Classic

• Seven-game road trip against six playoff teams, then an eight-game homestand against four playoff teams – Jan. 21st – Feb. 24th

• Four division games to close out the season (Colorado, Minnesota and St. Louis (twice)) – Apr. 5th – 11th

> 107 points?

In the 2013-2014 season, the Blackhawks finished third in the Central Division with a 46-21-15 mark (107 points). On the United Center ice, the ‘Hawks finished 27-7-7, sixth-best in the NHL. Playing on the road was another story for the Blackhawks, as they finished 19-14-8 on the year.

Sure, the Los Angeles Kings proved that home-ice advantage can be snatched up in the blink of an eye, but come the warmer months, everyone’s vying to play playoff hockey on their home ice.

The last time the ‘Hawks had the best mark in hockey, they won the (cursed) President’s Trophy and won Lord Stanley … on the road of course.

Points are points and the Blackhawks are going to need a bunch to survive the brutal Western Conference.