Chicago Blackhawks: Three keys to beating the Edmonton Oilers

How can the Chicago Blackhawks defeat the Edmonton Oilers in a five-game series?

Sneaking into the NHL’s return-to-play 24-team playoff, the Chicago Blackhawks face an uphill battle against the number five seed Edmonton Oilers. Once bottom feeders in the early 2010s, the Oilers are an up and coming team loaded with offensive firepower. And taken with the first overall pick in the 2015 NHL Draft, Connor McDavid has lived up to the hype, recognized as one of the best players in the league.

Along with Leon Draisaitl, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, and Zack Kassian, the Oilers have so much talent on the offensive side of the puck. The Blackhawks have the playoff experience, and while the supporting cast has changed, the core that won three Stanley Cups cannot be ignored. Still, under normal circumstances, the Blackhawks would not have made the playoffs as they enter into this next chapter of the storied franchise.

But while the league determines select hub cities and eventually dates to resume play, the two teams will meet in a best-of-five series qualifying round. How can the Blackhawks defeat the Oilers?

1. The Chicago Blackhawks must be better on the power play

It’s been a reoccurring issue for this team. Not since the 2015-2016 season have the Blackhawks ranked within the top-ten in power play scoring. They had a brief resurgence last year, ranking 15th in the league, but the Blackhawks have fallen to the bottom again, converting on just 14.9 percent of all power plays.

For reference, the Oilers are atop the rankings, converting nearly 30 percent of the time. The Blackhawks can try to limit the number of penalties they commit, but the fact of the matter is that it’s just part of the game. They’ve allowed just 37 goals in such scenarios this year, which puts them within the top ten.

However, Edmonton allowed the fewest number of goals on the power play. For the Blackhawks to advance, they’ll need to convert on more than 15 percent of power play opportunities and continue to limit the damage on the defensive side.

2. The Blackhawks need more from Brandon Saad

Looking at the team’s top two lines, an argument can be made that they are somewhat comparable in terms of overall production. I still give the edge to Edmonton here, but despite his lackluster play since returning to Chicago, Brandon Saad has come up big in several playoff games with the Blackhawks.

Before he was traded to Columbus, Saad scored eight goals and had three assists for 11 total points and a +5 plus-minus rating during the Hawks third Stanley Cup run. He was limited to 58 games this year because of an ankle injury sustained in December, but he had a strong February, scoring seven goals with three assists for ten points and a +4 plus-minus rating in 14 games.

Saad also had a goal and an assist in March before the shutdown, so let’s hope he was starting to gain some momentum for a big playoff run.

3. Corey Crawford has to play lights out against the Oilers firepower

Corey Crawford will become an unrestricted free agent after this season ends. He’s had some huge games for the Blackhawks during the two Stanley Cup runs that he was part of. His future remains in the balance, given his recent injury history and the Blackhawks’ options at the position; however, he could make it an easy decision for the Hawks’ front office to bring him back with a strong performance against the Oilers.

The start of the season was not kind to Crawford, allowing 3.67 goals in October and 3.78 goals in December, but he’s put together three terrific months to close out the year, despite a subpar defense playing in front of him. Like Saad, Crawford was great in February, posting a .927 saving percentage with 2.56 GAA in ten games.

Robin Lehner is no longer an option after being traded to Las Vegas, and Malcolm Subban played in just one game this year, so Crawford – at age 35 – will need to be a key factor for the Blackhawks against the Oilers.