Chicago Blackhawks: Work will be needed to beat Columbus

The Chicago Blackhawks are playing a two-game set with the Columbus Blue Jackets this week in Columbus.

This is a Blue Jackets team that has had an up and down season so far but they are right in the mix for a playoff berth in the Central Division. In fact, the Hawks and Jackets have both played 19 games and are only separated by two standings points. This is a huge set of games for each team involved. You can bet that teams like the Dallas Stars and Nashville Predators will be interested in the results of these as well.

Columbus has made one of the NHL’s biggest trades we have seen in a long time this season. They sent Pierre-Luc Dubois to the Winnipeg Jets in exchange for Patrik Laine and Jack Roslovic. It was a change of scenery that was much needed for Dubois and Laine who were the third and second overall pick in the same draft. Roslovic, a Columbus native, is a talented player that had no room in Winnipeg but knew he could take the next step if he was given some good ice.

Now, a John Tortatella coached squad is always going to be competitive. They don’t have to be the most talented team on the ice but they are going to work. That has been a big key to Chicago’s success so far this season as Jeremy Colliton has his guys working hard every night. This is going to be a very tight game that should be wildly entertaining.

If the Hawks are going to win, it will probably depend on Patrick Kane making an extra sweet play along with some good goaltending. In addition to that, they just need to continue being hard on pucks, strong in their own end and see their young players make a few plays a game. We have seen it a bunch this season so there is no reason to think it can’t continue.

With how close these two teams are in the standings, it is clear that they are big games. The Hawks have exceeded all expectations so far this season so getting the job done is almost to be expected. With their game on Saturday night being canceled, they had an extra day to rest. It was supposed to be a second game against the Carolina Hurricanes but the NHL forced the Canes to play the Tampa Bay Lightning in a makeup game instead.

That is probably a good thing because they have played a lot of games in a short time this season. If they are able to take a few points from Columbus here, they will be feeling really good about themselves going into the weekend series with the Detroit Red Wings. Both of these teams are ones that the Hawks have had some success against and that continuing would really help.