Chicago Blackhawks Should Be All In Again With Blues' Bumpy Road
When the St. Louis Blues beat the Chicago Blackhawks last year in the first round of the playoffs, they thought they had finally gotten the monkey off their back
When Troy Brouwer and the Blues went up 3-2 late in the third period against the Chicago Blackhawks in Game 7 of the their first-round playoff series last year, ’Hawks fans everywhere took a big gulp. The Blues had been nipping at heels of the ’Hawks for the past few seasons, and they finally got past their bitter rivals.
’Hawks fans are all too familiar with overcoming a team that had dominated them time and time again. The ’Hawks battled with the Detroit Red Wings for years until they finally got past them in the playoffs. But like the Blues, the Blackhawks needed to learn to lose before knowing exactly what it took to surpass a rival.
But since the Blues advanced past the Blackhawks, they failed to reach the Stanley Cup Final and have changed drastically as a team.
Brouwer who was great for the Blues in the playoffs has since signed a contract as a free agent with the Calgary Flames. The Blues also opted not to sign longtime captain David Backes, who is now in Boston. Alex Pietarangelo has taken his place as captain, which might not be a bad replacement, but the edge the Blues had with Backes as captain seems to be missing.
Next, let’s go over the obstacles the Blues have faced this season that may count them out as a contender this year.
Ken Hitchcock/Mike Yeo
As many of you know by now, Ken Hitchcock was relieved of his coaching duties by the Blues earlier this month. In a strange situation where Hitchcock previously announced this will be his final year behind the St Louis bench, former Minnesota Wild coach Mike Yeo was brought in to be his successor.
As much as I hate the Blues, I admire Hitchcock. After years of battling the Blackhawks and gameplanning for superstars like Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane, Hitchcock knew exactly what his team needed to do to slay the dragon.
During every intermission interview, he preached getting in deeper on the forecheck and making opposing teams make mistakes in their own zone. The physicality of his players made the game tighter and threw skilled players off their game.
He also knew that you could never count out the Blackhawks. You needed to get a lead on them and squash them dead until the clock hit 00:00.
With Yeo behind the bench now, it could give the Blues a jumpstart — as it has with the team’s three-game win streak — but there are several other problems they are experiencing.
If they do end up as a playoff bubble team, it will be interesting to see if certain players are moved or retained. It’s just amazing what 8-9 months can do to your team after being so successful. But with misfortune comes opportunity for someone (’Hawks).
Kevin Shattenkirk
Shattenkirk has been the topic of many trade rumors the past couple seasons. A UFA after this season, Shattenkirk currently makes $4.25 AAV and will look for a long-term deal during the offseason.
With the emergence of young defenseman Colton Parayko, it doesn’t look like the Blues are going to extend Shattenkirk, otherwise the deal would’ve probably been done by now. The question for the Blues is whether to trade him to get a return on an expiring contract or to keep him with hopes of making the playoffs.
Shattenkirk is a solid defenseman with a right-handed shot who is still young enough to be productive on a long-term deal. The Oilers have been mentioned to be interested in Shattenkirk’s services, but his availability is yet to be known.
Robby Fabbri
It has been announced that the Blues will be without young forward Robby Fabbri for the remainder of the season due to season ending ACL surgery. As one of the few supporting players that were productive on the Blues, Fabbri was having a great season, scoring 11 goals with 18 assists.
Fabbri was a big contributor in last year’s playoff series against the Blackhawks. His value increased when he combined his skill with the physicality of the Blues. Fabbri is listed at only 195 pounds, but that didn’t stop him from laying out big hits.
This is a huge loss for the Blues, but Fabbri’s shoes could quickly be filled. Blues prospect Kenny Agostino was recalled from the Chicago Wolves to help fill the roster spot. Agostino led the AHL in scoring with 18 goals and 42 assists at the time of his call-up.
Goaltending: Jake Allen/Carter Hutton
Jake Allen‘s struggles in net have been a topic around the NHL as he hasn’t found his grove yet this season. Allen is 20-14-3 with a save percentage of .903 and a GAA of 2.69, boosted heavily by allowing just one goal over his last two starts.
The Blues are hoping goalie coach Martin Brodeur can help Allen get back to playing at a high level after being fresh off signing a four-year extension with an AAV of $4.35M.
Because of Allen’s struggles, former Blackhawks prospect Carter Hutton has been called upon to see if he can do any better in net. Hutton is 8-7-2 with a .902 save percentage and a GAA of 2.65.
Conclusion
All in all, it doesn’t look like the Blues will be contending for a Stanley Cup this year. It’s amazing that less than a year after they dethroned the ’Hawks, their captain and head coach are gone.
It’s going to be tough to catch the Wild for the division lead, but the ’Hawks have been a good road team in the playoffs. If the Wild have home ice, there will be a lot of pressure on them to close out the ’Hawks, something they haven’t been able to do in the post season recently.
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