A year after falling just short of the Stanley Cup Finals, the Chicago Blackhawks will be looking to take that final step towards victory this year, and with a Western Conference bracket loaded with talent, it won’t be an easy task. Despite finishing first in the Central Division and 2nd overall, the Blackhawks still drew a 100-point team in the Nashville Predators. The Predators are a tough, defensive team that will be more than a pushover in the first round and could give the Hawks some problems.
Offense: The Blackhawks finished with the 3rd best offense in the league, behind only Vancouver and Washington. With six 20 goal scorers, the Hawks get production from all over their roster, and that’s what makes them so dangerous. In the playoffs, it’s not always the stars that are the heroes, and guys like Andrew Ladd and Ben Eager have shown they can chip in at clutch times. Nashville isn’t a very high-scoring team, but they too get goals from up and down their bench.
Advantage: Chicago
Defense: While Nashville was built around defense, the Blackhawks’ success is due in large part to the full-team defense they play. They allowed the fewest shots in the league, and gave up less goals than any other team in the West except Phoenix. The injury to Brian Campbell won’t help them much, but Duncan Keith is a leading candidate for the Norris Trophy and if his play in the Olympics is any indication, he won’t have any trouble performing in the postseason. Nashville has some great defenders on their blueline as well, with Shea Weber and Ryan Suter leading the way. Weber is a beast back there, with a cannon of a shot and a penchant for playing the body. Advantage: Even
Goaltending: The big story for the Hawks all year has been the goaltending. Cristobal Huet began the year as the starter, but was upstaged by rookie Antti Niemi. With a 26-7 record and a 2.25 GAA, Niemi has been great, but Chicago’s defense has a lot to do with his success. Nashville has two solid tenders of their own, with Pekka Rinne and Dan Ellis. Rinne will be the starter, but I gotta think that Ellis will be ready to go should the need arise. Advantage: Even
Special Teams: Neither team had a great powerplay, but the Blackhawks had one of the best penalty kills in the league, while Nashville had one of the worst kills in the West. They’ll need to be sharper if they don’t wanna get burned by the starpower Chicago can throw out there. Advantage: Chicago
Nashville’s had a great season, and, like Phoenix, has found success against all odds, but I don’t see them upsetting the loaded Blackhawks. This could be the year Chicago makes a serious run at a Cup. My pick: Chicago in 6