The Chicago Blackhawks will remain underdogs going into 2021

The Chicago Blackhawks are out of the playoffs after a 5-game series against Vegas. This loss keeps the Underdog Hawks story going into 2021.

There’s one huge thing the Chicago Blackhawks did, they lifted some weight off of their shoulder by winning one playoff game in 2020. Besides Game 1, every game against Vegas was a 1-goal game. This series was competitive and gives fans hope for the future. The coolest part is, the story of the Underdog Hawks will continue.

Never count out a team that has nothing to lose. That is what people did when the Blackhawks beat the Edmonton Oilers in 4. No one expected Chicago to win that series, along with no one expecting Chicago to beat Vegas. There were some experts that expected a first-round sweep.

The experts were right, the Blackhawks didn’t beat Vegas, but they did beat the Oilers. They came in as the 12th seed in the Western Conference and left breaking that 8-game losing streak in the real playoffs, not counting the qualifying-round.

Would it have been cool for the Blackhawks to lose against the Oilers and get the first pick? Yes, but chances are, that wouldn’t have happened. I’m glad they won that series and played the Golden Knights. It gives them motivation for next season, knowing that they were giving Vegas a run for their money. The Golden Knights have a team that could win the Stanley Cup. I would be happy for Robin Lehner to finally get a Stanley Cup after all of those years on poorly played teams.

When the 2020-21 NHL season comes along, the team that finished 7th out of 7 in the Central Division will remain the underdogs. That team is Chicago! I truly think they need to continue to embrace that underdog role, as it got them past the Oilers.

This team next year has nothing to lose and a Stanley Cup to gain. Their guys have playoff experience now and have learned how much it stinks to be on the losing end of a series. I’m excited to see Kirby Dach and Adam Boqvist‘s progress. Those two guys are going to be amazing players for this team.

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I’m not saying the 2021 Blackhawks will win the Stanley Cup, I have to see what moves they make, but they’ll be an issue for the Central Division. I believe they’ll be a playoff team for real this time. A playoff team that will surprise some people, as experts continue to bet against Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews.