Chicago Blackhawks: Revived and Ready
The Red Wings led the series 3-1. The Chicago Blackhawks had lost three games in a row for the first time this season. The Red Wings denied the Blackhawks any scoring opportunities (only two goals during their 3 losses). All that remained was for the Red Wings to put the much anticipated dagger into the palpitating heart of the Blackhawks that had gone from being the favorites in the western conference to a disgruntled team on the verge of being put out of their misery on their home ice.
But then, something happened that elevated the Blackhawks confidence back into competitive form. With their scorned and beaten backs against the wall the Blackhawks refused to go down quietly despite facing a seemingly inevitable elimination. This team that had all but relinquished themselves to a premature ejection from the playoffs decided that right then and there, on their home ice in front of thousands of fans that still believed in them, that they would make a stand. And just like that, the Blackhawks stunned the Red Wings in dominating fashion in game five of the western conference semi-finals. However, this was only the beginning of the eventual resurrection of the Blackhawks valiant spirit that had served them nearly flawlessly throughout the regular season.
The Blackhawks managed to score only one power play goal out of ten opportunities they were afforded during their three successive losses. In their three subsequent victories, the Blackhawks scored 3 crucial goals out of 11 power plays while preventing the Redwings from scoring any power play goals of their own despite the fact that they had 11 opportunities.
Clearly, the Blackhawks defense finally lived up to its illustrious reputation after they stifled nearly every offense they came up against during the regular season (1st in the league in goals against). However, what gave the Blackhawks the upper hand in the latter half of the series wasn’t just their revived defensive prowess; it was their high-octane offense that put an unbearable amount of pressure on the Red Wings abilities to convert on penalty opportunities. Once the Blackhawks were able to find consistency in squelching the Red Wings with their monumental defense, it was only a matter of time before their offense came back with a vivacious vengeance.
While the Red Wings had a chance to complete a major upset, they failed to remain stout defensively, which was the key ingredient in preventing the Blackhawks from gaining any type of offensive momentum. What ended up hurting the Red Wings in the long run was their lack of versatility, particularly when it came to their scoring abilities. Over the course of the regular season, the Red Wings lacked a prestigious offensive attack that was able to score emphatically. Despite how resilient and merciless the Red Wings defense was, being a one trick pony is ultimately what cost them a chance at advancing any further in the playoffs
Even with this impressive comeback performance by the Blackhawks, they will have a difficult opponent to face when it comes to the versatility that the Los Angeles Kings bring to the ice. Along with having an intimidating defense of their own, the Kings have a variety of offensive capabilities that differ almost completely from the one-dimensional attack of the Red Wings. Between their dominant power play performances, along with a plethora of offensive schemes that encourages finesse over raw shooting power, the Kings are an unpredictable juggernaut. The fact that they have a plethora of dynamic centers that allow them to implement a multitude of attacks at a moments notice prevents the Kings from being intimidated and stifled into a singular play style. As a result, the Blackhawks will have to implement all facets of their talented roster if they hope to succeed and advance to the Stanley Cup finals.
However, while all the technical aspects of the Blackhawks game must be completely sound, their mental fortitude must be unwavering throughout the western conference finals. Even though the Blackhawks inspired resurgence in the previous series was nothing short of mesmerizing, if they fall into another deficit of the same magnitude the chances of them fighting back against the well-rounded roster of the Kings is slim to none. Yet, despite this notion, the Blackhawks have proved unquestionably that they are capable of using their exuberant talents at the highest level. If their well earned comeback against the Red Wings is any indication of their internal fight and athletic stability, the city of Chicago will once again be able to rejoice for a franchise that is the epitome of resilience and above all else, they are a team with tremendous heart.