Blackhawks: Jeremy Colliton deserves some respect now

After the Chicago Blackhawks beat the Edmonton Oilers 3-1 in their play-in series, I think it’s time fans show Jeremy Colliton some respect.

Jeremy Colliton took over as the Chicago Blackhawks head coach in November of 2018. He was thrown in a crappy situation and has helped make this team competitive in just under two years. At 35 years old, he has won his first playoff series and has a solid, young team in front of him.

Yes, the issue with Colliton mostly comes down to two things. The fact that Joel Quenneville was fired and the fact that Stan Bowman picked him. Getting rid of Bowman means getting rid of Colliton. Colliton isn’t good enough yet where it’s worth keeping Bowman around much longer.

He does have the makings to be a good coach in the NHL. He’s put his foot down during the season when benching players who weren’t performing. He also has done well with line-changes and handing the team in tough situations.

Colliton rallying the troops in both Game 3 and Game 4 in those third-period wins were huge confidence boosters for the team. The Blackhawks beat an Oilers team that was better than them in most aspects, but Colliton got the players together and they battled out there for 240 minutes.

The real test for Colliton comes going forward in this playoff run. If the Blackhawks are out in the first series, he still has some playoff experience but I think the 2020-21 NHL season could be his last, if Chicago doesn’t improve and win at least one playoff series. If Chicago wins a few series with Colliton this season, and heck, even wins the Stanley Cup, his future is bright in Chicago.

I am not saying Colliton will ever be as good as Coach Q, but I do think Colliton could be the guy for the Blackhawks. He’s 35 and is only getting better. If he continues to improve, along with the team, he could be in Chicago for a very long time. They have to continue to be successful with him though.

"Blackhawks: Jeremy Colliton is on the hot seat in 2020-21"

This next series will be telling for Colliton. Can this Blackhawks team battle with an undefeated, in the playoffs, Golden Knights or Avalanche team? I cannot wait to see it!