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Blackhawks Slump? No Fear, Playoffs Are Here!

CHICAGO, IL -- It's a bit of an understatement to say that the month of March hasn't been good for the Chicago Blackhawks.

In fact, over the 10 games they've played up to the game in Calgary on March 26th, they've: lost two shootouts, been shutout once, only won three games, and only have scored 25 points. That doesn't sound like the usual Blackhawks.

What's even more concerning is that of the seven losses they've accrued, five have been conference losses and four have been division losses. Twice to Dallas. Yikes.

But, there's hope yet. We all know how the Blackhawks seemingly switch gears mid-April, and most certainly during the playoffs. But, they have to make the playoffs, first. With Dallas and St. Louis already holding tight to two spots in the playoff race and Nashville creeping up, Chicago need a good string of wins. And fast.

Of course, this is all things you've either read or heard about. No doubt the Hawks have, too. The pressure to return to the Stanley Cup Finals is heavy.

But, there are some key factors us Hawks fan have to consider:

1. The Blackhawks are notorious for hitting a slump in March. Now, their record last year was considerably better in March (8-4-1), but overall, their record at this point in the season last year was 45-25-6, which is only three wins ahead of where they are now. In fact, they hit their slump earlier last season, in January, when they were 6-7-0. Granted, this March has been harsh (3-5-2 is pretty bad), but hear me out a little longer. March isn't over yet, and better yet, the season isn't over, either.

2. Chicago finally got Marcus Kruger back, after missing him for 41 games due to a dislocated wrist (which sounds incredibly painful). Now, I don't expect one man to come back and everything be hunky-dory, but our PK definitely slowed down in his absence, and hopefully, it'll pick itself back up with his return. He is one of our best defensive forwards, after all.

3. Of the 25 men currently on the roster, only 14 of them were on the team when they won the Stanley Cup last year. The majority of the team now are rookies/fresh from the AHL. But, do not worry!

4. Both Patrick Kane and Marian Hossa are very close to breaking personal records. Kane is inching towards 100 points in one season (his career high was 88 points in the 2009-10 season) and Hossa is only a few points from 500 goals in his career. I'd wager they'll want to hit those milestones this season, and soon.

5. And, finally, this is a team we know plays well under pressure. Should we be concerned that they've lost to a handful of conference and division teams? Of course. Those are the games we need to win. But, in reality, if the Hawks can manage to clinch that third playoff spot, they'll play the Blues, which in a four-to-seven game series, I think they can come out on top.

So, in sum, I think it's okay to be nervous. It's okay to be frustrated with the game play and worried about the playoffs. But, like the boys say in almost every post-game interview (I swear they're scripted), we just have to focus on the next game. Looking too far ahead can sometimes be more detrimental than helpful.
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