It looked like a dynasty was over. Just weeks ago, the Chicago Blackhawks had the worst record in the Western Conference, and now they are in position for the wild card game. They had fired their beloved three-time Stanley Cup winning coach, Joel Quenneville, and were coming off a season in which they did not make the playoffs.  

Enter Patrick Kane. He’s a Greek God of hockey and, in my mind, easily the greatest American to ever grace the ice. The guy has been on a tear since a somewhat mediocre start, while currently in the midst of a 19-game point streak. He is not the sole reason they are in the position they are, but by god he has been a catalyst. If the Blackhawks do make the playoffs, then there is no reason Kane should not be rewarded with his second career Hart Trophy, the NHL MVP award. Current Stats: 38 G, 54 A, 92 Points.

Someone who seems to get overlooked at times is the Captain, Jonathan Toews. He is having his best career year and just playing phenomenal hockey for Chicago. The 30-year-old is about to get 30 goals and currently has 33 assists, and he’s being his usual dominant two-way self. The new coach, Jeremy Colliton, changed the lines up, and put Kane and Toews on line one and it is working to perfection. Hopefully, he keeps this play up for them and they continue to thrive. 

People were calling for Stan Bowman’s, Chicago Blackhawks GM, head after he fired the fan favorite Coach Q, but he is not looking too bad now. He has made some excellent moves and his new head coach is performing great. Bowman fleeced Arizona for former number three overall pick Dylan Strome, who is thriving with young phenom Alex Debrincat on the second line. Colliton’s changes can also kind of be credited to Bowman. Those changes include mixing up the power play lines, the regular game lines, and certain defensive scheming. I am hoping Colliton keeps up his innovative coaching and leads this team somewhere. 

Defense is the issue. In particular, the goalie status. The Hawks starter, Corey “Crow” Crawford, has been out for months with lingering concussion issues, and the two young guys, Cam Ward and Colin Delia, are doing just okay. A good goalie is arguably the most important aspect to a playoff team, and can absolutely make or break a team. The team should be able to figure this out though, especially if Crawford can get back healthy.

I can already see the boys hoisting the Stanley Cup in June.