In Playoffs, Anything Can Happen For Blackhawks
Shortly after winning the Stanley Cup last season, the focus for the Chicago Blackhawks and their fans turned towards repeating the 2010 season. And that can still happen as long as the Blackhawks make the playoffs.
"You get into the playoffs in the NHL and anything can happen," Tim Sassone, of the Daily Herald, said on the Mully and Hanley Show. "I think the 'Hawks can be a very dangerous team, but you have to get in."
LISTEN: Tim Sassone On The Mully And Hanley Show
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In last year's Eastern Conference playoffs, the eighth seeded Montreal Canadiens knocked off the first seeded Washington Capitals and then beat the defending Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins in the second round.
The Philadelphia Flyers, who the Blackhawks beat for the Stanley Cup, knocked off the second-seed New Jersey Devils in the first round and went on to play the Canadiens in the Conference Finals.
Right now the Blackhawks sit three points out of the eighth and final playoff spot. With less than 30 games left to be played, each game takes on a greater and greater level of importance.
"But it might be more difficult to get in than to cause troubles when you get there," Sassone said.
The Western Conference has been extremely competitive this season and only 10 points separates the third place Dallas Stars from the 14th place Colorado Avalanche. There's a likelihood that one or more 90-point teams could be sitting at home when the playoffs begin.
