FanSided

Chicago Blackhawks: Five Reasons They Still Can Eliminate Nashville

By Mario Tirabassi |
Mar 18, 2017; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Chicago Blackhawks center Jonathan Toews (19) during their game against the Toronto Maple Leafs at Air Canada Centre. The Blackhawks beat the Maple Leafs 2-1 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 18, 2017; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Chicago Blackhawks center Jonathan Toews (19) during their game against the Toronto Maple Leafs at Air Canada Centre. The Blackhawks beat the Maple Leafs 2-1 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports
1 of 3
Next

Who Are You And What Have You Done With The Blackhawks?

The Chicago Blackhawks have pulled off quite the disappearing act over the last couple of days and have been replaced by doppelgängers of their real NHL counter-parts.

Or so it would seem.

Since clinching the NHL’s Central Division and the top spot in the Western Conference with a handful of games to spare in the regular season, the Blackhawks have not been exactly roaring into the Stanley Cup Playoffs. After dropping Game One to the Predators 1-0, the Blackhawks went out in Game Two and had literally no answer for Nashville’s five-goal onslaught or a plan to score at least one goal on Pekka Rinne.

With play reminiscent of the beginning of the season, it’s no wonder that the Blackhawks community feel a bit on edge as the series shifts to Nashville and Chicago trails two-games to none.

But fear not, the series is far from over if history has anything to tell us. While things may look bleak now, there is hope on the horizon and Game Three is a new day….yes it is! (Shout-out to my WWE fans there)

Check It Out: Three Keys For A Blackhawks Win In Game Three

It may be hard to wrap around your brain, but the Blackhawks are far from dead in the water and here are five reasons that the Blackhawks can not only get back into this series against the Predators, but eliminate them and advance to the next round.

Five Reasons Chicago Can Turn This Series Around

5, Been There, Done That

For as much success the Blackhawks have had in the Joel Quenneville era, this is not the first time they have looked down and out in a Stanley Cup Playoff series. In fact, Chicago has been on the verge of elimination or facing a two-game deficit on six occasions and have come back to either win the series or force a Game Seven.

2011 Conference Quarterfinals – Trailed Vancouver 3-0, Forced Game 7

2013 Conference Semi-Finals – Trailed Detroit 3-1, Won Series 4-3

2014 Conference Quarterfinals- Trailed St. Louis 2-0, Won Series 4-2

2014 Conference Finals – Trailed Los Angeles 3-1, Forced Game 7

2015 Conference Finals – Trailed Anaheim 3-2, Won Series 4-3

2016 Conference Quarterfinals- Trailed St. Louis 3-1, Forced Game 7

More from Editorials

While not a fun situation to be in, the Blackhawks have been able to muster up a comeback under Quenneville numerous times and the core group of players should be able to lead the younger group into battle knowing there is much, much more hockey to be played.’

4. The Blackhawks Are “Pissed”

Much like the Blackhawks community felt after the final horn sounded closing out Game Two at the United Center, the Blackhawks players were not in good moods as they prepared to head south for Games Three and Four in Nashville. Speaking to reporters at the airport on Sunday before taking off, Brent Seabrook laid this little gem on us:

To quote Emperor Palpatine from Star Wars, “Good! Use your aggressive feeling. Let the hate flow through you.”

More from Editorials

Chicago needs to channel this “pissed” feeling and use that on the ice to not just come out of the gates swinging in Game Three, but to not let their foot off the gas for the full 60-minutes. They must treat Game Three like a Game Seven and play like the Predators took their lunch money.

3. When It Rains, It Pours

Arguably the biggest headache for Chicago right now is the fact that they have yet to score a goal in this series. To lay it out, Rinne has two assists in the series and the Blackhawks have zero points.

*insert head-spin gif here*

What the Blackhawks need to do it get off to their best start of the series in Game Three, open up the scoring to get the monkey off their back, and then, like stated before, keep their foot on the gas and pressure the Predators from there on out. The Blackhawks have plenty of firepower on offense to get goals in bunches. Six players scored 20+ goals for Chicago this season, they know how to put the puck in the net, it’s just a matter of letting the floodgates open.

2. Anything You Can Do, I Can Do Better 

The Predators can into Chicago and earned big wins at the United Center in Games One and Two. But the Blackhawks are positioned as the top team in the Western Conference for a reason, and they must credit their ability to win away from home to that standing.

More from Blackhawk Up

This season, the Blackhawks were able to rack up 24 wins on the road this season and tie their franchise record for wins away from home ice. While not ideal, Chicago knows in the back of their mind that they can get it done on the road as well as any team in the league. If the Predators can take two on the road, so can the Blackhawks and make the opening series a Best-Of-Three situation heading back to Chicago and regaining their home-ice advantage in the series.

Check It Out: How The BlackhawkUp Staff Predicts The First Round

Flip The Switch

Lastly, it’s the notion that we all have heard before about this Blackhawks group of players: They know when and how to “flip the switch,” so to say.

This stat will always get me. The Blackhawks are notorious under the Quenneville regime to start slower when opening a series. Maybe they like making the fans sweat it out more, who knows?

But Chicago, led by their multi-Stanley Cup winning core of Seabrook, Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, Duncan Kieth, Corey Crawford, Johnny Oduya, Niklas Hjalmarsson, Marian Hossa, and Marcus Kruger have plenty of playoff experience to draw from and after an early exit last spring from the Stanley Cup Playoffs, should have as fresh of hockey legs as they have had in years. We’re all waiting on the switch to be flipped, Game Three would be a good place to flip it.

Next
Home / Editorials

Schedule