Blackhawks Focused On Playoffs
If the NHL regular season were to end today, the defending Stanley Cup champions would be sitting at home watching the playoffs on TV.
The Blackhawks have been decimated by injuries this season, and sit in 9th place in the Western Conference. But with the top eight teams making the playoffs, the Blackhawks still have a chance to get to the postseason.
"It doesn't matter what happens to us," Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews said, "we'll keep working through it. We know we're capable of getting ourselves back to where we want to be. And that's in a nice comfy playoff spot."
With a tight Western Conference race, the Blackhawks have no reason to panic. They're only five points behind the third place Dallas Stars, who come to the United Center on Wednesday night.
With Toews returning from injury earlier than expected, the Blackhawks are finally healthy for the first time all season. So if the team doesn't start accumulating standings points soon, the talk of a Stanley Cup hangover will begin to creep up again.
But that criticism won't affect the Blackhawks, their focus remains inside their locker room.
"All that talk," Toews said, "everything that goes on outside out locker room, the speculation, it means nothing to us."
