Chicago Blackhawks: The Playoff ‘It’ Factor
The playoffs are where legends are made. There isn’t anything more a fan likes than to watch their team elevate their performance when it matters the most. No one wants to see his or her teams crack under pressure. Chicago Blackhawk fans have the pleasure of watching their team make the regular season look like scrimmages. The regular season is a long and tiring grind. At the end of the season, most players are fighting off fatigue or injury. But when the playoffs begin, players will forget about the pain of the regular season to lay it all on the line to win the Stanley Cup.
Finishing the regular season has benefits and it’s quite the accomplishment to win the Presidents’ Trophy. But if that trophy were to fall to the ice, would it make a sound? I’m pretty sure the answer is no. If the New York Rangers fail to win the Stanley Cup, I don’t think we’ll see players and fans celebrating regular season accomplishments. You either win the Stanley Cup or you don’t. There is no consolation prize.
People say that teams win championships, but some players just seem to have the ability to carry their team to a higher level when it matters most. Today, LeBron James took a pass deep in the corner with 1.5 seconds remaining in a tie game and drilled it. Most teams would be fortunate to have that one player they can count on in the clutch. The Chicago Blackhawks don’t have just one player; they seem to have a group of game makers.
Apr 23, 2015; Nashville, TN, USA; Chicago Blackhawks center Jonathan Toews (19) prior to the game against the Nashville Predators in game five of the first round of the 2015 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Bridgestone Arena. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports
Over the past six seasons, Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, Duncan Keith and Patrick Sharp have shown that the regular season is just a warm up. If you need a big goal or key takeaway at least one of these players will be involved. The influence of these players spreads through the team. As I watched the series-clinching win, the Blackhawks hustled to every puck and raced to cover every gap. Players were laying out to push the puck just outside the reach of chasing Wild wingers. Goals were scored because the players were hustling to loose pucks. In a game of inches, the faster and stronger will prevail. Chicago is successful in the playoffs because of its leadership. They want to win and the rest of the team follows their lead.
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After completing their second round sweep of the Minnesota Wild, Patrick Kane said, “I think it just shows that we like playing at this time of year. It’s the best time of year to play. When you think of the playoffs and going through the whole process of going round by round, and you get a new matchup with a different team every time, it is fun for us, and we get excited.”
Through 10 playoff games this season Toews, Kane and Keith are averaging at least a point a game and Patrick Sharp is just under a point per game. Any team would love to have one or two of their top liners increase production, but this is just how it is for Chicago. While the playoff statistics are based on a much smaller sample size, the level of competition is elevated.
I don’t know nor do I claim to know what drives these players. But what I do know is that any team matched up against the Chicago Blackhawks will have their hands full. I’m sure any fan out there would be happy to see their team win two Stanley Cups and reach two conference finals in four of the past six years. I know I would be.