The Chicago Blackhawks must avoid a trio of traps in Week 2

Had you told me the Calgary Flames, San Jose Sharks, and Buffalo Sabres could be trap games for the Blackhawks, I probably would have had a good laugh even if Chicago is still an up-and-coming team. But here we are, heading into the second week of a long 2024-25 NHL season after an up-and-down Week 1, and the narrative couldn’t have changed more. 

They may be facing a 3-0-0 Flames team mere hours after I publish this piece, and one that has a 16 to nine goals for to goals against advantage. Nobody saw the Flames bursting out of the gate like this, and while they could still fall back to reality, somebody also needs to be the surprise team this season. 

But before we elaborate more on the Flames, let’s shift gears and talk a little about San Jose. If there’s one major downer for the Hawks this week, it’s that we won’t be seeing Connor Bedard vs. Macklin Celebrini, who has been on injured reserve since October 11th. It’s a blow to the Sharks, who are still without captain Logan Couture, and who are still searching for an identity.

On paper, they look like a team the Blackhawks should easily get the best of, but it’s the second of a potential trap. Meanwhile, Calgary, a team that’s already trapped a few opponents, probably isn’t as good as they look at the moment, and the Hawks could be their latest victim. 

As for the Sharks, it’s the exact opposite. On paper, they’re a better team than they were just a season ago, and they will enjoy playing spoiler to some of the league’s better teams while causing trouble for those in building mode, like the Hawks.

Blackhawks Week 2 schedule is way tougher than it initially looks

Last week, the Buffalo Sabres looked like they were doing typical Buffalo Sabres things: Giving their fans doses of optimism, only to fall flat. Then, they went out and crushed the Florida Panthers and raised the question of whether they just needed a few games to get used to the change in identity head coach Lindy Ruff brought. 

A hard-hitting, defense-first style has fueled the Sabres this season, and it’s the reason they were at least somewhat in the three games that they lost so far. Luckily, the Hawks are averaging a decent 21 hits per game heading into Week 2, so they’re capable of keeping up with Buffalo’s style. 

In short, none of the teams the Hawks are facing this week are that good, with one off to a hot start, another that will be better at times than what their small sample size has shown, even without its franchise player, and a third that already trapped the Stanley Cup Champions in a three-goal win. 

This doesn’t mean the Hawks will fall victim to the upstart Flames, the nothing-to-lose Sharks, or the deceptive Sabres. But it does mean they must capitalize on every slip-up their opponents make, as they did recently against the Edmonton Oilers.