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Arizona Coyotes 2015 Opponents: Chicago Blackhawks

By William Grigsby

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The Arizona Coyotes already have a fierce rivalry with the Chicago Blackhawks. How do the Blackhawks look for this season? 

Today we look at: Chicago Blackhawks

2014-15 record: 48-28-6, 3rd in the Central. Won the Stanley Cup in six games against Tampa Bay

How the Arizona Coyotes did against the Blackhawks last season: 3 games, 1-2-0

Schedule this year against the Preds: Tue 12/29 Home, Thur 2/4 Home, Tue 4/5  at Chicago

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Team Newcomers:  C Artem Anisimov, RW Marko Dano, D Trevor Daley, LW Ryan Garbutt, LW Artemi Panarin, LW Viktor Tikhonov

Now Ex-Players: LW Brandon Saad, LW Patrick Sharp, D Johnny Oduya, C Brad Richards

Coached by: Joel Quenneville (8th year)

Who’s in Net:

Corey Crawford is capable, gets the job done without fanfare, and Scott Darling is a capable backup.  They are set in net.

Quick thoughts about the Blackhawks:

  • Their salary cap issues are self evident. They had to let go of Sharp, Saad, Oduya, Bickell, and Richards. Who’s left of this dynasty team? They did replace them, but it just won’t be the same guys.
  • They may have won their third Cup in six years, but have questions unanswered which could cause them to be less than as successful as last season; the most prominent among them, being the Patrick Kane investigation. Is he going to be traded? Will he be charged? Mostly, will he be a distraction?
  • If they survive the talent depletion they went through, will their chemistry be destroyed? It had a lot to do with their success; without it they may be doomed.

Why the Blackhawks will win the Stanley Cup:

Even with the loss of key players, they still have a respectable group of players who know how to win, and seem to always excel in the playoffs. It may not be easy, but I wouldn’t count them out. That’s been done and was disproven.

Why the Blackhawks won’t win the Stanley Cup:

Back to back in the NHL just doesn’t happen. Ask the L.A. Kings. They have questions which have not been responded to, and the odds of them winning it again are pretty low.

Three Things We Like About You:

  1. We feel that when we can beat you, we can beat anyone. It really gets us pumped up.
  2. We liked the tradition of playing in historical Chicago Stadium until you tore it down. Now you have your new digs which can hold 20,000 plus screaming fans, and that’s nice for you, I guess.
  3. On a personal note, I was born there, and lived there for 18 years. I admit it — I still watch Blackhawks games, but I am an Arizona Coyotes fan through and through.

Three Things We Don’t Like About You:

  1. Patrick Kane. Enough said.
  2. We almost have as much of an issue when you play us in Arizona as we do with the Red Wings fans attending. You’re out there in numbers with your Hawks jerseys, but are not as unruly as the Wings fans. They get that award.
  3. We’re very envious that you have won so many Stanley Cups, and we have yet to win one. We don’t have to like it, but respect you as a team. We also feel that your upper management blew it by spending $22 million on two players, and then had to gut the team to meet the salary cap level. That was poor planning, for sure.

Prediction:

The Blackhawks will still make the playoffs, but with all the missing parts, and the adjustment to new players they will not be in the Finals this year. It may even take two-three years to get back there after disassembling the team for salary cap requirements. Other teams got better, not going to happen this year Hawks…sorry (not really).

Next: Arizona Coyotes Fan: Envious Of Blackhawks Success

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