St. Louis Blues Opposition: Chicago Blackhawks
The St. Louis Blues and Chicago Blackhawks have had ups and downs, but through it all they have remained some of the biggest rivals. Last season’s playoff series cemented that, if it was not already.
Well, we’re previewing the St. Louis Blues and Chicago Blackhawks matchups, so that can only mean one thing. The 2016-17 is upon us.
We have endured the long and trying offseason and hockey has returned. Whether the Blues and Hawks can live up to their epic clash in the 2016 playoffs remains to be seen.
The Blues could have, and should have, finished off their chief rival in under seven games. In the end, it could not be accomplished and those extra, taxing games may have cost the Blues a chance at their first finals in over 40 years.
Now, on opening night of the new season, the Blues will face the Blackhawks for the 302 time in the regular season. It is a perfect opportunity for both teams to show they still mean business.
It’s an interesting dichotomy for the two squads. The Blues are being counted out by many and Chicago, for no other reason than they are Chicago, is being labled as a contender.
The Blues beat Chicago to end the preseason, but it didn’t really matter. It was against a Chicago team without many of their top players.
Now, it does matter and every game in the regular season against Chicago will matter. Whether we agree on how high they are esteemed by the media, the Blackhawks are still the measuring stick because of how much they have won.
Key Additions
The Blackhawks brought back veteran defenseman Brian Campbell. They signed him for a very team friendly $1.5 million, which shows how their brand has gained respect.
Oct 1, 2016; Chicago, IL, USA; St. Louis Blues forward Eric Nystrom (39) skates past Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Brian Campbell (51) during the third period of a preseason hockey game at the United Center. Chicago won 4-0. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports
Campbell was on the team back when they won their first Stanley Cup in this recent run in 2010. He was a crusty veteran back then and now has an extra six years on him.
Don’t think that means he won’t help the team. He’s still a solid point producer and puck mover and still averages well over 20 minutes per game.
Even at 37, he’s already being slotted into the top four of the Blackhawks’ defense.
Campbell definitely fills a hole on the backline. The Blackhawks didn’t have the funds to keep the forward lines there though.
Key Losses
Here is where so many fail to realize where the Blackhawks could be in trouble. Could be is the key phrase.
They lost Andrew Shaw, Teuvo Teravainen, Bryan Bickell, Andrew Ladd and Dale Weise off last year’s team. You can agrue that Ladd and Weise were deadline deals, so they don’t count as much and I’ll let you have that.
Weise played in 15 regular season and four playoff games. He totaled one goal and one assist, so no big loss.
Bickell played in 25 regular season games and none in the 2016 playoffs. Again, no great loss outside of having a depth player.
Ladd had eight goals and 12 points after coming over at the deadline. He only managed two points in the playoffs, so technically he was a disappointment, but from a Blackhawks’ perspective everyone was disappointing since the team was eliminated in the first round.
Teravainen and Shaw are the ones that will hurt. They will hurt more than the national media care to discuss.
Teravainen scored 13 goals and had 35 points. According to some Hawk fans, he wasn’t living up to potential (something Blues fans know all about).
Apr 25, 2016; St. Louis, MO, USA; Chicago Blackhawks left wing Teuvo Teravainen (86) skates away from St. Louis Blues center Patrik Berglund (21) during the first period in game seven of the first round of the 2016 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Scottrade Center. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports
That’s a fair assessment. Still, that’s 13 goals you now have to account for from other places.
Shaw was almost more trouble than he was worth with his antics. Still, he averaged under 15 minutes of ice time and still contributed 14 goals and 34 points. He also came up big with four goals and six points in the playoffs.
Everyone wants to focus on what the Blues lost, but the Blackhawks lost as much or more production. They also lost more depth.
Blackhawks Outlook
The Blackhawks have proven they have one of the best scouting staffs in the league. Every time they win a championship or get in cap trouble, they seem to bring in new blood that fills their gaps.
This year may be no different. Until we see some of these younger guys get their shot, we don’t know what they’ll provide.
Forgive me though if I don’t slobber all over the feet of Chicago simply because they have the great Joel Quenneville as their coach and because they have won before. That seems to be what so many are doing.
More from Bleedin' Blue
I apologize in advance for any rant here, especially since I am clearly biased. However, the very reasons people point out for a possibility the Blues won’t make the playoffs, they ignore about the Blackhawks.
The Blues will supposedly be an unrecognizable team without David Backes and Troy Brouwer (who was only on the team one season by the way). Yet, Chicago loses as many players as they did in the offseason and are favored by some to win another Cup?
The Blackhawks’ depth is supposedly what cost them the series against St. Louis in the first place. Now, they seem to have even less depth and are still contenders?
It doesn’t make sense. But, it’s Chicago and they are the current darlings of a league that has its favorites and then discards them when the new one comes along.
Anyway, the truth of the matter is as long as Chicago has Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane, they will be contending in the division. To shoot a hole in my own argument, I do think they have proven they know how to win when plugging in new pieces.
It just seems like too much at once this time. They have almost no money to add pieces without a major trade sending money away at the deadline. They have several key players like Artemi Panarin and Richard Panik coming up for free agency as well.
The wingers on their third line have a combined eight games of NHL experience. Their fourth line has 680 games worth of experience and Jordin Tootoo – aka 22 – has 673 of those games.
Blackhawks fans were going nuts at Panik playing so high in the lineup during the playoffs. Now it will be a regular thing.
National pundits want to say the Blackhawks are going to win the division. If we’ve all but penned the Stars and Predators into top-three division spots, then the Blackhawks are just as likely to be in the wild card spot as the Blues are.
Blues Games
As mentioned, the first game of the season between these two rivals will be the 302 meeting in the regular season. Of course, like the big brother they are, Chicago has the best of the series record and won’t let you forget it.
The Blues are 150-179-35 all time against the Blackhawks before the 2016-17 season begins. Chicago has been all but a fortress as well since the Blues have only won a little over 35% of their games in the Windy City.
The Blues exercised some ghosts by beating Chicago in last year’s playoffs. Now, if those ghosts are truly gone, Chicago must not be the sole focus of the team anymore.
Yes, they are still the measuring stick. With Nashville and Dallas looking good and Colorado on the ascendancy, you cannot only focus on Chicago now.
That does not mean Chicago will not always be the main rival of the Blues. Proximity will always keep that hatred alive.
As we all know, the Blues open against the Blackhawks tonight in the season opener. The game is in Chicago and will be featured on NBCSports Rivalry Night.
The Blues will get the Hawks on NBCSports again on Wednesday, November 9. That one will be a home game for St. Louis.
The Blues are home again on Saturday, December 17. Monday, January 2 will be the big Winter Classic game played at Busch Stadium. Let’s all hope for frosty weather on that day.
The Blues play in Chicago on Sunday, February 26. That concludes the regular season series between the two, though it would shock nobody to see these two in another first round playoff series.
The bottom line is Chicago is still a very good team. They have more scoring consistency than the Blues, but I would say the Blues have more defensive depth.
Outside of those factors, the teams are quite similar. They are going to have a different look coming into 2016-17.
Every game against each other will matter. As Blues fans, let’s try not to overreact one way or the other after the opening night contest.
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