Chicago Blackhawks need to start February on the right foot

The Chicago Blackhawks start the first full week of February just three points out of the playoffs. Here’s what’s at stake for the Blackhawks.

The Chicago Blackhawks won their first game back from the All-Star break on Saturday, 3-2 against the Coyotes. That was an important win for the Blackhawks. If they would have lost, it would have sent the Blackhawks down more than one game.

As the standings are right now, the Coyotes have the last wildcard spot by three points. The Blackhawks are the next closest team right now. They’ve also played two fewer games than the Coyotes.

So, that leaves the Blackhawks with an important week coming up. They will play against the Wild tomorrow night. That game is important for both teams. The Blackhawks can get within one point of the coveted wildcard spot. They’d also be ahead of the Wild by six points.

Even though it’ll be a road game, it’s fair to think that this game will be the easier of the two this week. On Wednesday, they travel home to Chicago to face the Bruins. The Blackhawks have struggled against the Bruins since beating them in the Stanley Cup finals.

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They’re also currently the second-best team in hockey, points-wise. They’re almost a lock for the playoffs. They just have to add a few more wins, of course. They’re in the situation the Blackhawks need to get in. It’s an important matchup for the Blackhawks.

Not looking too far ahead, but if they can take all four points, they might have a wildcard spot. The Coyotes play their next game Wednesday night against the Oilers. It’s very winnable for each team. We’ll have to see how that goes. The Blackhawks would still have to win both of their games of course.

Being ‘behind’ two games helps the Blackhawks. They aren’t under as much pressure as they could have been. Of course, if they would have beaten the Panthers, they’d almost be in the playoffs right now. There is still a lot of hockey left to be played through.

This week has a lot of importance. It could be the first time in a while the Blackhawks have held a playoff spot. It’s also their shortest week of the month. They only play twice this week.

From there, they’ll get back at it on Sunday, February 9th. They’ll play 11 games from then until March. The Blackhawks will need to start this month off on the right foot, especially to keep playoff momentum intact.