Do Blackhawks Fans Notice their Old Rival?

Most of the league's media was on the "Sabres to the playoffs" train or "Columbus is vastly improved" narrative. Ottawa and Calgary are going to bounce back into divison contention was also a common thread before the season. It's Detroit though that has my attention.

Three weeks ago, I wrote an article about how "Detroit sucks and that's a good thing". I feel like the writting was on the wall that their time had finally come. Their multitude of 1st rounders were all finally coming together, the coaching seemed to finally solidify, and they just signed Michigan native Alex DeBrincat.

While very early, it's apparent to me that the Red Wings 5-1 start is a result of the instant chemistry DeBrincat has with his line mates. Connor McDavid has 8 points in 5 games which at this point is almost expected and is a pace of 130+ point season again for the best player in hockey. That's why when you look at the stats page and see the top two scorers in the league it's so surprising.

It's Alex DeBrincat leading the league in goals and points. It's Dylan Larkin second in points. It's not just the line play though, as team success has gone hand in hand with the play of "the cat" as the 5-1 Red Wings have the second most points in the league. The Red Wings have won 5 in a row and are a +16 in that span.

So do Blackhawks fans take notice of their former rival? I, for one, do but with realignment many young fans may not perceive the history of a once great rivalry. Maybe though Blackhawks fans young and old do notice a once United Center favorite tearing up the league in the midst of Connor Bedard mania?