Chicago Blackhawks: Biggest test of 2021 is on deck
The Chicago Blackhawks have really surprised every single NHL fan so far this season. Their roster isn’t that good and it is very young. However, good goaltending, contributions from everyone, and elite play from Patrick Kane have really helped them be one of those surprise teams. At 12-7-4, they are in fourth place of the Central Division and are five points clear of fifth-place Columbus (the top four seeds in each division make the playoffs).
The one tough stretch for the Chicago Blackhawks this season came right at the beginning of the season. They started 0-3-1 with four straight losses to the Tampa Bay Lightning and Florida Panthers (two apiece). They gave up five goals in every game and didn’t do a very good job scoring goals. Now, their toughest test of the season comes as they have to play the Lightning three times in the next four days.
The Lightning are the defending Stanley Cup Champions. 2020 was a phenomenal year for them before the COVID-19 pause and then they were very good again in the bubble. They defeated the Dallas Stars to capture their first Cup since 2004. Now, they are looking to repeat which is very difficult but they are good enough. They sit atop the Central with a 15-4-1 record and should have a really nice seed in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
It would look really good for the Hawks if they were able to snag some points. Nobody is expecting them to go 3-0-0 against them but they need to play well. If they somehow were as bad as they were against them early this season, their playoff hopes might be in doubt. There is still going to be a lot of hockey left but this is a big measuring stick.
What is it that makes the Tampa Bay Lightning so good? Well, it starts in their goal. Andrei Vasilevskiy currently has three straight shutouts which is a crazy stat by NHL standards. It is difficult to get one let alone three in a row. The Hawks are going to need bodies in front, deflections, and hard work in order to beat him when he is in the net.
The Bolts are also elite when it comes to defending. It starts and ends with Victor Hedman who might be the best defenseman in the NHL. The rest of the crew behind him isn’t too shabby either so the Hawks must make it hard on them. If they are successful, it should also make things hard on their forwards who are capable of burning you in every way. Guys like Steven Stamkos, Braden Point, and Ondrej Palat are very dangerous and amongst the league’s best.
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The good news is that these games are at the United Center. The first two games against them were at the Amalie Arena in Tampa. Playing at home should serve them well. They are 6-3-1 at the UC this year so hopefully, that trend continues. It may sound like a cliche at times but this is the most important stretch of the season for them up to this point and it isn’t close.