The defending Stanley Cup champions are looking more vulnerable than ever. The Chicago Blackhawks, winners of three of the last five Stanley Cups, have struggled through a ghastly 5-6-2 record in March, dropping from battling for the top spot in the Central Division to battling to avoid the No. 7 seed.
The recent brutal stretch in Chicago was only magnified by Duncan Keith’s misguided stick to the face of Charlie Coyle on Tuesday night, a play that resulted in Keith being offered an in-person hearing from the NHL Department of Player Safety.
Keith could be suspended for more than five games at the worst possible time for the Blackhawks, who have looked more like a fringe playoff team than Stanley Cup contenders of late. Let’s take a look at Chicago’s struggles and what lies ahead.
Heading into their matchup against the division rival St. Louis Blues on Match 6, the Blackhawks had won three out of four against the Red Wings, Capitals, and Bruins. Chicago was a point behind the Dallas Stars for first in the Central Division, and two points ahead of the visiting Blues. Rather than using back-to-back games against the Blues and Stars as an opportunity to gain ground in the division, Chicago surrendered both contests, allowing ground to be gained on them instead.
Next, the Blackhawks lost a pair of games to the likely playoff-bound Philadelphia Flyers and definitely playoff-bound Los Angeles Kings, defeated the eliminated Winnipeg Jets, and lost a pair to the Minnesota Wild and Dallas Stars. Wins against the Calgary Flames and Vancouver Canucks, two of the bottom feeders of the Western Conference, allowed Chicago to maintain position as the third seed in the Central Division, but yet another loss to the Wild on Tuesday night showed there is a lot of work to be done.
The Blackhawks sit well behind the Blues and Stars for the top spot in the Central with five games remaining, so a division win is unlikely at this point. Chicago is fighting off the surging Predators for the third spot in the Central, and should Chicago lose that spot in the standings, a first0round matchup against the Kings or Anaheim Ducks likely awaits them.
A seroes against the Kings or Ducks in the first round could be a death sentence for the Blackhawks, as the Kings represent the strongest possession team in the NHL, and will be looking to capture their third Stanley Cup since 2012. The Ducks struggled mightily to start the season, but have since played tremendous hockey, battling back to lead the Pacific Division. Neither team is an easy first round out, and fighting through seven games against one of them will likely drain whichever team is forced to take the task, should that team even advance to the next round.
Furthering the troubles of Chicago, Keith could be absent for the near to distant future. The offering of an in-person hearing spells trouble for the ‘Hawks, with a suspension of five or more games likely. Keith has played an average of 25:14 a night, clearly leading the defense. Brent Seabrook and Nicklas Hjalmarsson can move up in the lineup, but the replacements in the bottom pairings are non-existent. Keith’s absence would likely result in major playing time for recently waived Christian Ehrhoff or recently injured Michal Rozsival, something that can be exploited by opponents. Should Keith’s absence extend into the postseason, opponents will almost certainly have home ice and be able to put their top players out against the bottom defensive pairings of the Blackhawks.
For the Blackhawks, the goal must be clear and simple: no backing down now that a playoff spot has been clinched, but instead battle for positioning and momentum headed into the postseason. The Western Conference is a trench filled with unfavorable matchups, and Chicago will not be able to maneuver their way through the field without improving their game.
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