Another Stanley Cup For the Blackhawks?

The second half of the season is about to get underway, and already I talked about the LA Kings potentially going far and winning the Stanley Cup again. I also said that they will have to go through one team in order to get to the Stanley Cup: The Chicago Blackhawks.

The Blackhawks are currently atop the Central Division with a 33-16-4 record and 70 points. Not far behind are the Dallas Stars with 67 points and the St. Louis Blues with 64 points. So, with that in mind, can we expect the Blackhawks to shake off these teams and win the Stanley Cup again?

Perhaps. But let's take a look at where they have come from and where they are going. The Blackhawks came into this season with a new look after offloading some of their best players, like Brandon Saad and Patrick Sharp. But right now, they are capable of winning their fourth title in seven seasons. This season, Patrick Kane has become the best player in the NHL and the rookie Artemi Panarin has done an awesome job of helping to pick up this offense right where it left off. So I guess GM Stan Bowman and head coach Joel Quenneville is doing a fantastic job of helping to keep this championship hunger alive. Also, goaltender Corey Crawford has seven shutouts and is posting a .931 save percentage in the games he's played, probably his best season in the NHL. I wouldn't overlook him for a Vezina Trophy candidate because he's certainly in the mix.

Nobody should overlook the Chicago Blackhawks. NOBODY! Right now, they are the favorites to win it all because their pieces are clicking and helping them score early and often. So a word for all other NHL teams out there, the Blackhawks can beat you and can beat you in many ways, so don't underestimate what this team is capable of. Now, this all doesn't mean that they'll win the Cup when the time comes, but for right now, this team looks poised to have it come June.