Perhaps the Chicago Blackhawks were experiencing a Stanley Cup Hangover of monumental proportions; online photos of various players 'celebrating' certainly show they had the will, discipline and talent to do so. Perhaps a team that traded away starting goalie Anti Niemi and All-Star Dustin Byfuglien, among others, needed the proverbial 'time to gel.' Or perhaps Patrick Kane just needs to miss practices and drink Jaeger with his fans more often.
Whatever the reason, the defending champions have suddenly ended their season long doldrums in emphatic fashion. Since their OT loss in Phoenix, followed by Kaner's Sambuca fueled return to Chicago, the 'Hawks have gone 7-1 and won six straight games. As we head into the last quarter of the season they have leapfrogged five teams and are currently tied for the fourth spot in the Western Conference. For a group that was essentially out of this year's race it's quite an accomplishment, even more so given the fact that not only did they have to make this run to stay alive but, as defending champs, they were also expected to.
As sports fans we tend to discredit exactly how hard it can be to 'turn a season around.' Having seen 'miracles' many times before (blame ESPN for that one) we now expect to see them routinely. However, most teams, in any sport, who spend the majority of their season two or three places out of the final playoff spot (or worse) do not magically get better and start winning just because they want to. There's usually more than one reason why a team is under-performing; be it age, injury, exhaustion, that elusive chemistry or just bad luck, many factors conspire against success, no matter how hard a team works or how talented it is 'on paper.' Teams certainly don't start winning because they suddenly 'remember' they are last season's champion. If history has shown anything it's that repeating is extremely hard to do. It's hard to perform on cue and under great pressure, even for professional athletes. Especially when everyone is gunning for you.
So kudos, Blackhawks. You're probably not going to catch the Red Wings in your division. You may or may not host a first round playoff series. You almost certainly won't defend your title. But you have made a mediocre season just a little bit more exciting when it counted and made your games 'must watch' events again, at least for your own fans. And isn't that, after all, what it's all about?
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