{"id":22540,"date":"2018-01-30T08:00:08","date_gmt":"2018-01-30T13:00:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/?p=22540"},"modified":"2018-01-30T00:34:56","modified_gmt":"2018-01-30T05:34:56","slug":"chicago-blackhawks-run-to-the-playoffs-begins-now","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/2018\/01\/30\/chicago-blackhawks-run-to-the-playoffs-begins-now\/","title":{"rendered":"Chicago Blackhawks Run To The Playoffs Begins Now\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"

Coming out of the NHL All-Star break, the Chicago Blackhawks<\/a> run to the playoffs has to begin now. The time for talking is over, the Blackhawks core needs to step up and deliver a lot of victories between now and the end of the season. They’ll need to win two out of three the rest of the way to push for a wild-card spot. They will also need to make several improvements to make this happen.<\/p>\n

Chicago Blackhawks Run To The Playoffs Begins Now<\/h1>\n

The NHL season\u00a0is set<\/span>\u00a0to resume Tuesday after the NHL All-Star game\u00a0was played<\/span>\u00a0this past Sunday. Returning to action, the Chicago\u00a0Blackhawks<\/span>\u00a0are facing long odds and a huge uphill battle ahead of them. They have 33 games left to play and are one of the teams\u00a0sitting\u00a0outside looking in on the playoffs.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Their record is 23-19-7 with 53 points. They are 4 points out of the\u00a0last\u00a0wild-card spot in the Western Conference and 7 points out of the top wild-card spot. They are also sitting 10 points behind the 3rd place team in their division. Based on how they’ve played this season, it is highly unlikely that they can overtake the 3rd place team, who has an automatic playoff spot, or the 1st and 2nd place teams. That leaves the\u00a0Blackhawks<\/span>\u00a0battling against everyone else in the conference for one of the two wild cards.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Reality Check<\/h3>\n

The\u00a0Blackhawks<\/span>\u00a0led by their core players\u00a0are being challenged<\/span>\u00a0to go on a run and make the playoffs this year. There are 66 points available to the\u00a0Blackhawks<\/span>. In order to make the playoffs, they will need to capture a minimum of 42 of the 66 available points. We’re talking\u00a0about<\/span>\u00a0the equivalent of<\/span>\u00a0winning 21 games out of the 33 remaining. That’s roughly two out of every three games ending up a\u00a0Blackhawks<\/span>\u00a0victory. Is it possible? Of course, it is. Is it likely? Not based on their previous play this season.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The\u00a0Blackhawks<\/span>\u00a0have been an underachieving\u00a0team, and have lacked consistency all year. To expect them to win two out of three the rest of the way is a stretch, even for the most die-hard fan. They will be facing teams that are just as desperate as the\u00a0Blackhawks<\/span>. The team that wants it the most will come out on top most nights in the NHL. For the\u00a0Blackhawks<\/span>\u00a0to make a\u00a0run to the wild card they will have to improve in a lot of areas.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Power Play<\/h3>\n

This topic\u00a0has been beaten<\/span>\u00a0to death all season. How could the Chicago\u00a0Blackhawks<\/span>\u00a0power play be the 4th worst in the league at 15.5%? Especially considering they have had the second most opportunities with 181.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The talent on this team\u00a0should be<\/span>\u00a0in the top ten, no less. Power play success comes down to execution and will. The\u00a0Blackhawks<\/span>\u00a0have trouble with\u00a0both of these<\/span>\u00a0when it comes to the power play. Instead of looking to make a highlight reel pass and shot, they need to focus on getting pucks to the net. Pucks on net lead to rebounds, which lead to goals. The\u00a0Blackhawks<\/span>\u00a0are going to need a lot better effort on the power play\u00a0to\u00a0make a run.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Home Cooking<\/h3>\n

The\u00a0Blackhawks<\/span>\u00a0are 12-10-3 at home with 16 games left on home-ice. In order to earn a playoff spot, their home ice record has to improve. Going into the All-Star break, the\u00a0Blackhawks<\/span>\u00a0had a six-game\u00a0homestand<\/span>. For a team wanting to make the playoffs, going 1-4-1 at home is unacceptable. For more on the\u00a0Blackhawks<\/span>\u00a0home ice problems check this out from\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Pauk<\/span>\u00a0Roumeliotis<\/span>\u00a0of NBC Sports Chicago:<\/a>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

“The\u00a0Blackhawks<\/span>\u00a0finished their six-game\u00a0homestand<\/span>\u00a0with a 1-4-1 record, picking up three out of a possible 12 points, and are now six points behind a wild card spot.”\u00a0<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

“It was a tough\u00a0homestand<\/span>\u00a0when you look at it points-wise, games that were valuable situations as far as keeping us in the race and now we put ourselves in a tremendous hole,” coach Joel\u00a0Quenneville<\/span>\u00a0said after the game.”<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

The\u00a0Blackhawks<\/span>\u00a0record on the road is 11-9-4 with 17 games left. That’s a good trend for this team and it needs to continue.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Shots Anyone?<\/h3>\n

The\u00a0Blackhawks<\/span>\u00a0allow an average of 32.7 shots per game. In contrast, the\u00a0Blackhawks<\/span>\u00a0are 2nd in the NHL averaging 34.5 shots per game. For a team that wants to play puck possession, they need to limit shots against to under 30\u00a0whenever<\/span>\u00a0possible. Fewer turnovers lead to more time with the puck, which leads to more shots on goal and fewer shots against.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Goal-tending Mystery<\/h3>\n

The status of starting goalie Corey Crawford<\/strong> <\/a>took a slight turn for the better a week before the All-Star break. Crawford returned to practice but appears a long way off from returning. Mark\u00a0Lazerus<\/span>\u00a0of the Chicago Sun Times reported:<\/a>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

“He hasn\u2019t played since being pulled against the Devils on Dec. 23, but Crawford\u00a0is tied<\/span>\u00a0with Tampa Bay\u2019s Andrei\u00a0Vasilevskiy<\/span><\/strong><\/a>\u00a0(who blanked the Hawks with a 40-save shutout on Monday) for the best save percentage among No. 1 goaltenders in the league, a sparkling .929. He went 16-9-2. Jeff Glass<\/strong><\/a> (who will start Wednesday against Toronto) and Anton\u00a0Forsberg<\/span><\/strong><\/a>\u00a0are a\u00a0combined<\/span>\u00a06-9-4 with a .907 save percentage.”<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

While it would be extremely helpful if Crawford could return for the stretch run, everyone will have to stay tuned on this one.<\/p>\n

Where We Are<\/h3>\n

Last year the\u00a0Blackhawks<\/span>\u00a0had the best record in the Western Conference. After an off-season roster overhaul, they have yet to play at the\u00a0elite<\/span>\u00a0level that\u00a0is expected<\/span>\u00a0every season. They have sputtered along all year with several losing streaks and inconsistent play. They have had several good games thrown in every once in a while that bring hope that things are turning around for the team. These good outings are then followed by another unexplained loss where they get outplayed and outworked.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Their rabid fan base is getting nervous and on edge that their team’s glory days\u00a0may be<\/span>\u00a0behind them. With a game against Nashville Tuesday night, that would be the perfect opportunity to show their fans what they’re made of and start a run.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Main Photo:
\nEmbed from Getty Images<\/a>