Chicago Blackhawks Morning Links: Road To The Stanley Cup Begins

The Stanley Cup Playoffs began Wednesday night without the Chicago Blackhawks for the first time since 2008

It’s that time of year, folks: the Stanley Cup Playoffs.  Some say playoff hockey is the best type of live sport you can watch, and we tend to agree.  It’s faster, hard-hitting and everything is amplified.  Teams play so tight that any small mistake can cost you a game.

But even with all the hype videos and highlights of fans going absolutely crazy, there is an empty feeling knowing the Chicago Blackhawks should be there.  For other franchises that have been waiting for their time in the limelight, it’s a spectacle.  But sometimes you just have to let things play out the way they’re intended to.

Today, writers and reporters shared their Stanley Cup predictions that were mostly the same with Tampa Bay, Nashville, and Pittsburgh.  Meh.  Maybe the Blackhawks bad season is still fresh, but hopefully I can get over it once these series get going.

Of the matchups in the first round, the most appealing to me would be the Maple Leafs/Bruins and the Caps/Blue Jackets.  The recent history between Boston and Toronto should make for a long series, and I’m secretly cheering for the Blue Jackets because of Artemi Panarin.  He’s a great player that I wish we could have kept, but wish all the best to.

In Blackhawks news, Ryan Hartman told The Tennessean that the Blackhawks coasted into the playoffs last year and weren’t ready for playoff hockey.  This was in the context that the Predators will have a target on their backs as the top seeded team and is playing a the wildcard.  Hartman says that the Predators are prepared to make a long run this season.

The Rockford IceHogs and Indy Fuel are gearing up for their playoff series’ so hopefully idle Blackhawks fans can help support the organization as a whole.  Especially if the NHL playoffs aren’t doing it for you.

Next: Securing the Chicago Blackhawks Future: Nick Schmaltz

Morning links

• Blackhawks summer shopping list should include a sniper for Kane – Chicago Tribune
• Duncan Keith plans to regain lost form – Chicago Sun Times
• Fall of the Blackhawks; a lesson in macroeconomics – The Globe and Mail
• Black hockey players excel on ice despite racism, rinks in Chicago – The Reader
• How the Predators avoid being a top-seeded casualty – The Tennessean