Make or break players in the Blues-Blackhawks series

The defending Stanley Cup champion Chicago Blackhawks will take on the perpetual playoff underachiever St. Louis Blues in what very well may prove to be a turning point in the latter’s franchise history. The Blues have been considering a shake-up for quite some time now, especially considering the fact that they have been one of the top teams in the regular season since 2011-12 (including two division championships) but have only advanced beyond the first round of the postseason once in that span of time.

The Blues have been ousted in just six quarterfinal games in each of the last three years by the Los Angeles Kings, the Blackhawks and the Minnesota Wild, respectively. With captain David Backes’ return to Missouri next year uncertain and plenty of other looming roster decisions to be made, this is a critical point for the team’s current core, including head coach Ken Hitchcock.

There are a few x-factors that can make — or break — either team in this rematch.

Vladimir Tarasenko

The Russian sniper didn’t truly break-out until the 2014-15 season, but he certainly made a good first impression the year prior with 21 goals and 22 points in 64 regular-season games. He lit the lamp often in the Chicago series, tallying four goals in six games against the Blues’ Central Division rivals, but he’s going to be relied upon to do even more this time around.

Tarasenko finished fourth in the league with a career-high 40 goals and 12th in the league with a career-high 74 points this season. Entering the postseason on a hot-streak with his usual linemates, center Jori Lehtera and left-winger Jaden Schwartz, on the top offensive unit, the gifted forward is expected to be the face of the franchise as his Blues take on quite possibly the toughest opponent they could have gotten in the first round.

Hey Wednesday – hurry up! #WeAllBleedBluehttps://t.co/PBjWPOINMB

— St. Louis Blues (@StLouisBlues) April 12, 2016

Rookie Robby Fabbri and veterans like Paul Stastny and Alex Steen will provide supplemental support, but it’s going to be all about Tarasenko as St. Louis attempts to dethrone its biggest rival and finally find some postseason success this year.

Artemi Panarin

For Chicago, all eyes will be on Patrick Kane, the Art Ross winner and sole 100-plus point scorer in 2015-16. While Kane and Tarasenko will certainly be the marquee matchup, Chicago’s x-factor is a little more obscure than such high-profile NHL stars – it’s Kane’s linemate, Artemi Panarin.

The former KHL star had a fantastic first NHL season in 2015-16, leading all rookie scorers in goals (30), assists (47) and points (77). He’s played mostly with Kane and center Artem Anisimov, making for a formidable second line (which, if not for Jonathan Toews, Andrew Ladd and Marian Hossa, would be any contender’s top line).

The last time Panarin was in postseason action, he scored five goals and 15 assists in just 20 games as a member of SKA St. Petersburg in the KHL’s Gagarin Cup playoffs. His team won the championship, thanks in large part to his point-per-game pace in such high-stakes games — and of course, that was when the offers came pouring in.

He made the wise choice of signing with the defending Stanley Cup champions in the offseason; and now, less than a year later, he has the chance to be a key factor in Chicago’s fourth Stanley Cup championship in seven years.

Even if he struggles, the Blackhawks have a wealth of experienced veterans who will surely have exceptional playoff performances. And there is a good chance he may struggle against St. Louis, given his most recent game against them.

A Calder Trophy favourite, it's no surprise #Blackhawks' Artemi Panarin (#BreadMan) is our #RGCL Rookie of the Week.https://t.co/NXT9Yny7Eu

— Rogers NHL GCL (@RogersNHLGCL) April 11, 2016

In the last five games of the regular season, Panarin elevated his game tremendously so he could meet the requirements to get the contract bonus he wanted so badly. In that span, he had two straight four-point performances, a two-point outing against Arizona and a three-point season finale performance in Columbus; but in the Apr. 7 game against the Blues (at home in Chicago, no less), he failed to register a single point.

In fact, Panarin managed to register only one point in each of three of the team’s five games against the Blues all season long. That’s just three points in five games — not very Panarin-like, considering how successful he has been on offense (he scored at almost a point-per-game pace as a rookie). Needless to say, it’s obvious that St. Louis is one of the few teams that Panarin has struggled against, and without his blazing offense, the Blackhawks actually lost three of five games against the Blues during 2015-16.

So before you go ahead and assume that Chicago’s got this because they’ve been through this before and they’re looking unstoppable as of late, consider the fact that they will need Panarin rolling against a team he has found little success against in his young career. Likewise, don’t get too confident that this will finally be the Blues’ year before seeing what Tarasenko is capable of against his nemesis (Chicago).

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