Are Blackhawks Falling to Earth?
Last season the Chicago Blackhawks as celebrated Dave Bolland's goal to seal the 2013 Stanley Cup against the Boston Bruins, you could be forgiven for thinking for thinking that the good times were only just getting started! This season the Blackhawks seemed to be suffering for a severe case of post cup winning hangover and after last night's 3-2 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers, this once destructive Illnois crew seems have run out of petrol! But what has caused this team to decline so quickly?
With the playoffs looming, Chicago currently lies 5th overall in the Western Conference, over 8 points drift of surprise leaders the St Louis Blues and they have racked up a whopping 15 losses so far! This is more than double the amount than during the 2012-13 regular season where they only recorded an incredible 7 losing games. Also their defence is leaking goals faster than the faulty pipe in my boiler at home and their goals against figure stands at 182 conceded! Compared to last season's incredibly low total of 102 goals against- this suddenly shift in figures is very concerning.
Their goal production hasn't been affected this season and with 233 goals scored, this team sure knows where the net is and Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews and Patrick Sharp have had far better scorings seasons than last year- so with all this talent on tap, what the hell is going wrong?
Having the majority of their star players participate in the Sochi Olympics hasn't helped their cause and despite having a full squad, the post Olympic fatigue has certainly affected this team. Another element to their season that hasn't helped has been the patchy form of last season's goalie hero Corey Crawford and although he holds a GAA rating of 2.26 and 26 wins- he only ranks 10th overall in terms of the leagues best goalies and he is looking way short of the kind of form that crowned his side champions. Compared to the excellent showings fellow goalies Antti Niemi, Marc-Andre Fleury and Ben Bishop, this does slightly beg the question, is Crawford really the man this team needs for a full season? Or was the last lockout shortened season just a one off affair?
Earlier this season I stated that a Pittsburgh v Chicago Stanley Cup final was all but assured to hockey fans, but with each passing day this now looks increasingly less likely to happen this year. The Blackhawks have had a tendency to have off years whenever a trophy is brought home- this occured in 2010/11 after their last cup win when they were beaten in the western quarter finals the Vancouver Canucks (definitely not happening this year!), coach Stan Bowman needs to rally the troops for playoff time because this is one side that doesn't deserve to fade away so easily. Read this post carefully boys because if you don't shape up soon, last season will just seem like a pleasant dream that abruptly ended!
With the playoffs looming, Chicago currently lies 5th overall in the Western Conference, over 8 points drift of surprise leaders the St Louis Blues and they have racked up a whopping 15 losses so far! This is more than double the amount than during the 2012-13 regular season where they only recorded an incredible 7 losing games. Also their defence is leaking goals faster than the faulty pipe in my boiler at home and their goals against figure stands at 182 conceded! Compared to last season's incredibly low total of 102 goals against- this suddenly shift in figures is very concerning.
Their goal production hasn't been affected this season and with 233 goals scored, this team sure knows where the net is and Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews and Patrick Sharp have had far better scorings seasons than last year- so with all this talent on tap, what the hell is going wrong?
Having the majority of their star players participate in the Sochi Olympics hasn't helped their cause and despite having a full squad, the post Olympic fatigue has certainly affected this team. Another element to their season that hasn't helped has been the patchy form of last season's goalie hero Corey Crawford and although he holds a GAA rating of 2.26 and 26 wins- he only ranks 10th overall in terms of the leagues best goalies and he is looking way short of the kind of form that crowned his side champions. Compared to the excellent showings fellow goalies Antti Niemi, Marc-Andre Fleury and Ben Bishop, this does slightly beg the question, is Crawford really the man this team needs for a full season? Or was the last lockout shortened season just a one off affair?
Earlier this season I stated that a Pittsburgh v Chicago Stanley Cup final was all but assured to hockey fans, but with each passing day this now looks increasingly less likely to happen this year. The Blackhawks have had a tendency to have off years whenever a trophy is brought home- this occured in 2010/11 after their last cup win when they were beaten in the western quarter finals the Vancouver Canucks (definitely not happening this year!), coach Stan Bowman needs to rally the troops for playoff time because this is one side that doesn't deserve to fade away so easily. Read this post carefully boys because if you don't shape up soon, last season will just seem like a pleasant dream that abruptly ended!
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