The keys to the Blackhawks staying in the playoff race

The Chicago Blackhawks continue to shock the hockey world with their sudden rise near the top of the standings this season. After a tumultuous year last season that saw the club finish in the basement of the NHL for a third straight campaign, the Blackhawks did not go into this edition of the NHL with many expectations. After all, this is a young and rebuilding squad most assumed would be in the race for Gavin McKenna in the draft lottery sweepstakes.

Well, the Blackhawks have entered an unfamiliar race that they have not engaged with in a long time: the playoff race. With their most recent 3-2 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs, they have improved to a 9-5-4 record. This is good for a top-three playoff spot in the grueling Central Division, where every place in the standings is heavily contested in a brutal gauntlet of opponents.

Most pundits have come to the assumption that this surprise start to the year for the Blackhawks will fizzle out and the team will come back down to earth at some point. This is not surprising considering no one expected this team to be in a playoff spot in mid-November. By this point in the season, the cream begins to rise at the top while the pretenders start to snap back to reality.

This begs the question: What if the Blackhawks are for real? Can this team remain in playoff contention over the course of the season and make a postseason run? What needs to happen for them to stay in the race?

This will come down to five main factors: Connor Bedard playing at a high level, continued strength in net, the young defense maintaining composure, increased secondary scoring support, and help from their Central Division foes.

Connor Bedard staying hot

The first key is the most obvious. With 10 goals and 26 points in 18 games thus far, Bedard has been one of the hottest players in the NHL in the early days of this season. He is the Blackhawks' MVP. The team will go as far as he takes them. If he can remain in the conversation for most valuable player and keep up this hot start to the year over the course of the campaign, this will have a trickle-down effect through the rest of the team.

Bedard has been known to elevate his linemates. Look at what he's done for guys like Tyler Bertuzzi and Andre Burakovsky. If Bedard ends the year with 100-plus points, there's a good chance the Blackhawks are at or near a playoff spot.

Goaltending strength

Besides a top franchise player, perhaps nothing can take your team farther in hockey than a hot goaltender. Spencer Knight has arguably been the most impressive netminder in the league of late, putting this Blackhawks team on his back many nights and backstopping them to wins they would not have taken in recent seasons.

That is the Spencer Knight effect on full display; this Chicago team would not be sniffing a playoff berth if Petr Mrazek were still the team's starter. With a .924 save percentage through 13 starts, if Knight can maintain solid numbers throughout the year and keep providing the Hawks consistency in goal, the sky is the limit. Arvid Soderblom providing stability in a backup role is crucial as well. You don't want too much pressure on a young 24-year-old Knight, who is in his first full year as a starter in the National.

Defensive Composure

The Blackhawks' defensive game has taken notable strides forward this year. Jeff Blashill and his coaching staff deserve credit for instilling systems, getting this team back to structured hockey, and forming winning habits on the back end. The Chicago defense runs through a youthful group with five of the seven blueliners under the age of 25.

So far, the young D core has passed the test, with Artyom Levshunov especially impressing over the last few weeks. Nevertheless, there have been clear growing pains for the Blackhawks, who have been heavily outshot in many games this season. They have the goaltending to bail out an inexperienced defense. However, they will need to demonstrate continued growth on the back end if they are to be taken seriously as a contender. Sam Rinzel stepping up and getting on Levshunov's level would be huge.

Secondary Scoring Help

The Blackhawks' offense cannot run entirely through Bedard for the entire season. Yes, a lot of secondary offense will come from the players who line up next to him on any given night. But they are going to need more lines to step up in the clutch moments if they are to make a push. Often, down the stretch of the season, it is the contributions from players you do not expect that push teams over the top.

If the Blackhawks can get some of their depth players to step up later in the year, that would be huge. For instance, can Oliver Moore avoid Rockford and secure a permanent spot in the top six? Can Colton Dach and Landon Slaggert provide reliable contributions lower in the lineup? What about the prospects that are added to the roster as the year chugs along? Kevin Korchinski, Nick Lardis, Roman Kantserov, Sacha Boisvert, etc., are just a few prospects this team could see in the second half of the season that could give this team an added boost down the stretch.

Chaotic Central

With how loaded the Central Division is compared to the considerably weaker Pacific Division, there is a good chance five teams from the Central Division make the postseason. But the fact of the matter is that not everything will be in the Blackhawks' control. If they shockingly make the playoffs, they will likely be a wildcard team. In other words, they will need help from their division rivals if they wish to make the big dance.

So far, the parity in the Western Conference has been on full display, which aids the Blackhawks' chances. They will need teams like the St. Louis Blues and Nashville Predators to continue struggling. The Blackhawks probably won't be able to punch their ticket based on their play alone; they will need outside factors to play in their favor.