After winning three straight, the Blackhawks are again raising hopes that their playoff drought won’t extend beyond this April.
But another development during the last few months suggests that, if the drought continues through this season, it won’t be around for much longer.
That’s because Alex DeBrincat and Dylan Strome are establishing themselves as undeniable pieces of the Blackhawks’ current and future success.
DeBrincat’s story is more familiar in Chicago, after he scored 28 goals in his rookie season. But DeBrincat has taken another step forward in his second season, scoring 37 goals through 69 games in 2018-19, putting aside any notions of a sophomore slump and eviscerating the doubts about the second-round pick’s ability to flourish at the NHL level despite his 5-foot-7 frame.