20 Minutes, an NHL period takes 20 minutes, but in some cases there is more than that. There could be a comeback or great start, or even a blown lead. But last night against the Edmonton Oilers there something more than that, the Hawks 3rd period was a period of hope. Going in down 2-1, the realization for Hawks fans and management alike was that this team is really a seller and is really in a rebuild shape. Things changed quickly in the 3rd period, Hayden, Strome, and Kane all scored within 3 minutes of each other to go from a 2-1 deficit to 4-2 lead. The Blackhawks went from falling to the bottom of the standings once again, to still near the bottom but only 3 points out of the playoffs.
Stan Bowman was all in on a rebuild just a few weeks ago. Bowman was moving closer and closer to drafting his first top 5 or even top 3 draft pick of his career as a GM, something that any GM would love to do. Things change fast in the NHL, now everyone is talking about how the Hawks are only 3 points out of the playoffs. Never mind the games in hand that the Avalanche, Blues, Wild, and Stars have on the Hawks. All that matters is the last 5 times the Hawks have put on the skates they have 5 victories. They also have a few multi game losing streaks under their belts this season so it is going to take a lot to turn this season around.
There is reasons for hope for the Blackhawks. Toews Kane and Saad are all taking considerable large steps since last year. Alex Debrincat is becoming an Ovechkin level threat on the power play, and Erik Gustafsson has come straight out of Rockford to be the lead singer on the Hawks power play. Not only has the offense improved but so has the defense. Knock on wood here but, Carl Dahlstrom and Connor Murphy are the Blackhawks shut down pair right now on the defensive side. With actually solid goaltending split between Cam Ward and Collin Delia the team can not be stopped. So with all that in mind what now?
I loved seeing the comeback victory in Edmonton on Tuesday, it was a great showcase of what the team really could be. I also would not mind seeing them draft the number 1 overall pick and take the step back this offseason so they can take a giant leap forward later. However do you remember 2017? Nashville needed a miracle to make the playoffs. Going into the all star break they had just 24 wins. Very similar to the Blackhawks 21 wins at the moment. It was a great finish that lead Nashville to the Stanley Cup final. Things could be similar in Chicago. The Blackhawks can be that team again, that shut down level team that truly can win the Stanley Cup. It will take a lot of hard work to get there, and Bowman definitely should not give up any assets to do it, but the young guys can really benefit from a playoff run.
This hope all could dwindle after a few losses, time will tell if this hope sparks up into an actual future.
Comments