Blackhawks: Five games to get excited about in 2021

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The Chicago Blackhawks 2021 season will be entertaining to watch regardless of how well they perform, and there are some key games to circle on the calendar.

Fifty-six games against your division should yield some pretty fun rivalries this season for the NHL, and the Chicago Blackhawks are no exception. Chicago will square off against their divisional opponents a lot in 2021.

When coming up with a list of critical matchups, it was hard not to put the first game against each team in the ‘Hawks division. First impressions will be essential to feeling out opponents, especially considering each time playing an opponent will feature a follow-up matchup within the next few days.

Starting each series on the right note will determine how the Blackhawks do during their shortened season. There are several fun games to look forward to around the NHL, so if you want to check in on five important matchups to watch within the first few days of the season, check out our friends at Puck Prose article.

The first matchup to circle shouldn’t come as a surprise.

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1. January 13th at Tampa Bay Lightning

This will be a banner raising ceremony like no other in the NHL. After taking on the bubble and the NHL, the Tampa Bay Lightning were crowned the Stanley Cup Champions at the 2019-20 season conclusion.

Tampa was arguably the best team in the NHL the past three or four seasons, so seeing them finally win their Stanley Cup was nice to see. However, their time is now over. In years past, we have seen the banner raising team fall behind in their first game back.

With critical injuries to stars like Nikita Kucherov, anything can happen heading into this first game. If the Lightning spent a little too much time partying and not enough time getting ready for their first game of the season, then Chicago could very well sneak away with this win.

This matchup will also be intriguing to see how the Blackhawks players are stacking up against the best of the best, and I can not wait to see who gets the start in goal.

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2. January 22nd vs. Detroit Redwings

The next matchup to watch on the Blackhawks calendar will be against the Detroit Redwings. Chicago’s first matchup against the Wings will be in Chicago on January 22nd. This is the first game these two teams have played as divisional rivals since 2013.

If Chicago can get the edge on their old friends and win their matchups against the Wings this comings season, their playoff chances will be greater. Failing to beat the Red Wings seals the Blackhawks’ fate as a bottom team in 2021.

The 2021 season will feature many tough matchups for the Blackhawks, so finding a way to beat the Red Wings will be a must on the ‘Hawks list. Plus, these two teams have a long history, and there is no love loss between the franchises. Beating the Red Wings is a right of passage for the Blackhawks at this point.

Hopefully, the two teams being on similar levels as rebuilders will provide some very entertaining hockey throughout the regular season.

3. February 2nd vs. Carolina Hurricanes

The Carolina Hurricanes have had the Blackhawks number in the past. No matter what the Blackhawks did during the regular season, Carolina always found a way to come out on top. That was even with goaltender Corey Crawford in net for Chicago; now the team doesn’t have as good of a goalie backing up their horrendous defensive play.

The Blackhawks have not beaten the Carolina Hurricanes since November 11th, 2017. Since that time, they have lost five straight games to the Canes. That is not good for the ‘Hawks as they will see a lot of the Hurricanes in 2021. While obviously, all that matters is the next game on the calendar, the Hurricanes do undeniably have the momentum in this matchup.

The new-look central division doesn’t have any clear cut winners outside of Tampa Bay. While Carolina might be the second-best team, nothing is set in stone. So winning some of the matchups against this team could very well change the playoff picture, and it starts with their first matchup on February 2nd.

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4. April 12th at Columbus Blue Jackets

The Columbus Blue Jackets are a terrifically coached team with one of the NHL’s best defensive systems. With Seth Jones leading the charge, the Jackets are a tough team to play against no matter how good the opponent thinks they are. Chicago will be cautious not to underestimate this opponent, including the night of the trade deadline.

This game is mostly on this list because it falls on the day of the NHL trade deadline. This day will determine whether or not the ‘Hawks will be buyers or sellers during the deadline, as well as where the franchise sees themselves in their path towards making the playoffs again.

More from Blackhawk Up

I think we can all expect Chicago to be sellers at the deadline. However, the world seller is misleading. The 1946 movie It’s a Wonderful Life features a scene where there is a run on the bank. With no cash around at the moment, the people in the town could turn to Mr. Potter and sell their shares for 50 cents on the dollar, but George Bailey sees through the scam and tries to explain to everyone that Potter isn’t selling. He is buying their shares for a horrible deal.

Sorry for that little movie spiel; it is the holiday season, and there was a point to it. If Chicago can “sell” some of their assets at the deadline, they would really be buying more important draft picks and prospects for their future.

Chicago holds all the cards when it comes to trading away pieces like Mattias Janmark, Carl Soderberg, Calvin de Haan, or any other player on this roster not apart of our untouchable list. Hopefully, Bowman will start doing a better job with the return on trades for players that could be difference makers on an opponent’s team.

The matchup against the Blue Jackets will be the first matchup following the deadline earlier during the day, so it will be a complete Blackhawks lineup for the 2021 season that night.

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5. May 8th vs Dallas Stars

The last matchup to have your eye on will come as the last game of the season for the Chicago Blackhawks. Who knows where the 2021 season will take the NHL, but hopefully, it will make its way to completion in May if COVID doesn’t have anything to say about it.

Chicago will either be gearing up for a playoff appearance or gearing up for a draft lottery during the coming weeks, with both being intriguing to watch for Blackhawks fans. This matchup might not mean anything when it comes around, thanks to where teams will already be in the standings, but it could be the last piece of hockey Blackhawks fans will have to watch until October, so I will be watching intently!

With only 56 games and every matchup being against divisional opponents, every game matters that much more. Are there any other key matchups we missed during 2021? Anytime Joel Quenneville comes to town will be fun to watch, plus Chicago still does have some rivals down in Nashville, so there are plenty of dates to circle on the calendar.

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