MORE: First-round playoff schedules | Fatal flaws for all 16 teams
Season record: 48-28-6, 102 points
Standing: Third in Central Division
Clinched: April 2
Coach: Joel Quenneville (regular season: 754-438-77-106; playoffs: 99-82, won two Stanley Cups with Blackhawks)
Captain: Jonathan Toews
Alternates: Patrick Sharp, Duncan Keith
SERIES PREVIEWS: Canucks-Flames | Ducks-Jets | Blues-Wild | Predators-Blackhawks
Players to watch: Jonathan Toews finished as team leader with 28 goals and 66 points, but Patrick Kane was among league scoring leaders when he broke his collarbone on Feb. 24. Toews is a solid, effective leader. Kane is more flashy and productive. Marian Hossa complements Toews and Kane. Opponents shouldn’t overlook Patrick Sharp and Kris Versteeg. Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook anchor the defense.
Goaltender: Corey Crawford (32-20-5-2, .924 save percentage, 2.24 goals-against average). Crawford has great support in front of him, and the ‘Hawks matched the Montreal Canadiens in allowing a league-low 189 goals.
Playoff history: Chicago has been in the hunt for a Cup 60 times in 88 season. The Blackhawks entered last season’s playoffs as Central’s third seed and lost the eventual champion Kings in seven games in the Western Conference Final. It’s the team’s seventh consecutive visit to the playoffs.
Championships: The Blackhawks won two Cups in four years under Quenneville, 2010 and 2013. They won the Stanley Cup in 1934, 1938 and 1961.
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First-round schedule (*-if necessary):
April 15, Blackhawks 4, Predators 3 2OT April 17, 9:30 p.m., at Nashville; NBCSN, Sportsnet, TVA Sports April 19, 3 p.m. at Chicago; NBC, Sportsnet, TVA Sports April 21, 9:30 p.m. at Chicago NBCSN, Sportsnet, TVA Sports *April 23, TBD at Nashville, TBD *April 25, TBD at Chicago, TBD *April 27, TBD at Nashville, TBD
SERIES PREVIEWS: Rangers-Penguins | Canadiens-Senators | Capitals-Islanders | Lightning-Red Wings
Cassandra Negley is a contributor at Sporting News. She’s currently the sports editor at the Thomasville Times-Enterprise in Georgia and writes for the Mets blog, Rising Apple. You can follow her on Twitter, @casnegley.
