Jeremy Colliton spoke all offseason about an improved team that was ready to take the next step, and honestly, we all believed him. The Chicago Blackhawks had a great second half of the season with a push towards the playoffs last year, and why wouldn’t that be a sign for more success to come?
When you think about it though were those games really a good judgment of what the Blackhawks could be? Teams like Nashville and Winnipeg had already secured a playoff spot towards the second half of the year, so they had no real reason to play hockey in February, March, and April.