New York Rangers rivals: Chicago Blackhawks season preview
Questions Facing The Blackhawks
How will Chicago manage their goalies? Corey Crawford was a cornerstone of the Blackhawks’ Stanley Cup dynasty, and he will go down as one of the greatest goalies in franchise history. But, injuries have taken their toll on the 34-year-old who isn’t as sharp as he once was and his prime years are now behind him. While he is still capable of standing on his head, injuries remain a concern and Crawford’s reliability isn’t what it once was.
That’s where Robin Lehner comes in. Coming off a superb year for the New York Islanders where he resurrected his career, Lehner was signed by Chicago on the first day of free agency as a high-end backup to Crawford. But, should Crawford struggle or be struck by injuries, then don’t be surprised if Lehner picks up the majority of the workload.
Even if Crawford remains healthy, Lehner could be used a lot down the stretch in order to keep Crawford fresh for the postseason should the Hawks be in a position to make the playoffs in 2019-20.
Will Alex Nylander live up to his potential? That is the million dollar question. Drafted with the No. 8 overall pick in the 2016 NHL Entry Draft by the Buffalo Sabres, Nylander never really lived up to lofty expectations and was traded to the Hawks this off-season in exchange for defenseman Henri Jokiharju.
It was a trade that didn’t go down well with Chicago fans given that Nylander only posted six points (three goals, three assists) in 19 career NHL games, coupled with the fact that Jokiharju was a highly-rated prospect. However, the talent is clearly there for Nylander and he began this year with the Blackhawks, recording a goal in two games.
Nylander wasn’t picked as high up in the 2016 Draft for no reason but this year could be a huge one for the youngster in terms of finally tapping into that potential, while the Blackhawks will be hoping they haven’t passed up on a future top six defenseman for an offensive flop.
Can this defense do its job and support a playoff push? As mentioned previously, Chicago ranked 30th in the NHL in 2018-19 in Goals Against Per Game (3.55) and they ranked dead last on the penalty kill (72.7). In other words, their blueline was awful when it came to keeping the puck out of the net and they have some aging defensemen in Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook, who are both on massive contracts but are now past their prime.
Erik Gustafsson enjoyed a breakout year offensively with 60 points (17 goals, 43 assists) last year, but it will be up to him, Connor Murphy, Olli Maatta and the newly-acquired Calvin de Haan to step up defensively and do a better job in their own zone. Chicago has the firepower to seal a return to the playoffs, but they won’t get there if their blueline continues to leak goals at an alarming rate.
Defense wins championships, after all.
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When You Can See Them
We have to wait until 2020 for the first meeting of the season between these two Original Six franchises, when the New York Rangers hit the road to take on the Chicago Blackhawks on February 19 for a nationally televised game.
And the final match up of the season series will also be the 2019-20 regular season finale at Madison Square Garden on April 4.
Will that contest hold playoff implications for both teams? Time will tell.