Blackhawks fans will cringe at their team's opening-night matchup in October

Wow, we just found out when the Chicago Blackhawks will open the season and against whom. On Monday morning, the NHL announced the Hawks would square off with none other than the Florida Panthers in a game that could be exceptionally lopsided.

Yeah, this one's not even fair, especially with the Panthers enjoying arguably the best offseason and going into dynasty mode. It feels like one of those NCAA tune-up games when a Power Five (or Power Four?) school kicks off their season against that small Group of Five or FCS school.

You got a team that, on paper, looks like it's completely outmatched, and if you want to add insult to injury, the Hawks are flying into Florida come October 7th. But, as bleak as this one looks like, at least you can spin it in a positive way.

Oh, really, Todd? How so? Well, the Hawks need to look at this game as an opportunity instead of one to admit defeat early.

Chicago Blackhawks have a chance to do the unthinkable on the big stage

Just what if the Hawks went into Sunrise and came out with the W? It won't change the narrative on either them or the Panthers, but you can't deny it wouldn't be a confidence booster.

Like, you got the second-worst team in the league last season with a group of kids and a few veterans going head-to-head with the two-time Stanley Cup champion with a reputation for being one of the meanest, nastiest teams in hockey.

While it might look like the NHL set up the Blackhawks for failure out of the gate, a win would be huge. Again, it doesn't change the trajectory of the season, since it'd be just one win on an 82-game slate.

Chances are, the Panthers will figure it out and the Hawks will be in for another year of growth. But it would show them that on any given night, they can play good hockey against the best the NHL has to offer.

If I'm the Blackhawks, I just got fired up

A lot of us don't like adversity, but I love it. I'm at my best when I got the deck stacked against me. There's just something about being under pressure that brings out my competitive spirit.

And with a group of pro, world-class hockey players in that locker room, I'm sure the Hawks are more likely to think along those lines. So, while the headline says 'fans will cringe,' I'm sure the players aren't. Heck, I'm further sure they just got so fired up they wish they had a time machine to catapult them to opening night.

And speaking of which, opening night is now officially less than 100 days away. How about that? And now, the Hawks have a chance to get the best of the Panthers.

More from Blackhawk Up